I'll get back to you on the questions and I'll file this away. We will start working on cooking things and presentation this weekend and get into the other details later. As with most new restaurants we are working on the liquor license. The cooks will also wait tables in an odd twist. The chef wishes for the cooks to retain all the potential cash from the operation. Again, I'll keep this letter and get back to you about this in about two weeks with some menus and so on. We have an alley in the French Quarter to sit tables in. Otherwise the building is presently 170 years old. Galleries up and down the block including popular local artist Michalopoulos.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Duveyoung" <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> To: <FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2009 10:27 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: New Job > Thanks Kirk! > > Now that was an in-depth reply -- gotta love your positive energy. You > drew a nice portrait of your circumstance, and I think you're onto > something there. Hope it all gels as you hope. And, hellfuckingyeah I'd > love to walk into your restaurant and get a blast of the presentation's > shakti. My family was in the restaurant business -- not your finest kind > but the industrial lunch bucket type, and I've worked in four star > restaurants, so I have experienced a whole range of presentations in my > past, and, this gives me a basis for resonating with your write-up of your > restaurant's eventual embodiment's energy. Me want some! > > And, yeah, Kirk and Curtis, I was being twitty to question what you could > get out of "yet more spices." I salute your commitment to continuing > education. > > What's the pricing going to be for your menu? Sounds like $20 - 30 range. > Big wine list with a sommelier? Maitre 'd? How many seats? Window views > nice? Outdoor seating? Got an address for us to do Google maps and see > your location location location? Big dessert menu? A bar? What kind of > decorations? -- paintings, hangings, plants? What garb for the waiters? -- > tuxedos, uniforms, bow ties, aprons, or pirate shirts? Hee hee. > > Edg > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Kirk" <kirk_bernha...@...> wrote: >> >> I'll try to answer (read in). >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Duveyoung >> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com >> Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 9:27 AM >> Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: New Job >> >> >> >> >> >> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Kirk" <kirk_bernhardt@> wrote: >> > >> > Hi guys I am starting to work at a new and fascinating restaurant in >> > Exchange Place in the French Quarter. >> >> Kirk, >> >> What kind of research do you do to be "on top of" the restaurant scene >> in NOLA? Is there local coverage via newspaper columnist, or TV show, or >> tourist guidebooks? >> ----Of course there is coverage but I care little for it. Word of >> mouth is the main thing. Plus being a cook and having worked so many >> places I know pretty much what is going on in the city. Fine restaurants >> in general wont hire me because I cost too much. My resume isn't good >> enough for me to claim chef at any of them. They demand CIA or equivalent >> education. >> >> And, fine restaurants around here all pay homage to Cajun/Creole food >> or French and few (or none) really break out and go wild with their >> concepts. For instance, one can freeze coconut milk and then serve >> excellent rum on coconut ice cubes. Sometimes simple and obvious things >> take a really alert chef to make notes and then enact. >> >> >> The chef Chris Debarre is a genius and >> > for once I stand to learn a lot of new cooking ingredients and >> techniques. >> >> All these years you've been a passionate chef yourself -- can there >> really be ingredients that you can say are new to you? >> >> ----There's always new ingredients. To use Curtis' analogy, one can be >> a great blues player and yet there will always be new songs and varieties >> on style which are even more aluring having had some background in the >> first place. Also, as Curtis said, ethnic cuisines are various and >> discrete and proper use of ideal ingredients makes all the difference. My >> background is mostly New Orleans Metro French and Creole. Almost >> exclusively. So I still have alot to learn. >> >> How do you know that Chris has the mojo -- has ya eaten in other >> places he's been the chef? >> >> ----Actually I haven't but word of mouth from friends of mine say he's >> cool. And I have met him and started work there so I know him. I am one >> of his sous-chefs so I am helping to formulate the menu and implement it >> from scratch. I am even helping remodel the place! All this makes me more >> integral and feel more important. That's usually the most important >> aspect of the job for me, that is, to not feel like a mere useless >> appendage. But his menu is the mojo, and between us we can tweak stuff to >> be entirely delicious and not merely stuck up and unusual. >> >> >> Seems to me that your intellect is capable of taking up your skills a >> notch by hanging with another genius, but from my side, as an inventor >> myself, you surely must be at that stage where you can turn out a new >> dish every single time you cook, and it'll be as creative and savory as >> any dish that any chef can create. 98% of the customers surely wouldn't >> have the chops to say that your menu is "less inviting" than this chef's >> menu, so what's your goal? >> >> -----I can write menus from scratch and they would be unique, but >> working with even more unique or more worldly chefs still broadens my >> purview. I can't lose by expanding my range. I can only win. Moreover, I >> work best as partners with others due to my own lack of motivation. My >> goal is to be associated with one of the most avant garde chefs in the >> country. The fact that he isn't known yet means little. I have faith that >> he will make it to the top and you will all hear about him within a few >> years, if not immediately. Then I can thumb my nose at all those who >> derided me. his smarts to hire me equal my smarts in working for him. I'm >> not sure how but we hit it off from the start and he has been entirely >> personable to me thus far. >> >> I can understand working with another chef, and hoping to secure a >> stable position of respect there, but as for you "as an artist," I >> can't see you becoming more creative -- only creating more dishes in >> this chef's cuisine. Are you searching for your inner cuisine -- your >> artistic style or genre? >> >> -----No. I have my style, but I am always seeking to broaden my range >> and become more eclectic and knowledgable. It's an insiders brag to know >> and use not only fine ingredients but to have a knowledge of and use of >> unique ingredients. This is about the only chance I have had in the last >> ten years to work with a fine chef, who isn't myself. Who really has a >> more extensive palette than me. >> >> And, the really important question is, aside from your excitement at >> the new prospect, and other than your intuitive powers (which are potent >> if your posts are any indication,) "what has you assured that this chef's >> personality will be harmonious with yours?" Isn't that as important as >> the chef's credentials and skills? >> >> -------Yes, well so far he respects me and defers to my input. That >> alone is enough. Plus he isn't an asshole. That's really good enough for >> me. And it's rare enough as it is. I am the sort of person who searches >> until he finds and then sticks with it. If this chef works for me, I'll >> work for him for a long time to come. >> >> -----Thanks for your unending compliments. Deserved or not they feel >> good. Love You. >> >> Edg >> >> > He has made the menu partially vegetarian and explores uses of exotic >> fruits >> > and juices as well as ethnic cuisine. We are sure to spark a new >> culinary >> > enthusiasm in the city. I will write the menu down for you when it is >> > finalized. Peace for now. Loves Yahs. >> >> I think you've posted your menu descriptions more than once here, and >> everytime you've made my mouth drool, so I have to ask: What amount of >> drool are you trying for? I had to drink a bottle of Gatorade after >> reading your last menu just to replentish the loss of fluids. >> ----Haha >> >> > >> > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > To subscribe, send a message to: > fairfieldlife-subscr...@yahoogroups.com > > Or go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > and click 'Join This Group!'Yahoo! Groups Links > > > >
