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Executive Chef Erik Hopfinger of Cozmo's Corner Grill -Chef Demonstration: Saturday, July 2, 2005, 11:00 am

by Christine Padilla
Jun 21, 2005

Farmers Market Live Chef Demonstration: Saturday, July 2, 2005, 11:00 am

THE CANNERY at Del Monte Square, welcomes Executive Chef Erik Hopfinger of Cozmo's Corner Grill to do a special chef demonstration at our Farmers Market on Saturday, July 2nd at 11:00 am. This event is free and open to the public.

Erik Hopfinger, Executive Chef, Cozmo's Corner Grill

Chef Erik Hopfinger brings nearly two decades of culinary experience to Cozmo's Corner Grill. Hoppy, as he is known, has built a successful career in restaurants in New York, the Caribbean, and California, where he has developed a fervent dedication to the art of fine cuisine.

Hopfinger was raised on the East Coast, where his love for the kitchen grew through the influence of his family. His greatest influences are his mother, who is a catering chef and his grandfather, who was a cook during WWII, and later owned a diner in Southern California. His grandfather's cooking inspired some of the dishes on the menu at Cozmo's, including "Hoppy's killer mac and cheese" and buttermilk fried chicken. Erik began working in kitchens at a very young age, starting out as a dishwasher.

Hopfinger's culinary career began in New York City, and after experience as a line cook, he co-founded Eros, a Mediterranean restaurant on the Upper East Side. Soon he began a second project near by, Tapas Lounge. In 1996, he traveled to San Francisco for a vacation, and decided to stay. After his move, he worked as a chef at well-known San Francisco establishments such as Backflip and Butterfly. In late 2001 he opened his first West Coast venture, Spoon, a comfortable and well-received restaurant on Polk Street. The menu at Spoon featured a combination of sophisticated comfort food, such as beef tenderloin with Spanish blue cheese, and modern creations, like "Tokyo Tartare" with wasabi aioli.

In early 2004, Hopfinger moved to Cozmo's Corner Grill, where he combines his influences from around the globe with his love of classic cuisine. Erik feels that "Cozmo's Corner Grill is all about casual dining with exceptional food and wine." He loves to use fresh local ingredients such as seasonal greens, local cheeses and meats, organic vegetables, and especially fish. His menu features innovative seafood dishes, including local salmon wrapped and grilled in a Chardonnay leaf. He loves to create new dishes, and is continually looking for ways to incorporate his traditional American influences with new ingredients and flavors. Most importantly, he enjoys creating food that people love to eat, and he truly loves his role as a chef. "I'm very blessed to get paid to do what I love to do."