Corner Table

Southeast Food Network

Corner Table is as cozy as it sounds — a cheery, neighborhood eatery that offers both comfort foods and classics. In this Kingfield neighborhood restaurant, chef-owner Scott Pampuch serves up dishes that are simple, yet divine. Just watching Scott prepare a quick staff breakfast of sliced pork hock, eggs and an apple and potato hash will make you glam onto a fork and beg for a bite. How could such simple ingredients be so good?

That’s one of the guiding philosophies behind Scott’s success. “Good food doesn’t have to cost a fortune and it doesn’t require exotic ingredients,” he says. Scott works to provide exceptional value along with exceptional flavor — like that found in the braised pork ribs, the hand-cut pasta or the French toast and apples.

The Southeast Minnesota Food Network is an important source of ingredients for Scott. It also is a neighborly thing. Having grown-up in Winona, the Network gives him the opportunity to support those in and around his hometown. More than ninety regional producers, with products ranging from dairy and vegetables to meats and honey, work under a set of guiding principles that emphasize sustainability, land stewardship and fair prices.

Scott’s question to his suppliers is always, “What are you long on?” Pork loin is always in demand, but by being flexible, Scott is able to further support local farmers and challenges his own creativity at the same time. You could say that Scott has the “whole pig” philosophy when it comes to creating his menus. One night it’s chops and hocks, the next night loin and bacon . . . right until the pork is, well, down to the bone. And, then it’s soup! “That’s how I grew up. My uncle had a butcher shop and I learned how to use it all,” Scott says.

“As a chef you realize so much of cooking is not the recipe you start with, but how you make it your own,” Scott explains. “It’s how you add your own blend of seasonings and more importantly, the energy you put into it.”