Todd Hubbard 17 North's Todd always knew he wanted to be a chef

From a young age, chef Todd Hubbard was immersed in the culinary industry.

At 16, he began his career in the hospitality industry working as a busboy in his hometown of Rockford, Ill. As a junior in high school, Hubbard enrolled in a co-op culinary program while also participating in a joint culinary seminar with Johnson & Wales University and Kendall College. Since arriving in Charleston in 1997 he has worked in kitchens such as Union Hall and Peninsula Grill and now holds the position of chef de cuisine at 17 North.

Q: What's your first food memory?

A: When I was about 14 or 15, we went to visit my aunt in Omaha, Neb., and she owned a restaurant named Truffle's. I remember being in the kitchen and thinking, "WOW, this is cool ... this is what I want to do." I was able to taste all kinds of foods I had never experienced before. My aunt lied about what some things were to just get me to try them. Later in my life when I moved to Charleston, I really got into food.

Q: What do you cook at home?

A: I like to do small dinner parties with close friends. I am always changing the menu, allowing everyone to do a course or combine our skills on the same course.

Q: What mistakes do you see home cooks make?

A: Mostly, people who have not worked in some sort of a professional kitchen have a hard time cooking more than one thing at a time. Cooks at home also tend to use wrong cooking procedures only because no one has ever shown them proper techniques. Most importantly, people at home need to make sure they are taking all the necessary sanitizing precautions when preparing multiple types of food in the same kitchen.

Q: What's your favorite cook book?

A: I have so many that I like to read, and "Food Lover's Companion" is always at the top of the list. Lately, I have been doing a lot of reading in "Frank Stitt's Southern Table" and Thomas Keller's "Bouchon."

Q: What's your signature dish?

A: About 10 years ago, I came up with a dish using lobster prepared in two to five different ways depending what's available to accompany the lobster. My favorite methods of preparation are Southern fried, sauteed and Poached.

Q: Favorite kitchen gadget?

A: I will quote Anthony Bourdain: "God's greatest gift in the kitchen is the sous chef with a criminal mind and the ability to cook." This isn't really a true criminal, but rather a person that has become a stronger person through the learning experiences in their life -- the ups and downs.

Q: What do feel is your greatest accomplishment as a chef?

A: While chef de cuisine at Peninsula Grill, I was fortunate enough to be the guest chef on the Silversea Cruise Line as it sailed along Italy's coast. Silversea is the ultimate in cruise luxury, and it was a great honor and experience.

Q: Who is your favorite chef outside Charleston?

A: Thomas Keller, an American chef, restaurateur and cookbook writer. His Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry, has received multiple awards and been named one of the "Top 50 Restaurant of the World."

Q: Who is your favorite Charleston chef?

A: Peninsula Grill's chef Robert Carter.