Park Slope has a new Top Chef.
Mark Simmons, the curly-haired cook who won over fans after a strong showing on the Bravo cooking show last year, just took a job at Get Fresh Table and Market on Fifth Avenue.
The chef told The Brooklyn Paper that he hopes to turn the eatery — which serves fresh-cooked fare in a sit-down space as well as pre-prepared meals for take-out — into a destination for localvores.
“Our goal is definitely to focus on organic and local food — and that suits me because that’s how I grew up in New Zealand,” said Simmons.
“It’s very natural to me and it’s fulfilling to be doing something that I believe in,” he said.
But it hasn’t been easy for the Kiwi cook to transition between the fast-paced TV show and preparing reheatable meals — like braised pork chop with kidney bean sauce ($12 per serving) and squash risotto with white wine, arborio rice, organic butter and Parmesan cheese ($11).
“I’m learning how to take the organic ingredients and pre-prepare them so they’re at their optimum when people get home,” he said.
Get Fresh Table and Market [370 Fifth Ave. between Fifth and Sixth streets in Park Slope, (718) 360-8469].