vag·a·bond
/ˈvaɡəˌbänd/
noun
a person who wanders from place to place without a home or job.
For Matt Welsch, the word “vagabond” helps define his wandering spirit.
When he began traveling the country via motorcycle, eating his way through cities and documenting his experiences, he dubbed himself “The Vagabond Chef.”
And while Welsch has since returned to his hometown and sprouted roots, his vagabond mentality remains prominent through the dishes he cooks, the inspiration he draws and the community he cultivates.
Those three ingredients have mixed together to create a recipe for a one-of-a-kind restaurant: Vagabond Kitchen.
The Vagabond Kitchen is an extension of Welsch himself. Located in Wheeling, the restaurant features a collection place-based menu items, such as:
Smoked Rainbow Trout Dip – Creamy, delicious local Mountain State Trout spread served with fresh fried tortilla chips.
Meatloaf Supper – Ground steak from Jacob & Sons and ground lamb from Ross Farm make for a meatloaf like you’ve never had before. Topped with tomato chutney and served with smoked baked beans and mama’s mac & cheese.
Smoked Chicken Cornbread Casserole – Farm One-Eleven chickens smoked and mixed in a creamy sauce full of vegetables, then topped with chunks of our organic, stoneground Weatherbury Farms cornbread. Served in a cast iron skillet.
Chow Down – Spicy chow-chow made with green tomatoes from Rock Valley Farm and ghost peppers from a friend’s garden on a burger patty rubbed in locally grown spice blend and dried scorpion peppers from Grown at Home in WV. Topped with bacon and havarti cheese. If the full fire is frightening, we have a mild batch of chow-chow, too.
City Chicken – A classic Appalachian dish that traces its roots to Northern steel towns like ours. Pork ribeye breaded, skewered, and pan-fried, served over mashed potatoes with our vegetable of the day and topped with tomato gravy.
“I’m always looking to add an unexpected layer; something to ramp up the flavor, or possibly to add an unexpected dimension while utilizing fresh, local ingredients,” Welsch said.
“For me, cooking is a journey toward quality and identity. I’ve always sought to use the best possible ingredients and get the best tastes conceivable, and in recent years, I’ve begun really exploring our regional culinary heritage. It’s a journey of self-discovery and connection with my heritage, and with the dishes coming out of the restaurant kitchen, I get to invite others to join me in that journey. I love that.”
Welsch began cooking at a very young age – even if it was just warming up a can of soup on the stove for himself and younger sister. His skills developed out of necessity, but they evolved into passion.
“As I got older and into my college years, I learned to make the most with the least to keep myself fed during some pretty lean times monetarily,” Welsch said. “To be honest, one of the things that first drew me to professional kitchen work, and kept drawing me back, was that shift meal!”
His culinary journey has since come full circle, where he is now the one who can provide that shift meal to young cooks in his kitchen, which could be the stepping stone to lead them into a career.
He has taken inspiration from his travels around the globe and infused them into his menu, which has even earned him an opportunity to compete in and ultimately win Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games” with a $20,000 grand prize.
And, his vagabond spirit has found a permanent home right back where it all started – in Wheeling, West Virginia.
RECIPE: Coffee-Rubbed Steak
This recipe from Matt Welsch has been on the menu at his restaurant, Vagabond Kitchen, from Day One. Although not a distinctly “Appalachian” dish, he said, it is part of the vibe of his current restaurant. He first came across rubbing proteins with coffee in Idaho, where he created a coffee-rubbed elk tri-tip.
“It comes with wilted greens and sweet potato hash. We do a burger with the coffee
rub, as well. It’s called the “Blackout” and has wilted spinach, caramelized onions, Havarti cheese, and balsamic reduction on it. It’s been on the menu since we opened up in our current location five years ago.”
Ingredients:
1 C Dark Roasted Coffee
⅓ C Salt
⅓ C Black Pepper
⅓ C Granulated Garlic
2 t Paprika
2 t Chili Powder
2 t Thyme
2 t Cayenne Pepper
Directions:
Mix evenly. Apply to any red meat, game, or pork.
