Allen Susser, a father of new world cuisine, was the force behind Chef Allen’s Restaurant, which closed after a 25-year run in Aventura, FL. He now operates Chef Allen’s Consulting and oversees The Café at Books & Books, which has four locations in South Florida.

1. One thing you don’t know about me is that I enjoy fishing.

2. If I could trade places with one chef it would be chef Claude Troisgros because his cooking is aggressive, yet classic, and wonderfully tropical.

3. If there were no mangoes, I’d have no reason to live.

4. My go-to drink is gin and Indi tonic water.

5. If I were on death row my last meal would be wonderfully crusty French bread with the richest triple crème Brie.

6. My worst culinary creation was sambuca-grilled swordfish stuffed with leeks and Gouda and served with pousse-pied (gooseneck barnacles) and almond-romesco sauce.

7. If I could change one thing about me it would be to spend more time with the family.

8. My favorite junk food is Wise potato chips, a classic.

9. If I wasn’t a restaurant operator, I’d love to be a painter.

10. If I could have a meal with anyone living or dead it would be Paul Bocuse and my grandfather. I would make them good old-fashioned mamaliga (Romanian polenta) with sour cream.