At The Mildred on S. 8th Street in the Bella Vista section of Philadelphia, diners may enjoy the subtleties of cast iron cooking via the talents of Michael Santoro, who, you may remember, was the opening chef at Talula’s Garden in Center City.
Food-i-philes can also get to appreciate the hospitable aplomb of co-owner, Michael Dorris, a catering biz veteran who runs the front of house. In other words, it’s double-your-Michael quotient at this contemporary and sophisticated (but not too hoity-toity) dinner-only restaurant. It’s a place where the partners put their aspirations onto each flavorful plate.
1. Where did your inspiration for cast-iron cooking come from?
Michael Santoro: My grandmother. I’d watch her cook with cast iron; I burned my first polenta with her when I was a kid. The sight of bacon being rendered in cast iron: once you see it, you always want to do it.
Cast iron takes a while to get hot, it’s a very responsive material – the pan’s continually seasoning, and the flavor just gets beaten into them. And it can withstand that kind of beating.
Michael Dorris: We wanted to expound on the joy and fun of cooking by using cast iron pots. Michael and I worked in and out of Europe for two years and found the best meals came from cast iron and were served on smaller plates.
MS: Low-temp cooking is what we do. Once you’ve had your first taste of, say, real coq au vin, it’s a transporting experience.
MD: Our pots are produced from a company in Alsace [France] called Staub. Eating out of this type of quality cast iron forces us to stay simple and retain Old World principles while focusing on flavor, value and aesthetics. And it’s us – I’ve lived in France, and Michael has cooked in Spain, so, we wanted to capture the rustic wholesomeness of this genre with honesty and with little compromise.
Plus, (laughs) the food stays hot!
2. Is there any type of food you especially love to cook?
MD: Fish stew! Just looking at the pot while you’re cooking fish stew reminds me why I cook. It looks beautiful, it smells beautiful; it makes me happy.
MD: Braises, steamed mussels, steamed fish. Nice scallops seared right in cast iron, too.
MS: We do an amazing vertical roast with a trough to catch the juices. We also do an amazing Guinea hen and leg of lamb as well.
3. How do you keep your ongoing partnership amicable and productive?
MD: Trust. There are always open lines of communication and objectivity on an everyday basis. We try not to be emotional and find it’s best to speak about each day about each project together, and then communicate with our team so that we are all on top of things.
MS: We have fun, too. It’s why we partnered.
MD: We put our dream on the back of a napkin at college 10 years ago and we’ve stuck to that dream …
Michael and I work day to day together. When it’s time to leave the restaurant, we close the door and make sure to leave the work behind as well.
Sure, it’s not all smiles and gravy. There are days we disagree, but in the end, we’re not disagreeable with each other.
4. How do you make The Mildred stand out in such a flux and finicky restaurant-goers climate?
One way is obviously through good marketing. Two, our concept, which is very unique, and three, by being who we are: neighbors who want to respect this neighborhood.
MS: We named The Mildred after a street behind the restaurant. That says “We want to be one of you.” Also, being two cooks that run one restaurant helps us stand out.
MD: Providing simplicity, good staff training, offering value and gaining trust among this neighborhood—we have a uniform aesthetic. MS: We stand out because we really care about people. Experience the restaurant and you experience us.
5. What other components to your business do you want people to understand?
MD: The catering arm of The Mildred is a big part of the plan. I started it from my mother’s stove, and I learned quickly that people want to use your service because of you—it’s not always because of the product. Catering taught me how to listen and give people what they want.
I can be a wedding planner, a caterer, a maître d’ and a tour guide, our capabilities are endless.
MS: We’ve done tented weddings for 200; cooked for 400 at the Perelman Center..
MD: Our goal is to have balanced lives and make guests happy. Food can provide introductions, create comfortable moments, and it keeps people moving. Food is power.
Bonus Question: Any plans for a suburban Philadelphia restaurant entity?
MD: Yes, I grew up in the suburbs [Berwyn] and I have a huge clientele there, so I want to be back someday with a place to offer those I know.
Find The Mildred at 824 S. 8th St. in Philadelphia. Follow them on Facebook here, and Twitter too.
