This year, the PGA Championship isn’t just about golf. It’s about food, too, thanks to sponsorship from Bon Appetit magazine.
In the May issue of the magazine, a number of America's best chefs, including Amanda Freitag, John Besh, Mike Lata, Michael Chernow and Daniel Holtzman, shared recipes and ideas inspired by the signature holes of Whistling Straits golf course in Sheboygan, the site of this year's championship.
The culmination of the partnership between PGA and Bon Appetit happens on Wednesday, when Bon Appétit editor in chief Adam Rapoport and PGA of America President Derek Sprague will host a golf-inspired Champions of the Course VIP event at the Kohler Design Center, where the A-List chefs will cook alongside Kohler talent, making dishes like smoked Rushing Waters rainbow trout with charred corn salad and sausage meatball sliders with sautéed peppers and onions.
Rapoport, who worked as GQ's style editor before moving to Bon Appetit, has been named by MIN as one of the most intriguing people in media. And, under his direction, Bon Appetit has been named Advertising Age A-List Magazine of the Year, and has been nominated for countless awards including the James Beard Foundation Journalism Award.
Since Rapoport is in town to host the event, we thought it would be fun to catch up with him to chat about food and golf and what he’s looking forward to doing while he’s in town.
OnMilwaukee.com: First off, that was a pretty nice Instagram photo you posted the other day of all the fixin’s for BLTs. How many have you eaten so far this summer?
Adam Rapoport: Well, that’s an excellent question. That was actually my first BLT experience because you’re really only starting to get good big tomatoes right now. Here on the East Coast – and I’m sure Wisconsin is probably the same way – we’ve had lots of cherry tomatoes ripe. But, only recently have we really started to get the larger varieties. Cherry tomatoes are great, but there’s not a really good way to make a BLT with them.
But, yeah. I’m eating them now. I had one full sandwich and like four open face ones the other day.
OMC: Any other "can’t miss" foods we need to eat before the season is over?
AR: Sweet corn is always at the top of my list. And that always begs the question, do you grill it or boil it? I love grilling things, but in the case of corn I generally always grill everything else so the corn ends up boiled. And then you add butter and salt, you can’t go wrong. I also like squirting lime juice all over the corn. Especially when you’re eating something rich like steak, it’s nice to have something other than butter to put on the corn.
And I know you’re supposed to be eating fruit pies at this point in the summer, but I’m really not a pie guy. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I crave things like bacon and corn.
OMC: Another thing that’s great in the summer is golf. Do you play?
AR: I do play. I would like to say I play a lot of golf. But, I have a full-time job, a wife and a 7-year-old, and that cuts into the time I have to play. So, let’s just say I play whenever I can. I’m really looking forward to playing a bit up at Kohler while I’m there.
OMC: Have you been to the Milwaukee area before?
AR: Actually, I have. My mom is from Milwaukee. She’s actually from West Allis. And so the entire Barczak clan lives in the area. I’m rallying with my cousins Sarah and Margaux and Dawn and Rodney ... and all of my family while I’m in town. It should be a really good time.
I haven’t been there in a while, though. I do remember there was always fresh kielbasa and custard … and that whole corner tavern culture. Packers’ paraphernalia and these basement bars. As a kid, I just thought it was the most awesome thing.
OMC: So, what are you most looking forward to doing while you’re here?
AR: Well, besides playing golf and seeing my relatives, I really do love beer, kielbasa and cheese. I know I should probably say a few more modern, hip, of-the-moment things. But, really, I’m surrounded by modern, hip, of-the-moment things – so I want this trip to be a bit more traditional.
Actually, we’re looking for a great bar to hang out at – maybe one with food – but not like an ultra-modern cocktail place, maybe something more traditional, maybe with pool tables or darts.
OMC: You mentioned liking sausage earlier. Something tells me you might like Vanguard in Bay View, actually. It’s kind of like the modern Milwaukee sausage place; it’s a great bar, but also has this sort of classic, fun Milwaukee vibe, and a little patio out back.
AR: Hey, I’m looking up their menu. It looks really good.
OMC: Well, I’m sure they’d love it if you stopped by. You sound pretty excited about your trip.
AR: Yeah, you know, when this PGA Championship thing came on the table and they asked me if we were interested, I said, "Damn right, we’d be interested."
I think I might be the only food magazine with an editor in chief who loves to golf … maybe. But, I was really excited. After all, it was going to be in Milwaukee! And the infamous home of the Barczak’s! Hell yes.
OMC: You do quite a bit of traveling for work. What are some things you always bring with you?
AR: Excellent question, first of all. You know we talk about this a lot on staff. Andrew Knowlton always brings bottles of bitters so he can make cocktails on the plane. I mean, that’s commitment right there.
I think traveling with little tins of Maldon sea salt is great – since having really great salt on hand just makes everything taste better, and so much airline food is mediocre.
When I was in college, I had this thing – like a bottle opener on a key chain – and at some point, it seemed like such a college dude thing, so I got rid of it. But, now I regret that. It’s nice to – no matter where you are – have a bottle opener with you.
Also, If you’re eating and drinking a lot, especially for a living, you also to need to exercise for a living. So, I always bring goggles with me. Sometimes my hotels have pools and they’re always so full of chlorine, so the goggles help, and then I can swim while I’m there. Shoes always take up so much room, especially when you need dress shoes and casual shoes; but, if I can fit them in, I bring jogging shoes when I can.
OMC: As far as food goes, you see a lot of things as editor for one of the nation’s biggest food magazines. Are there any food trends, right now, that you would like to see slip away?
AR: I’ve often griped about the whole mixology movement, with its overly tedious, complicated cocktails. On top of everything, so many of the more aspirational cocktails that are being created these days are just too sweet. Too often, they feel like they’re more and exercise in entertainment than anything.
OMC: Are there any current trends you absolutely love?
AR: (I) love the fact that vegetables are so prominent on menus these days. So many chefs are really going all out and really using them in creative and delicious ways. A sumptuous meal no longer needs to be meat and potatoes. And that’s a great thing.
OMC: And I wanted to thank you for sending along the great burger recipe to share with our readers. It looks pretty good.
AR: You know it just kind of makes sense – you've got the PGA championship on, you want to be eating and drinking. And you might as well cook something really great.
[Get the recipe for the Bon Appetite Burger Deluxe with Wisconsin Cheddar]
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
