How Award-Winning Chef Justin Severino Finds Balance Mountain Biking
Photos by Red Bull
It is far too apparent that we work more than we probably should here in America and that, more often than not, we need to step back and enjoy life.
In the new Red Bull short film, The Cure All, four-time James Beard Award-nominated Pittsburgh chef Justin Severino, co-owner of critically acclaimed restaurants Cure and Morcilla, does just that. Severino and three of his best friends embark on an epic bike and culinary road trip from Pittsburgh to Asheville through the Appalachian Mountains hitting the region’s best single track trails by day and enjoying each other’s company by night, feasting on cured meats, locally-sourced vegetables, micro brews and a plethora of delicacies.
In our interview with the chef, he elaborates on the mental health benefits that a trip like this affords, expanding upon how friendship, exercise and unplugging from technology while removing himself from the daily grind help him reach his potential when he is back in it.
We can all learn a thing or two from this guy, and not just in the kitchen.
Paste Health: What was your inspiration behind the trip?
Justin Severino: Three of my best friends and I mountain bike together regularly—that usually includes packing the bikes up and going somewhere epic. We’ve been trying to take it to another level. That’s a cool thing about mountain biking, all of a sudden you have a reason to have an adventure with your friends.
It all started about five years ago when we flew to San Francisco and explored all my old stomping grounds. It was so much fun that later that year we borrowed an RV and went to Asheville, because it’s a cool city with great mountain biking in a beautiful part of the country. And I just went for it. I filled the RV up with all the food that I would want to eat throughout the week and all the beers, wine and cocktails we’d want to drink. For the Red Bull trip we stopped at trailheads that were familiar and systems that we just wanted to explore and every time we’d do that we would meet new people at a new bike shop or brewery.
PH: How does mountain biking or exercise in general help you relieve stress?
JS: For me, mountain biking or cycling has always helped relieve stress. I think exercise is the best way to deal with stress. I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to exercise unless it’s something that I find fun, and I really love mountain biking. It gets me into the woods, when I spend all of my life inside a restaurant, which is pretty much the opposite of being in the woods. I just think that in general it’s important for me to deal with stress because I don’t want to be the lunatic chef—you know, the stereotype. I want to sleep at night.