Great Food A Millennial Perspective

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Per Se Kitchen Tour

Thomas Keller could be considered the King of the restaurant industry. Yet even with his success he still doesn’t wake up and say I’ve arrived. Once a person says this they are done and need to get out of the business. From The French Laundry in Yountville, California to Per Se in New York City quality doesn’t change. Both of these restaurants have received three Michelin stars and if there were four they would receive that.

Thomas Keller was born October 14, 1955 at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. Keller’s father, Edward, was a Marine drill instructor and his mother, Betty, was a restaurateur. During his teenage summers, he worked at the Palm Beach Yacht Club, first as a dishwasher and quickly moving up to cook. One summer he was discovered by Roland Henin and under Henin’s study learned the fundamentals of classical French Cooking. After working in many more restaurants including apprenticeships in Paris, he opened The French Laundry in 1994.

While walking to lunch at Jean George I saw a sign to Per Se. I went inside and looked around in amazement. The Matrie’d approached me and asked if I needed any help. I told him unfortunately I couldn’t eat their but asked if I could go on a kitchen tour. He told me to come back at four o’clock when the kitchen wouldn’t be so busy.

After eating a delicious lunch at Jean George I went back to Per Se. Sitting in the lounge at Per Se waiting for the kitchen tour was like waiting for Christmas morning. When we went in the kitchen everyone was hard at work preparing for the dinner pop. We were shown around the whole kitchen and the private dining room. Just being there you gave you a feeling of importance, from the five stars on the ceiling to the team of disciplined cooks. Anthony Bourdain had spoken of this long dark hallway leading from the kitchen to the dining room. The purpose of this supposed hallway was to distress the servers before entering the dining room. Guess what, I got to walk down this hallway, so it’s really there.

The restaurant is just so clean and fresh feeling. Everyone is absolutely working their tail off, putting their all into every dish. I could see why someone would want to dine at this sacred facility.

Entrance

Kitchen Shots

Columbus Circle

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Le Bernadin

Le Bernadin is easily one of the best restaurants in Manhattan, New York. It is run by Chef Eric Ripert and his strong staff of chefs. Eric Ripert has been the chef since 1994.

Eric Ripert was born in Antibes, France in 1965. At a young age Ripert learned to cook from his grandmother. As a young boy his family moved to Andorra but Chef Eric Ripert returned to France to attend culinary school at Perpignan. In 1982 Ripert moved to Paris where he worked at La Tour d’ Argent, a famous restaurant more the four hundred years old. In 1985 Eric Ripert left to fulfill his service in the military.

After serving in the military Ripert moved to the United States in 1989 and was hired as a sous chef in the Watergate Hotel’s Jean Louis Restaurant. In 1995, one year after Ripert was named executive chef at Le Bernadin, the restaurant received a four star rating from the New York Times. Le Bernadin was awarded three Michelin stars in 2006 for excellence in cuisine. They were one of three New York City restaurants to be awarded three Michelin stars in 2008.

The restaurant was well deserving of the three Michelin stars it received. While on a kitchen tour the Matrie’d said they get all the fish flown in every morning. This makes sense though because Le Bernadin is strictly a seafood concept. Also all sauces are poured tableside and every dish they present is well explained before you eat.

The service was phenomenal. All the servers knew exactly how every dish had been prepared and the instant you needed something they were at your side. The bread service was exceptional, with six different varieties for everyone’s taste.

While on the kitchen tour I noticed blue tape on a huge white board. The Matrie’d explained that this is how they kept every table on track. Basically there were numbers all over the board with four boxes next to them. Each box represented what course that specific table was on. So let’s say table one finished their first course then the first box next to table one gets scribbled out.

All the food was stupendous. Everything was so fresh with excellent simplicity. We chose to do the four course menu. I really liked the way this menu was set up. For dinner you got to choose three courses and one dessert. The three courses were Almost Raw, Barely Touched and Lightly Cooked. Within these three sections there were thirty five choices. I enjoy this so much more than your classic eight course set menus because there’s something for everyone on this menu.

Honestly I’ve never eaten better fish than what I had at Le Bernadin. Every course the fish was cooked to the perfect temperature. The Amuse-Bouche was Sweet Maine Shrimp with black truffle oil and celery foam. The shrimp was very tender and almost melted in your mouth. I really enjoyed the tuna with the Foie Gras in the middle. The tuna also had baby chives and extra virgin olive oil which gave it a sweet sensation. For my third course I ordered the codfish. Currently I’m reading, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World, so this seemed appropriate. The cod was baked and just flaked apart and the sauces had rich flavors.

The desserts were absolutely delicious, each with their own flavors. All the desserts were so light and innovative. In too many restaurants desserts are like a final bomb going into your stomach but these were light with strong flavors. I really enjoyed the Chocolate-Sweet Potato. I have never had the chocolate and sweet potato flavors combined but if was very interesting. Though my favorite dessert was the Panna Cotta, it seemed so refreshing and the strong lemon flavor was a definite turn on.

Instead of getting three desserts like we ordered, six came out to the table. Michael Laiskonis, The Executive Pastry Chef, was so kind to send an extra three to the table. Michael Laiskonis is known for his exquisite dessert performances. As a child Laiskonis lived in Michigan and went to Wayne State University to train in the visual arts. While in college Laiskonis started baking at a friend’s bakery with no culinary degree. After working at Emily’s in Northville, Michigan and Tribune Restaurant he was appointed Executive Pastry Chef at Le Bernadin in 2004.

Laiskonis also has two wonderful blogs, workbook and Michael Laiskonis Notes From The Kitchen. I follow both these blogs everyday and I’m always in aw while looking at them. I especially like Workbook because he includes recipes and formulas to everything.

Everyone at Le Bernadin appeared to love what they do. This is very important while working anywhere because then you put your all into it. Hopefully I can one day work in a restaurant of this caliber with just great people, like Michael Laiskonis and Eric Ripert.

Pastry Kitchen

Executive Pastry Chef- Michael Laiskonis

Amuse-Bouche

Sweet Maine Shrimp, Black Truffle Oil, Celery Foam

Salmon

Organic Scottish and Smoked Salmon; Apple, Celery and Baby Watercress; Jalapeño Emulsion

Kampachi

Kampachi Tartare; Cucumber; Pineapple - Citrus Vinaigrette

Tuna

Layers of Thinly Pounded Yellowfish, Foie Gras and Toasted Baguette, Shaved Chives and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Crab

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers with Peekytoe Crab; Black Truffle Sauce

Escolar

White Tuna Poached in Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Sea Beans and Potato Crips; Light Red Wine Béarnaise

Mackerel

Seared Spanish Macherel; Parmesan Crisp and Sun-Dried Tomato; Black Olive Oil

Codfish

Baked Codfish; Green Mango Salad; Red Lentil Stew; Yogurt Sauce

Surf and Turf

Escolar and Seared Kobe Beef; Sea Bean Salad and Eggplant Fries; Mr. Kaufman's Pesto and Anchovy Sauce

Red Snapper

Bread Crusted Red Snapper; Zucchini - Mint and Coriander Compote in a rich Citrus Broth

"The Egg"

Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème, Caramel Foam, Maple Syrup, A Pinch of Maldon Sea Salt

Hazelnut

Gianduja Cream, Oregon Hazelnuts, Honey, Banana, Brown Butter Ice Cream

Chocolate-Sweet Potato

Dark Amedei Chocolate Ganache, Sweet Potato Pearls and Sorbet, Pistachio, Palm Sugar, Vanilla Salt

Chestnut

Frozen Chestnut Parfait, Biscuit & Wafer; Mandarin Coulis, Coconut Sorbet

Panna Cotta

Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta, Pomegranate Pearls and Sorbet, Lemon Cream Orange Peel, Mint

Carrot

Rum Scented Carrot Cake, Golden Raisins, Sicillian Pistachio, Condensed Milk Ice Cream

Sorbet

Pineapple Buttermilk, Coconut, Mandarin

Petit Fours

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Marco Pierre White

While at Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca at I got to meet Mario Batali. Then thirty minutes later I see this guy come in with crazy hair. I’m like there’s Marco Pierre White. Mario Batali and Marco were having a business meeting in the basement of Babbo. This was a really cool experience to get to meet Mario Batali and see Marco Pierre White.

Marco Pierre White was born on December 11, 1961. He is known for having a creative and innovative view on contemporary international cuisine. White is also known for his quick temper and his exceptional skills as a chef.

After leaving Allerton High School in Leeds without any qualifications, White decided to train as a chef. Arriving in London at sixteen years old and £7.36, a box of books, and a bag of clothes, he began his classical training as a commis under Albert Roux and Michel Roux at Le Gavroche.

By the age of 33, White had become the youngest chef to be awarded three Michelin stars (until 2002). During his career in the kitchen, Marco Pierre White regularly ejected patrons from his restaurant if he took their comments with offense. Once a young chef at White’s restaurant, Harvey’s, complained of heat in the kitchen and had his chef’s jacket and trousers cut open by White with a knife.

Marco Pierre White was the head chef for the television show series, Hell’s Kitchen. When asked in April 2007 if he’d be following Gordon Ramsay’s approach White said “I want my emphasis to be on the food and the kitchens rather than the swearing.” In March 2008 it was announced White would be the host to the American version of The Chopping Block. The shows first show was last week and it’s about two teams of four couples running neighboring restaurants in Manhattan, New York.

Marco Pierre White has also written many books but his newest book is: The Devil in the Kitchen.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Daniel

Daniel in my opinion is as close to a perfect meal as a person can produce. Daniel Boulud is the chef and owner of seven award winning restaurants and the Feast and Fêtes Catering Company. In Manhattan, New York Daniel Boulud’s restaurants are Daniel, Café Boulud, db bistro moderne and Bar Boulud.

Daniel Boulud was born March 25, 1955 in Saint-Pierre de Chandieu, France. At fifteen years old, Daniel Boulud earned his first professional recognition: He was a finalist in France’s competition for Best Culinary Apprentice. Boulud worked in France under Roger Vergé, Georges Blanc and Michel Guérard and later in Copenhagen.

Daniel has been named one of the ten best restaurants in the world by the International Herald Tribune. From my experience at Daniel this award is well deserved. The service at Daniel you can’t even describe in words. All the servers are perfectly synchronized and it’s not like they have to try and do this, it just comes naturally. At So many fine dining restaurants the servers try so hard to be perfect and it causes a really rigid environment. Any time you thought you might need something a server had already anticipated it.

It’s easy to see why Daniel was awarded two Michelin stars. Every part of the meal from the service to the preparation techniques are perfect. First of you get the complementary Amuse-Bouche and Mignardises just to push you over the edge. The main entrées have the sauces poured over them table side. I liked this part though; the servers brought out all the dishes with domes on them. It was almost like Christmas because you had to wait to see your food.

For dinner we chose to do the Six Course Burgundy Tasting Menu. Though I can’t drink, so I just had the six courses which actually became like ten, when it was all said and done. The great thing about this prefix menu is there were two choices for each section. I like this format though because everyone doesn’t have to eat the same thing at the table.

The food was indescribable in words. Every dish had so many bold flavors you just had to slow down and think about all the work that went into it. The Amuse-Bouche was fantastic, the smoked trout just melted in your mouth and the crab was also very good. The Foie Gras Terrine with the Marcona almond crust was delicious. The Foie Gras was served with bread service and the kumquats were the perfect pair to the dish. The Paprika Crusted Maine Lobster Tail was spectacular. The lobster was accompanied by a broccoli purée, which I’d never thought about before but it was very good. The lobster literally tasted like macaroni and cheese, which I couldn’t figure out.

The post meal service was just the right size. The warm petite madeleines were very good and had powdered sugar sprinkled over them. The one bite confections were all very different. From the coconut cream pie to the lemon meringue pie they are had very independent flavors.

At the end of the meal the Matrie’d asked me if I would like to go on a Kitchen tour. Of course I said yes and we got to go see the Kitchen. During the meal I had noticed so many employees in the restaurant, so I asked him how many they had working at once. He told me every night they have around twenty five cooks and eighty people in the front of the house. This explains why they have such extravagant service. A really cool thing about the kitchen is there is an office sitting about 30 feet in the air and you can observe the whole kitchen from there. I hope in the near future I get to dine at Daniel again.

Choux