Trevett Hooper doesn't shy away from change.
Hooper is chef and owner at Legume Bistro, one of Pittsburgh's most popular restaurants, where the menu changes regularly.
The location of the restaurant changed three years ago, moving from Regent Square to North Oakland. A room next door to the new location then changed into another popular spot, Butterjoint, a bar that shares a kitchen with Legume.
But one thing that hasn't changed is Hooper's commitment to buying local and supporting Western Pennsylvania farmers. In addition to buying local seasonal produce, Hooper also is a big proponent of whole-animal cooking. Legume butchers onsite, and Hooper orders a whole grass-fed cow from Burns Angus Beef in New Wilmington, Lawrence County, three to four times a month.
“It's the secret to our Butterjoint hamburger,” Hooper told the Tribune-Review over the summer. “People ask, ‘How is it so good'? It's not because we're cooking it any special way. It's because of how we grind it. It's all meat and fat. There's nothing mysterious in there.”
It's also no mystery why, as more people look to understand where food comes from, places like Legume are enjoying success. Hooper just happened to be thinking about it long before it was trendy.
Childhood hero:
My Dad. He was a very strong man.
The piece of memorabilia from my childhood I wish I still had:
My Peanuts lunchbox
Something I would do over if I could:
I would change nothing. I feel lucky to have a good job, beautiful kids and a life partner who I love.
Favorite season:
Fall
Favorite lunchtime spot:
Salem's, the one on Center Avenue
My favorite Pittsburgh pizza:
I'm a Vincent's man.
My most embarrassing junk food:
I am not embarrassed about anything I eat.
My favorite thing about Pittsburgh:
The people
Favorite ethnic food:
Polish
Favorite app:
Beef tartare
I wish I had more time to:
Spend time with my kids
Place I'd most like to visit:
Russia
Best vacation ever:
Maine. We go there every year.
Three people I'd love to have dinner with:
Wendell Berry, Maksim Syrnikov and Bill Fuller
The dessert that matches my personality:
Apple pie
My favorite Pittsburgh athlete:
Heath Miller. He gets stuff done when the team needs him.
My first job:
Mowing lawns/paperboy
My quirkiest inherited trait:
My mom's irreverent, often inappropriate, humor
The last book I read:
“Saltwater Seasons” by Esther Wood
If I could go back, I'd tell my teenage self:
Be yourself. Always.
The best concert I've ever seen:
Black Heart Procession at the Casbah in San Diego
My worst job:
Raking Maine blueberries. It was backbreaking labor. It's the reason I went to college.
Top thing on my bucket list:
To open my second and final restaurant, where I can better realize my vision of how I think food is supposed to be.
Happiness is:
At the stove, a little bit tipsy, with friends and family around and a good record playing in the background
Overused phrase I hate most:
Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but responding to a statement with “gotcha” seems very rude to me.
The Disney character that represents me:
Pluto
People would be surprised to know that I:
Have a bad temper. It's better than it used to be.
I spend the most time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, other:
Twitter, but only for work reasons. I realized in the past year that social media makes me very unproductive, so I avoid it as much as I can.
In five years, I'd like to:
Still be doing yoga regularly
