Chef Brad Leone on Early Days, Elk Steaks, and Treacherous Surf Breaks

Picture a chef in their element: white coat, precise knife work, copper pots simmering in a pristine kitchen. This is not chef Brad Leone (though his knife skills are damn fine, by all accounts). And this is not his element. Leone’s element is in the elements: trucker jacket, sketchy weather, messy cutting board, pot boiling over a campfire.

A true son of New Jersey, Leone’s rise to fame has been elaborately detailed in the public eye, paralleling the rise of YouTube as a dominant media platform. After culinary school he landed an internship at Bon Appétit in 2013, eventually working his way up to Test Kitchen Manager. Early on-camera experiments proved a knack for stealing the show with a personable joviality that cleverly contrasted the perfectionist chef cliché, earning him a series of his own, "It's Alive with Brad.”

Leone feels like a guy you know—like someone you’d want to have a beer with on a beach somewhere. And that right there is his not-so-secret sauce. But what’s less known is that he got his start flipping burgers in exchange for a season pass at a local ski hill, before moving on to other unglamorous service industry gigs like catering and deli work. But glamor has never been his driving force. Why bother with climbing the restaurant hierarchy when you could be searching for an elusive surf break during a blizzard or bowhunting for elk?

In recent years the charismatic chef has returned to his roots to blend outdoor adventure and culinary exploits in a way that’s captivated the attention of millions. His cookbook Field Notes for Food Adventures: Recipes and Stories from the Woods to the Ocean has been a hit. And he’s partnered with brands like Vallon, YETI, and our friends at Huckberry to stoke both culinary and natural exploration.

To learn more from the horse’s mouth, we recently caught up with chef Leone during a rare moment of downtime to find out how food and adventure go hand in hand, hear some of his tallest tales, and seek some campsite culinary inspo. Read on for the good stuff.

What was an early food industry gig that planted the seed that food could be a gateway to adventure?

When I was younger there were a couple small mountain resorts in northern New Jersey. One was Mountain Creek. That's where I learned to snowboard. Basically you took the job so you could get a season's pass. And sure you got paid, but what was really awesome was getting a free pass and being able to go whenever you wanted. The kitchen job was horrible. It was just putting hamburgers and french fries in a basket. I used it to be able to go do stuff outside.

Then when I started working at Bon Appetit I got to see food outside of restaurants and food service. That was when I was introduced to the idea that food, lifestyle, and adventure could be activity driven. That cooking could be an engaged outdoor activity.

Share with us one of your all-time favorite meals you've experienced.

Once I was out in Oregon with my buddy Elias Cairo from Olympia Provisions. We had his little trailer and we were bow hunting for Roosevelt Elk. It's very hot, very hilly terrain, and you work your ass off all day. I remember one night we cooked up some really good steaks that he got from a ranch with potatoes and veggies. We were out in the middle of this beautiful cut out and it was an absolutely gorgeous landscape and I remember eating that with him and just being like, that is absolutely perfect.

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Do you think the trope that food eaten outside tastes better has any truth to it?

If you're doing a physical activity, if you're working your body as opposed to doing nothing, that meal is going to be way better of an experience. Your body is going to flood you with all these chemical reactions and you’re going to feel more nourished and fulfilled compared to if you're eating just to have another meal. It's like sleep: it’s always the best when you’re putting in hard work.

What is your best piece of advice for improving one's cooking outside?

Don't overthink it. People have been cooking outside for a very, very long time. You're probably better at it than you let yourself be.

Also try to do as much prep as you can at home, like chopping onions and making chimichurri sauce. Get as much of that done beforehand so you're able to just execute your vision.

Have you ever been in a truly hairy outdoor situation that you thought may be the end for you?

One time when I was living in New York I tried to go surfing with my buddy in a snowstorm in the middle of winter. There was a swell and we were driving out to the Hamptons trying to find this spot. We had no business being out there. We had our wetsuits, but we weren't dressed for the cold, because we were in the car.

This snow drift we’re driving through got gradually deeper and before you know it we went from six inches to four feet in thirty mile and hour winds. It packed into the engine cavity and blew the serpentine belt off. It was freezing and we were not adequately dressed and the car won’t run and we’re sitting there with no cell phone service in the middle of nowhere.

We started getting really cold so we put our wetsuits and gloves and booties on so at least we wouldn’t freeze to death. We realized we can't just sit there forever. We have to start walking. My buddy started freaking out. I’m like, “We're not fucking dying out here! We got our wetsuits.”

Right before we started to leave this angel came through in this big pickup truck with his dog. He looked like he was straight out of Point Break. He was like, “You guys need help?” We're like, “Oh my god, thank you.” He says, “Let me go get some wrenches. I'll be right back.” We didn't want him to leave and all of a sudden he took off. Forty-five minutes pass and we're like, “He's never coming back. He was a ghost. He's not even a real person.” And right before we're about to start walking again, here he comes, with his dog in the pickup truck and a whole big ratchet set. He let us keep the set and he drove off and we got the serpentine belt on and we drove out of there. So I guess that was a close one.

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What are three pieces of gear that always wind up on the packlist, regardless of destination?

1. I really enjoy traveling with a pizza oven. If you're cooking out of a car it's fun to be able to throw a cast iron pizza in an oven. They are relatively portable. I especially like the Gozney Roccbox or the new Arc. That model is really lightweight and just a workhorse.

2. I also have a tote bag from Gustin that I love. It's a big ticket tote bag but it's a really nice leather one. I bring that thing everywhere.

3. And I really like flying in Xtratuf Riptides. They're super comfortable. It's almost like their version of a Croc, but better. Really breathable and easy on and off.

Now that you've spearfished with Matty Matheson, have you reached the pinnacle of personality/activity combos? Who and what is left on that bucket list? Paragliding with Padma Lakshmi?

I keep putting it out there but I want to grill outdoors with Willem Dafoe. He's got a really nice farm outside of Rome, Italy. I'd love to talk gardening with him and wear really nice outfits and cook outdoors. I really like him.

You once said that in a previous life you were a red-tailed hawk. What do you want to be reincarnated as in the next life?

Just to clarify, I believe I've been a lot of different types of life on Earth, red-tailed hawk being just one of them. Next, I wouldn’t mind being an orca. Nothing really messes with orcas. They're not scared, they’ve got echolocation. I think that would be a good one.

Or just a domesticated dog on a really awesome piece of property on a rich person's ranch. Chasing rabbits and swimming and playing. Anything but an insect.