Restaurant: Owner and chef at Bistro Europa in downtown Greenville
Chef Ben Gold's love of regional southern ingredients comes from memories of his mothers and grandmothers dining tables. ''On Sundays in the summer my mother always had home made pimento cheese and celery stickd on the table. It never failed, they were always plated up beautifully and ready for eating. That picture will always be with me ". The love and dedication to her family that went into that simple dish is the foundation of his culinary philosophy .
His culinary journey began in 1986 at the age of 16 where he started working at a local Italian restaurant and deli. He spent his nights selling sausages, and cheeses, and filling cannolis. In 1990, he moved to New Orleans to follow his passion for photography, but the call of the kitchen was just to strong.
For 3 years, he studied and worked for some of the city’s best known chefs and with what free time he had, he spent dining in the city’s other restaurants “I remember saving every dime I could, so I could go out to a new restaurant every chance I had. I would treat myself to places like Antoine’s, Peristyle, Commanders, Bon-Tons, and this little grocery store right outside Audubon Park that sold The Best shrimp salad Po-Boys.” Other travels took him to San Francisco, Jackson Hole, and the high mountains of Colorado, where he spent 6 years backpacking and climbing outside of Nederland, Colorado. Never losing focus and love for the cuisine that captured his heart and palate as a young boy, Ben returned to SC in 2000 and continued to follow his vision. Through hard work he was able to bring Greenville an unpretentious upscale restaurant in Bistro Europa.
At Bistro Europa southern staples such as stoned ground grits, country ham, and collard greens meet with French and Creole sauces and technique to create flavorful and elegantly balanced dishes. The Bistro’s seasonal changing menu strives to incorporate the foods of the region, fresh seafood, local organic produce, locally roasted coffee, beef, pork, and poultry bought from sustainable farms. Chef Ben’s philosophy is based on “simplicity and cooking with only the finest ingredients, but most importantly putting your heart, mind, and knowledge 100% into all of your dishes.