5 Questions with a Foodie: Jane Wardlaw

I like baristas. In fact, I love baristas, especially when they have the certain witchcraft that allows them to concoct excellent espresso craft and a killer martini, all in the same day.

Jane Wardlaw is somewhat of a witch, if you use my line of thought, because she is a talented barista by day—training new crops of Café Caturra baristas up and down the East Coast—and a savvy barkeep by night, slinging drinks to the ever-hungry Richmond bar crowd.

Jane has a perpetually happy smile that never leaves her face and she very obviously knows her craft, no matter which one she’s doing at the moment. She is a joy to be around if you get the chance, and even more so if she’s making you a latte or a martini.

As a transplant from Northern Virginia—"the source of everything corporate," as she says, or a "garish traffic infested nightmare," as I say—Jane is happy to consider Richmond her home. This town tends to have an effect on people, does it not?

If you’re lucky, you can find Jane grinding and tamping at your favorite Café Caturra location or pouring the suds at New York Deli—if not, you can get a laugh from her late night rants on Twitter. For now, take a moment for her 5 Questions with a Foodie!

How do you define the term "foodie" and do you consider yourself one?

A foodie to me is someone who loves food, is discovering new passions all the time, and is always expanding their palate. In this aspect, yes, I am a foodie. I love food, but I still have much to learn.

I have gone from making spaghetti from a jar and considering it an accomplishment to cooking all sorts of tantalizing specialty foods—from chicken in spicy white wine reduction to grilled tempeh with pomegranate glaze—on a normal evening. I'm always hungry for a new recipe and love experimenting with different ingredients and styles. Now, I don't turn my nose up to a little pre-packaged food every now and then, but I love the thrill of cooking something special just for the heck of it.

How did you get into food and/or cooking?

I grew up a very picky eater. Up until only a few years ago, I would throw a fit if something was out of my comfort zone. But a few food-oriented friends started introducing me to new, exotic things, and, eyes closed and nose held, I would taste at their encouragement. I discovered something wonderful: I didn't die! And I began to love what I was trying—starting with something as simple as adding onions and peppers to dishes and then changing the meat (or meat substitute, in some cases) and eventually trying a new technique all together.

It was exhilarating! I took a few classes, but most of what I learned was from friends and the Food Network. (Thank you Alton Brown!) I would hear something, mull it around in my head, change the ingredients as the season and availability allowed, and presto! A dinner party to show off my new recipe was formed. I cook everything in my head first, and none of my recipes are exactly the same each time. It's sort of a cook-your-feelings therapy and I can think of no better way to express myself.

How does being a barista compare to tending bar?

Two very different playing fields, but a lot of the same techniques. Speedy service, the desire to make the best-tasting drink possible, and the ability to play around with ingredients to have fun and please the taste buds, Now, in each industry you will meet rough customers, but the ones who are open to suggestion get the biggest reward. I love creating new drinks of each type. (Try my ginger and Thai basil infused agave nectar and almond milk latte.) And putting new spins on old classics. (My White Russian has a bit of a "wow" factor.)

But I would say that being a barista is harder. There is so much to learn, and precision is required about everything—from the machines used to the beans themselves—that to learn is to love. I used to hate coffee, and while training I actually ended up crying because my trainer made me drink a latte I made in order to understand it, and I protested but ended up drinking it.

Things have changed quite a lot now and coffee is part of my regular diet. Now I'm the one training others how to use the menacing devices in order to make an espresso drink. Bartending was easy for me to learn; you didn't have to ask me twice to taste a creation. I always gravitated toward creating drinks of my own, but either way there is something fantastic about giving people exactly what they want and seeing that joy spread.

What is your biggest pet peeve about the Richmond restaurant scene?

Three things: 1) There never seems to be enough time or money to check out each new one before it closes. Our restaurant scene is changing so fast it's hard to keep up. 2) Get your hair out of my food! It's awesome that Richmond encourages such outrageous hairstyles and beards, but I don't want to see it in my food. 3) Clean, clean, clean! I understand a little love and worn-down-ness, but there are some Richmond restaurants that I refuse to step into again because I've seen roaches crawling around on the ceilings in broad daylight or watched a cook cross-contaminate the food they were cooking.

If you were hired to show a guest the best Richmond has to offer in dining in just one day, where would you go?

One day is way too short for a complete understanding of the best in Richmond; I'm still trying to figure that out for myself. I have my favorite haunts, and I'm always eager to find a new one. I would probably start out somewhere like Joe's Inn or 821 for breakfast; Olio, Palani Drive or Chiocca's for lunch; Crossroads, Lamplighter or TaZo CnC for afternoon coffee; Can Can or Water Grill for Happy Hour oysters; and Mekong (The tofu and eggplant dish is my fave.) Six Burner, Kuba Kuba, Pescados, or Bistro 27 for dinner. It really depends on what the person was in the mood for... or what I'm in the mood for. Or we could always be daring and try some place new because that is the most fun of all.

How has being in the restaurant industry changed your outlook on food and foodies?

The ability to create your own food with a bountiful amount of different supplies is amazing for trying new things; it also has made me realize the work that goes into certain kinds of food. I have encountered food snobs— different from foodies in my mind at least—and picky eaters who ask questions to test the furthest reaches of your menu knowledge. I have discovered that those who really like food, who just want to expand their knowledge and see what is offered in the world, are some of my favorite people.

What is your biggest guilty pleasure food?

Southern home cooking. Fried chicken (Lees) and BBQ sandwiches (Alexander's in Short Pump) and mashed potatoes and hush puppies and collard greens and green beans.... Mmm! I did not know so much bad-for-you-goodness was out there until I came to Richmond, and I love it! (Moderation, as always, and spontaneous.)