What Dad Chefs Want To Eat On Father's Day

Ryan Peters and his seven-and-a-half-month-old son.

It’s no secret that chefs work long hours. Their days are spent in the heat of the kitchen, slicing, cutting, and prepping for the night’s menu, before running through service, packing up, and doing it all again the next day.

And with Father’s Day right around the corner, we had to know: with all this time spent in the kitchen cooking for other people, what do Pittsburgh’s Dad chefs want to eat on their day?

To find out, we asked five chefs and fathers what their ideal meal would be.

Ryan Peters, Peters Pasta

Well-known on TikTok for his viral pasta videos (the chef has over 2 million followers on the app), Peters plans to keep things low-key this Father’s Day. He’s planning a classic summer grill-out for the holiday, with burgers, potato salad, and – of course – a pasta salad.

Try your own summer pasta salad this Father’s Day. We love a delicious crabmeat pasta salad… or you can toss in some of Ryan’s handmade pasta instead of day old bread in this delicious mango panzanella.

Trevett Hooper, Butterjoint

Hooper, who has to work this Father’s Day, jokes that what he really wants is to sit down for a nice meal. But if it was a typical day at home, the chef of Butterjoint says he’d be looking for an all-day affair: start the morning with pancakes and some yogurt, then get out and grill some burgers with his family.

Start celebrating Dad early – surprise him with a stack of pancakes using this recipe for fluffy, warmly-spiced hotcakes. Or, boost your burgers with homemade condiments: cilantro aioli, pineapple salsa, and fire-roasted jalapeño ketchup.

Chris Bonfili, Bonfire: Food & Drink

Bonfili, a father of three, says he plans to chow down on some BBQ chicken, grilled veggies, and cold summery salads this Father’s Day.

BBQ chicken may be the star of Bonfili’s Father’s day menu, but don’t forget the sides! We’ve got sweet corn relish and a Dad-approved salad: strawberry kale.

Jon Barr, Haskel’s Delicatessen

In his ideal world, Barr would be sitting down to a bowl of the super spicy miso ramen at Karashibi Kikanbo in Tokyo, with extra chashu. “My daughter is four months old so I don’t have to pretend I want to have some whack family dinner experience where I feel a surge of gratitude for all my blessings and whatnot,” says barr. “Just me and a bowl of soup, fifteen minutes, then back to fatherhood.”

This may not be the exact ramen found at Barr’s old-school, Japanese restaurant, but we promise this warm-broth dish, called the “taco of soups” is delicious. It’s loaded with Dad-ready ingredients like chicken and smokey bacon. As a bonus, it’ll cure your hangover!

Roger Li, Umami, Ki Ramen, The Parlor DimSum & Cantonese BBQ, nanban

Father of two, Li had a simple answer to this question: a tomahawk steak.

Steak may be the ultimate Dad food – what better way to treat him this Father’s Day than with the perfect cut? Go simple and delicious with this recipe for bistecca rosmarino, or get fancy (and caffeinated) and make this coffee-crusted steak for Dad’s brunch. Throw in his favorite beer, and you’re set!