Traveling Through with David Prior · Thursday, August 13, 2026
Chef Flynn McGarry reveals that a week-long trip to Portugal significantly influenced his culinary style, particularly its seafood and combination of coastal freshness with hearty elements. This immersion led to a dedicated Portuguese seafood menu at Gem, and a lasting obsession with crab, which now features consistently in his restaurants.
“The way I thought what was so special about Portugal was how it's very specific, but how cold the water was, Yeah, of course cold, and that you're having cold water fish in this sort of southern yes kind of yes, for sure atmosphere. It felt like something that I could bring to New York, right”
“And so that's where I came back, and I was like I look at clams in a different way. I look at you know, lobsters in a different way. And that was something that like, you know, we did a menu at GEM that was literally like the Portuguese seafood menu. It was like six months of just like obsessing over like pork and clams together and this sort of these combinations that still are how we you know, it is a huge influence in the food.”
“And I've I don't think I've ever eaten more crabs, and like I just became obsessed with crab and now we literally never have a menu without crab on it.”