Meet Tom Barr

Tom is Vox Pop's Operations Manager, Menu Developer, & Tiramisu Chef. Below, Sander sits down to talk to him about his new Vox Pop menu.

You recently moved to New York fresh out of college. Why did you decide to work at Vox Pop?

I originally planned on coming to NY for a year, just to take a breather between degrees, then return back to California and go to the Culinary Institute of America (“CIA”) at Greystone in Nappa Valley. With a degree in Hospitality, they offer an eight-month intensive accelerated course by which you can become a chef.

Then, I found Vox Pop. It has been a dream of mine to open a similar business, which is in the food service and entertainment industries, as well as politically charged. So I think theC.I.A. might have to wait for another time in my life.

What's the best place you ever ate?

That is a tough one. There is a restaurant in Santa Ana, CA called The White House, which blew my mind, as well as my savings. Their plate presentation, service and ambiance are really what you pay for. They actually bring in snow machines during the Christmas Season, so that you can sit and eat, look outside, and see snow on the ground in Southern California.

You traveled in Europe? How did that influence you?

When you're on your own, tramping around, it becomes almost a game to find the cheapest, most unique food possible. I've found in Europe that they have perfected the concept of simple, cheap, satisfying food made with quality ingredients. In Spain, I pretty much lived off of Bocadillos, a sandwich on a stiff baguette with nothing more than Serrano Jamón, stinky Spanish Cheese, and delicious ripe (unrefrigerated) tomatoes. That's another thing I learned in my travels, that Americans, or maybe just the American lawyers, are obsessed with refrigerating everything. A lot of the produce consumed in America never reaches its ripest state.

What are the changes you made to the Vox Pop menu?

I created an entirely new menu, and eat-in experience. We have a lot more options on the board. More salads, sides, and especially more sandwiches. We now carry Hale and Hearty Soups, which really have been a favorite since the temperature began to drop outside. I believe the uniqueness in ingredients combined with the fun titles to the sandwiches has also been a huge positive in the new menu. We have a vegetarian sandwich, “The Chomsky,” which is not your average veggie burger. It boasts grilled eggplant, grilled bell pepper, hot sauce, and provolone, it really stands out as a unique vegetarian option.

What has customer feedback been thus far?

Amazing really. The word of mouth buzz on certain items, such as the home made Tiramisu has been a big factor in the menu's success. It has been a real challenge trying to keep up with the increase of business since we've upgraded our food operations.

What's the best-selling item on the new Vox Pop menu?

The Vonnegut. I knew this would be a hit with our guests. With the previous menu, when the guest would choose their own toppings for their veggie burger, everyone always wanted tomato, avacado, and hummus. Between that prior knowledge, and the upgrade to Balthazar Bread and N.Y. Famous Veggie Burgers, I knew it would be a hit.

Any future plans for this menu?

Recently I've been working on a catering menu. We want to start offering package deals on deli/veggie/fruit platters, where we'll deliver you a 96 ounce “Box of Vox” coffee, a hummus platter and a pineapple boat straight to your company party.

Let's talk about wine. I know you have a sommelier's certificate. What inspired you to get certified about wine?

In my senior year of college, I had an opportunity to complete the first step in becoming a Master Sommelier. We were only one of three schools that had offered the course, and being a beverage marketing major, I would have been a fool not to jump on it. Along with my certificate, I have also been fortunate enough to experience the production of wine first hand on a vineyard in New Zealand where I spent some time picking Pinot Noir grapes last harvest in Central Otago.

What's new on the Vox Pop wine list? 

We have a fine and tasty selection of organic wines. The Terra Sávia un-oaked Chardonnay is amazing. I'm not a fan of typical California Chardonnays, they normally are way too buttery and soft, where as this wine lets you taste the Chardonnay varietal at its purest. We also have a powerful Italian Barbera made from Biodynamic grapes.

What are your plans for Vox Pop beer? What's selling well now and what do you have planned?

Our best seller is without a doubt the Dogfish Head Craft Ale. In the near future, I want to double the amount of bottled beers we carry. We already have a nice selection of quality drafts, but I want to have the best complete beer selection in the neighborhood. expect to see a nice Belgian selection soon at Vox Pop.

 

Got ideas or feedback for the Vox Pop Menu? Email Tom! Thanks.