On The Line

On The Line, written by Eric Ripert is by far one of the best books on the market. Anyone in the restaurant business should spend some time and read this book. It explains in details, everything from the history, to the kitchen, to the business.

In January 1986 Gilbert and Maguy Le Coze opened Le Bernadin at its present location. By April of that year they had four stars in the New York Times, a restaurant first. During January 1994 Gilbert unexpectedly died leaving Maguy leaning on the young executive chef, Eric Ripert, who had worked there for three years.

The restaurant today is very different then it was fifteen years ago. Few people after the first course remember that they are in a fifty story building.

Every minute from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. is precise in the kitchen. Every dish that goes out is inspected by the sous-chef or the chef at the pass. Every plate is tasted and the temperature is checked with a metal skewer.

The one true star at Le Bernadin is the fish. Justo Thomas the fish butcher transforms eight hundred to a thousand pounds of fresh fish into perfect filets daily. Alone it takes him six hours but whenever he goes on vacation it takes two guys twice as long.

The porter Fernando Uruchima spends eleven hours a day making sure all the deliveries have been received and counted. Once done he puts everything away, from locking up the truffles to checking every light bulb in the dining room. Without this special thirty-four year old man the restaurant could not and would not operate properly.

Le Bernadin wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for Michael Laiskonis. He is the executive pastry chef and works in a ten by fourteen foot patch in the bustling kitchen. Everything in his pastry kitchen is precisely organized, even the squeeze bottles of sauces and syrups. Laiskonis is constantly trying to push the boundaries of his predecessors. Everyday around three o’clock, he begins experimenting with new ingredients and techniques.

If you have been a recipient of the “egg” than consider yourself special. After creation, it quickly became Laiskonis’s special. Only making around ninety a day, the “egg” is comprised of: milk chocolate crème brûlée, liquid caramel, caramel foam, two drops of maple syrup and a few flakes of Maldon sea salt.

The maître d’ Ben Chekroun has welcomed diners since 1993. He is responsible for the front of the house, as well as for who staffs it. A meal at Le Bernadin is usually so relaxed and gracious; it’s hard to imagine the military precision with which the dining room is run. With one hundred and thirty eight people they are promoting that experience.

Many don’t know, but Le Bernadin has a second location, Les Salons. Les Salons is directly above Le Bernadin. Everything is exactly the same from the uniforms to the kitchen, just downsized. It’s used mainly for business-get-togethers but not always.

On The Line without a doubt shows what it takes to run a restaurant of this caliber. The book highlights all positions because everyone is equally vital in their operation.