Marc Murphy is, by
all accounts, an accomplished chef/restauranteur. With four restaurants under
the Benchmarc umbrella—Landmarc TriBeCa, Landmarc Columbus Circle, Ditch Plains West Village and Ditch Plains UWS—Murphy offers inventive American food throughout Manhattan.
As a father to a
five-year-old son, Callen, and eight-year-old daughter, Campbell, who love to
go out to eat, his goal has been to create restaurants where families can dine
and not feel like they are “stuck in a kid restaurant.” All of Murphy’s
establishments feature extensive children’s menus, from old
standards (chicken fingers and hamburgers), to more inventive offerings (Green
Eggs & Ham and PB & Nutella), along with MyPlate entrees
that are in accordance with the USDA’s new food dietary guidelines.
MiniMunchers Founder, Carla Sullivan, had the opportunity to chat with TriBeCa resident Chef
Murphy about everything from his extensive culinary background and cooking for kids, to his favorite places to hang out in NYC.
What led to your
decision to become a chef?
I was born in Milan and raised throughout Italy, France and America. My mother is French and my father was a US
Diplomat so I grew up with a lot of different cultures in a lot of different
places. The one thing that was consistent, though, was cooking. My grandmother
and my mother were amazing cooks and I learned to really appreciate mealtime
with good food and good company. I never really considered cooking as a career,
though, until I moved to New York and didn’t have any money. I figured that if I could cook, at least I
would be able to eat.
And now you have FOUR
restaurants…
In March 2004, my
wife and I opened Landmarc [TriBeCa], my first solo shop, and it was really
about creating a place for a neighborhood. There were no bells and whistles,
just really good food, a great atmosphere and a killer wine list. The formula
took and now we have two Landmarcs and two Ditch Plains restaurants.
What is your
inspiration when cooking/devising a kids menu?
I really try not to
subscribe to the theory that kids will only “kids” food. I believe
that the more we expose our kids to, the more they will learn to love and
appreciate different types of food. I try to balance the “kid” stuff–chicken fingers, grilled cheese, etc.–with some more “grown up”
stuff like sliced skirt steak, green eggs and ham.
Obviously keeping
kids healthy is important to you with your new MyPlate kids menu
selections. How would you suggest parents maintain a healthy diet for their
children at home?
Healthy eating is
obviously important and I am proud to be part of the conversation on how to get
healthy foods into our schools and to our kids. I think doing it at home is
just as easy–plates should be colorful and contain the 5 groups: fruits,
grains, vegetables, protein and dairy.
What is your advice
for parents who have picky eaters?
Just keep trying. My
son spent a year of his life literally eating nothing but cereal, no matter
what we did. But we kept trying at every meal and we talked about the
importance of diet and nutrition. Now he eats Ditch Dogs and Escargot with an
equal amount of enthusiasm.
What do you think is
the most family-friendly winter activity in NYC?
Ice skating at
Wollman Rink.
What is your
favorite family-friendly “hidden gem” in NYC?
The Pier at the end
of North
Moore Street. They have a great skateboard park that I take my son to. I got tired of
watching him for hours on end, so I decided to get my own skateboard and try to
learn to skate with him. Why not?
What keeps you and
your family in NYC?
My wife was born and
raised here and I am a New Yorker by proxy. We love it here. I can’t imagine
living anywhere else. There’s not a place on earth with so much to offer: food,
arts, theater, sports, parks, museums, people watching. I love New York!
Carla Sullivan is the Founder &
Mommy Muncher of MiniMunchers, the Internet’s only source and resource for
restaurants that are kid-friendly in Manhattan.
To check out the kids menus of over 260 NYC restaurants & kid-friendliness
reviews, visit her site MiniMunchers.com.
