Great Food A Millennial Perspective: Jean Georges

Jean Georges was absolutely mind blowing; it eliminates thick sauces and embraces oils and broths, preferring their lightness. Jean Georges opened in 1997 inside the Trump International Hotel. The restaurant earned a four star review from The New York Times within three months of opening.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten was born in 1956 in Alsace, France. Vongerichten’s earliest family memories are about food. The Vongerichten home was centered on the kitchen, where each day his mother and grandmother would prepare lunch, for fifty employees in the family-owned business. Vongerichten began his training as an apprentice to Chef Paul Haeberlin. He went on to work with the top chefs in France including Louis Outhier at L ‘Oasis in the south of France.

From 1980 to 1985 Vongerichten opened ten restaurants around the world, including one at the Meridien Hotel in Singapore. He arrived in the United States in 1985, opening Lafayette restaurant in Boston. Then in 1991, Vongerichten moved to New York opening his bistro called JoJo. Since, Vongerichten has opened Jean Georges, Vong, The Mercer Kitchen, Spice Market and Perry Street; all located in New York City.

Teaming up with Starwood Hotels and a private equity firm behind Outback Steakhouse, Jean-Georges Vongerichten plans to open fifty new restaurants in five years. Dishes for these restaurants are drawn from a master list of three thousand recipes, though each location tries to incorporate local tastes. The question is can Vongerichten conquer the world without losing quality?

Jean Georges definitely earned three Michelin Stars. I visited Jean Georges for lunch and the experience stuck out in my mind. Every aspect from the view to the chairs was the highest quality. The chairs were like sitting on a cloud. Not to mention the ingredients are the best money can buy.

All the dishes were perfectly executed and portion size was perfect. At first the dishes looked small but through perfect timing, you’re full at the end. We choose to do the two plates with a choice of dessert. In reality though, with the Amuse-Bouche and the Mignardises it was five courses. The Amuse-Bouche was a fritter with a truffle emulsion and a squash soup. The flavors were very distinct and it seemed to almost cleanse your pallet.

My two favorite dishes were the Pan Roasted Sweetbreads and the Soy Glazed Beef Short Ribs. The Sweet Potato Raviolis were light and super sweet which was a perfect side to the Pan Roasted Sweet Breads and truffle Vinaigrette. The Soy Glazed Beef Short Ribs were so tender and the Apple-Jalapeño Purée was sweet with a little spice.

The executive pastry chef at Jean Georges is Johnny Iuzzini. Iuzzini’s interest in pastry began at seventeen when he started working at The River Café in Brooklyn, New York. As Iuzzini’s fascination with pastry grew he began to learn the techniques of tempering chocolate from Eric Gouteyron. After graduating the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Iuzzini joined the pastry team of the original Daniel. After training several years under Daniel Boulud and traveling overseas, Iuzzini was named Executive Pastry Chef of Jean Georges in May of 2002.

The dessert selection was very interesting. You either picked winter, caramel, chocolate or apple. In every category there were three desserts, you get them all. I picked the chocolate category and was very impressed. The chocolate cake had a warm runny center and was delicious with the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. The Warm Chocolate Gnocchi was also very interesting though. The Mignardises were excellent, but my favorite was the homemade marshmallows. There were three varieties; banana, strawberry and vanilla.

In a nutshell Jean Georges is by far the best place I’ve ever eaten for lunch. They serve high quality food for a reasonable price and service is off the wall. Everyone obviously wants to be there and is well informed, about what’s going on.

Amuse-Bouche