Interview With TDR's executive chef

We caught up with executive chef Brazil Murphy earlier this week to find out his take on the trans fats ban at TDR and Tavern, here's what he had to say.

Why did you guys stop serving foods with trans fats?
-Well, it's not just us, the entire company (Bon Appetite) stopped serving trans fats.

Why do you think the company adopted this policy?
-Trans fats are really bad for you, they can make you really sick. I think we just realized that foods tasted the same, or better when we used alternative methods that were healthier, and once we knew we did not have to give up good taste for good health it was an easy choice.

Do you think restaurants and caterers have a responsibility to serve only trans-fat-free food?
-Maybe not to serve it, but I think we have a responsibility to at least tell people what they're eating. A lot of people I know don't even understand what trans fats are, so they eat them all the time. And, like, I think when you've gotta serve unhealthy food you should have healthy options around too. Like, sure serve pizza, but also have salads.

Did switching to trans-fat-free cooking methods make your job any harder?
-No, we didn't notice a huge difference. We always cooked with fresh ingredients and tried to be healthy, now we just use oils that are better for you.

What about giving people the right to decide what they eat?
-We didn't take that away or anything. We serve stuff like french fries, and cake and cookies, we just made them better for you to eat. If we just stopped having anything but salad, yes, that would be taking away people's right to choose, we but still offer a wide range of options.

Have you considered cutting out any other unhealthy foods from your menu?
-Probably not right now, but we do make a big effort to have foods with no dairy, no eggs, and no gluton available for people who what them.

Places like McDonald's and Eagles Nest still serve trans-fats on campus, do you think they should make a better effort to serve healthier menu items?
-Not really, I mean it isn't the company's responsibility to force people to eat healthy. I guess since I know it was pretty easy for us to start cooking without trans fats I gotta wonder what makes it harder for them?