Jackson Free Press

In Jackson, the name "Bruno's" is spoken with revered tones. People will wax nostalgic about the Thai beef salad, paella and pad Thai for hours all while bemoaning the void it left in the city's culinary landscape. So what happened to Bruno's namesake?

In the few years since Bruno's Eclectic Cuisine closed its doors, owner and head chef Luis Bruno has been scurrying across the city, never staying in one place too long. He taught occasional cooking classes at The Everyday Gourmet, had an exhibition at the Viking Classic golf tournament and, after a stint as the personal chef to Gov. Haley Barbour, Bruno took command of all the restaurants in the Jackson Hilton.

He recently moved to a new venture, the Palette Café at the Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St., 601-965-9900). There, amidst the cacophony of construction and school groups, I sat down with Chef Bruno.

What do you have planned for the Palette Café? Will we see your trademark blend of Latin and Asian cuisines?
I'm going to do a little bit of everything and make it an eclectic café.

This is a change of pace from the Hilton. Is this going be more low-key with a chance to explore more cuisine?
I'm still exploring, and I'm keeping busy with my TV show. It got picked up by Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and we started filming in June. It's tentatively titled "Cooking for Life with Chef Luis Bruno."

Is it going to be your cookbook, "Don't Feel Guilty, Eat it," in a TV format?
Yes. (The Mississippi) Farm Bureau is one of my sponsors, and we're working to feature Mississippi products—all facets of Mississippi farming from pork to vegetables to honey. I'm going to turn around and bring it into the studio and make it eclectic, make it with flair, keep it low fat, have a little fun.

You went to culinary school at Pinellas Technical Education Center in Florida, but did you have any interest in food while growing up?
I started working with food when I was 12. We had our first supermarket in New York (City) and from there we opened a pizzeria, and then we opened two more restaurants, all in a 10-year span.

So I've been at this for 30 years. I never knew I was going to go into the food business for a career.

So 30 years in the business but did anyone inspire you to cook?
No, I'm the type of person that grew up pretty much on my own, and I didn't have anyone to look up to. It was just a thing that I realized I enjoyed, and I decided to continue doing it.

How would you describe your cooking style? Is it fusion or there another term you like to use?
I'd say eclectic—a little of everything. Growing up in the Bronx, I was the kid reared on fried pork chops, and rice and beans. Then I moved up to eating rare steak and Thai beef salad and Asian food and Japanese and all these different cuisines. It's just huge; it's another world.

What is your favorite ingredient?
A lot of people either hate it or love it, but my favorite ingredient is cilantro. Of course, I use the leaves, but a lot of people throw the stems out. I save the stems because they cost money and they're still good, and they still give out flavor. I chop it up real fine and put in my soups or salsa.

Do you have a prized kitchen gadget that travels with you everywhere?
No. The only thing I have kept with me since I closed down my restaurant is a wok. It's a 20-inch wok that's seasoned perfectly, and it's been with me for 9 years.

What's the one thing you would ban from your kitchen?
I would ban a steamer. I don't use a steamer; that's the first thing that goes out. A lot of places will use them to steam seafood. They'll steam pasta and they'll steam rice. I'm just old-fashioned, like my mother made it. Rice goes on top of the stove; pasta, you boil water and put in there.

You've been the personal chef to the governor, but if you could cook for anyone in America, who would it be?
One person I would love to cook for is Bobby Flay. The things that he cooks are right up my alley. He loves cilantro, ceviche, and Spanish and Caribbean cuisines.