The Secrets of the Chefs

TONY MAWS

Some might call Tony Maws fanatical about picking the perfect produce. We prefer to call him passionate. "An apple isn't an apple unless it was grown in just the right way and picked at just the right time," says Maws, who practices his philosophy at critics'-darling Craigie Street Bistrot. "And I won't buy it unless it is."

WHERE TO SHOP
Verrill Farm "I really have to trust the people I buy from. I can trust these guys. They won't sell it to me if it's not the best." [11 Wheeler Rd., Concord, 978-369-4494]
Bay End Farm community-supported agriculture program "Join a vegetable subscription program: You invest in the farm and get a supply of fresh veggies each week for 20 weeks. Bay End has an especially great program—and they deliver to Central Square." [$500 for the season, which runs mid-June through October. Buzzards Bay, 508-759-8050]
China Fair "You can find it all here: cheap plates, cheap bowls, discounts on gadgets. They have all the small odds and ends like whisks and peelers, the things you just need ." [70 Needham St., Newton, 617-332-1250]

SECRET WEAPON
Omega Juicer "I juice everything: carrots, fennel, potatoes. We juice beets and drizzle them over a dish to achieve concentrated flavor." [$200. Kitchen Arts, 161 Newbury St., Boston, 617-266-8701, omegajuicer.com]

THING I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
Banyuls Vinegar "It's made in the Banyul Collioure region of the French Pyrenees, right near the border of Spain, and it's based on a fortified wine. It's absolutely insane." [Formaggio Kitchen, 244 Huron Ave., Cambridge, 617-354-4750; South End Formaggio, 268 Shawmut Ave., Boston, 617-350-6996]

GUILTY PLEASURE
Buffalo wings "When I was at the University of Michigan and I worked at the 'nice' bar on campus, we used to make our own buffalo sauce. Now I eat them at Wings Express. I can eat them until I lose all sensation in my mouth, which starts to happen around number 24." [Wings Express, 563 Washington St., Brighton, 617-783-9464]

WHERE TO DRINK
B-Side Lounge "We go there after work a lot. I used to get the Windsor Hi-Lo—a Chartreuse frappe with a Schlitz chaser. It would be my recovery after days working in the Clio kitchen." [92 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 617-354-0766]

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING TRICK
"A big lamb shank or a whole fish always impresses guests. All you need is a little salt and some olive oil before you throw it on the grill. Everyone will go nuts."

---