Chef Joshua Poticha of Bricks on Boundary: 'I have eaten fried flying bugs and meal worms the size of golf balls'

Chef: Joshua Poticha

Restaurant: Bricks on Boundary

Town: Beaufort

What do you like to cook at home?

International cuisine. I love to cook Vietnamese and all true ethnic foods at home and have found a passion for flavors that are hidden in the regions of the world I have traveled to, from Kenya, to Egypt, to Israel, to Nepal.

Is there any food that you absolutely won't eat?

My philosophy is I will try everything three times no matter what. Because if a culture as a whole eats a dish, then it has to be good. And on several occasions I have had to take that test all the way to No. 3, but have always been proven right.

I have eaten fried flying bugs, meal worms the size of golf balls, the innards of just about every walking mammal we consume, unidentifiable sea creatures, camel, yak, bear, even century-old buried fermented eggs.

When did you know that you wanted to be a chef?

I grew up in downtown Chicago and Mom says I was cracking eggs and making grilled cheeses on our flat-top radiator when I was 10 years old.

Who is your chef inspiration/mentor?

Emeril Lagasse. Since I was young I've thought of him as one of the greatest chefs. While working in Las Vegas in a open line kitchen, Lagasse came in and asked me to make him small bites not on the menu until he was full. Four hours, three bottles of wine and something close to 18 courses later, he was satisfied.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not working?

When I am not working or backpacking the world, I have a home in Utah, and from January to April you might just catch me on top of any mountain peak throughout the West.

Follow reporter Erin Shaw at twitter.com/IPBG_ErinShaw.

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This story was originally published November 18, 2014 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Chef Joshua Poticha of Bricks on Boundary: 'I have eaten fried flying bugs and meal worms the size of golf balls'."