Peruse the menu at the Meadowbrook Inn & Restaurant on Cherry Lane Road in the Poconos and it quickly becomes apparent that a talented chef is busy at work. Chef Matthew Gocek, with over 25 years experience, is the culinary mastermind behind the fare at Meadowbrook.
"I come from a large family, so I found out early on it is easier to do the cooking than it is to do the cleaning up," says Gocek. Cleveland-born and Pocono-raised Gocek is a self-taught chef, who learned much of his craft from being an avid reader. Known to some as the bible of French cooking, Larousse Gastronomique helped solidify his love of all things food. When word spread of "seafood extravaganzas" held by Gocek and his buddies, he became a highly recruited chef and today receives invitations to demonstrate his culinary ability at the Culinary Institute of America.
Some of Gocek's tempting dishes include rib eye accented with honey roasted shallots and Bucks County mushrooms; fire roasted vegetable paella with an array of autumn vegetables, fresh lentils and saffron rice; and rosemary chicken ravioli finished with a gorgonzola and fresh basil cream sauce. Setting Gocek apart from many other chefs in the area is his creative use of seasonal produce.
"The weather, the change of the seasons...it inspires me to create new recipes. Now people are losing a few minutes each day, they are eating earlier and eating more comfort foods," say Gocek. His favorite holiday to cook for? Thanksgiving.
"It's centered around food!"
(Article taken from Local Flair Magazine, 2005. Article by Jennifer Leckstrom-MacIntire.)
The Lounge set for breakfast | 
