EPISODE 2 Mark Bittman vs. Chris Schlesinger, East Coast Grill & Raw Bar

Bittman and the Boston grillmaster have been friends for close to thirty years, which meant Schlesinger had no compunctions about throwing Bittman into the (fortunately warm) water off the Massachusetts coast at the close of the show. Before that, the two surf together in high seas (Chris actually surfing, Bittman lying down on the surfboard) and grill together. They begin at Chris's restaurant the East Coast Grill, a veritable institution in Cambridge - demonstrating their skills with fresh tuna.

Down at the beach, Schlesinger shucks clams before grilling them, a practice Bittman disdains as being too difficult; he uses the heat of the grill to force the clams open. Finally, Chris pulls out all the stops and makes his slow-grilled ribs, one of his signature dishes. Bittman, the self-proclaimed "man of the people" does his ribs in the time it takes to drink one beer; and even Chris admits they're "not bad." Then he throws Bittman in the bay.


MEET THE CHEF Chris Schlesinger

Chris Schlesinger

Chris was born and raised in Virginia, where he first developed his love for barbecue, spicy food and live fire cookery. He entered the food service industry at age 18, when he left college and became a dishwasher. Fascinated by the intense energy and teamwork that are the heart of any restaurant kitchen, Chris went on to become a line cook, then decided to pursue a formal culinary education at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) where he graduated in 1977.

Following his graduation from the CIA in 1977, Chris worked in some 35 different restaurants, working with New England's most innovative chefs during the first blossoming of nouvelle cuisine. He also continued his extensive travels to regions featuring overhead waves and low 80's temperatures, where he honed his fondness for loud flavors, seafood, and grilling.

In 1985 Chris opened the East Coast Grill, in 1989, Jake and Earl's Dixie BBQ, in 1991, The Blue Room, and in 1999, The Back Eddy in Westport, MA. All of these received national attention. Today, Chris' sole restaurant is the East Coast Grill & Raw Bar that he revamped in 1996, tripling its size and shifting its focus to seafood.

Chris is the co-author (with John Willoughby) of several cookbooks: the James Beard Cookbook Award winner, Thrill of the Grill (Morrow, 1990); Salsas, Sambals, Chutneys, and Chowchows (Morrow, 1993); Big Flavors of the Hot Sun (Morrow, 1994); Lettuce in Your Kitchen (Morrow, 1996); License to Grill (Morrow, 1997); How to Cook Meat (Morrow, 2000); Quick Pickles (Chronicle, 2001) and Let the Flames Begin (Norton, 2002). They also have a monthly feature in the New York Times, and have written numerous articles for magazines such as GQ and Food & Wine. Chris is also a Contributing Editor for SAVEUR magazine.

An accomplished cooking teacher, Chris has taught culinary students at his alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America, in both the New York and Napa Valley campuses. Chris has appeared on dozens of television shows around the USA to talk about food and cooking, has been a guest speaker at numerous conferences, and has been featured in over 200 magazine and newspaper articles. He is a founding member of the national organization Chefs 2000 and actively works with local farmers to preserve farming in New England.

Chris is the winner of the 1996 James Beard Awards Best Chef of the Northeast.

Chris was born and raised in Virginia, where he first developed his love for barbecue, spicy food and live fire cookery. He entered the food service industry at age 18, when he left college and became a dishwasher. Fascinated by the intense energy and teamwork that are the heart of any restaurant kitchen, Chris went on to become a line cook, then decided to pursue a formal culinary education at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) where he graduated in 1977.

Following his graduation from the CIA in 1977, Chris worked in some 35 different restaurants, working with New England's most innovative chefs during the first blossoming of nouvelle cuisine. He also continued his extensive travels to regions featuring overhead waves and low 80's temperatures, where he honed his fondness for loud flavors, seafood, and grilling.

In 1985 Chris opened the East Coast Grill, in 1989, Jake and Earl's Dixie BBQ, in 1991, The Blue Room, and in 1999, The Back Eddy in Westport, MA. All of these received national attention. Today, Chris' sole restaurant is the East Coast Grill & Raw Bar that he revamped in 1996, tripling its size and shifting its focus to seafood.

Chris is the co-author (with John Willoughby) of several cookbooks: the James Beard Cookbook Award winner, Thrill of the Grill (Morrow, 1990); Salsas, Sambals, Chutneys, and Chowchows (Morrow, 1993); Big Flavors of the Hot Sun (Morrow, 1994); Lettuce in Your Kitchen (Morrow, 1996); License to Grill (Morrow, 1997); How to Cook Meat (Morrow, 2000); Quick Pickles (Chronicle, 2001) and Let the Flames Begin (Norton, 2002). They also have a monthly feature in the New York Times, and have written numerous articles for magazines such as GQ and Food & Wine. Chris is also a Contributing Editor for SAVEUR magazine.

An accomplished cooking teacher, Chris has taught culinary students at his alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America, in both the New York and Napa Valley campuses. Chris has appeared on dozens of television shows around the USA to talk about food and cooking, has been a guest speaker at numerous conferences, and has been featured in over 200 magazine and newspaper articles. He is a founding member of the national organization Chefs 2000 and actively works with local farmers to preserve farming in New England.

Chris is the winner of the 1996 James Beard Awards Best Chef of the Northeast.