Eric Ripert and On The Line (file under inspiration)

My wonderful stepmother got me a great birthday present. By the way are you sensing a theme in terms of what I consider to be a great present. She asked what I would like and I told her about a book about one of the great New York restaurants. I received it the other day and have already devoured it. Thanks S.

Eric Ripert (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Ripert ) teamed up with Christine Muhlke to write a book called; “On the Line, Inside the World of Le Bernardin.” Le Bernardin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Bernardin ) is a New York institution in terms of restaurants and indeed the world as it is ranked as one of the 20 best.

One of the things that I really enjoy about this book is that Chef Ripert is detailed in what he and his team believe are the secret of success for the restaurant. One of the most telling things about the success is that Chef Ripert feels that he may not be able to recreate the success of the restaurant in another location when their lease is up in 2011.

This statement caused me to start thinking about what it takes to create a truly great restaurant. It is more than the people, the location, the food, the décor, etc. It is the unquantifiable that is far from tangible that enables a restaurant to be truly successful. It is outside the bounds of time and space and seems to transcend any meaningful explanation. However, this is not to say that I will not try to figure it out through a detailed exploration of many such restaurants.

Some of the more important parts of the book for me include the creation of a new dish. At one point they explain that in order to get a recipe right it can sometimes take days and sometimes months. This caused me, through the two examples they use, one which made it to the menu and one which didn’t, to question; What makes it right?

Interestingly the current Le Bernardin menu is included in the book as well as recipes to make each item. I found this absolutely intriguing for it raised the issue for me that is raised above. In terms of recreating the restaurants success. Can one Chef recreate another Chefs recipe with the same ingredients, in the same way and achieve the same result?

Moreover, one thing I have begun looking at is restaurant layouts. They too include the floor plan for both the kitchen and the restaurant. I find this information extremely helpful and a great insight into how I will create my own restaurant.

One of the most important things I believe that I took away from this book is; “You can be great and not be large.” This is something that I truly believe and find myself wavering between a larger or smaller restaurant set up.

Another repeated theme in the book is the Le Bernardin has begun hiring more women. I found this both exciting and interesting as more and more I believe that women are getting more recognition in the culinary field and not in the traditional pastry section.

I truly enjoyed devouring this book. I know that I will refer to it time and again for inspiration and I am grateful to now have it in my ever expanding library.

Chef Ripert says; “Because I’d suffered psychologically in the kitchens I had worked in before, I take pains with the management about being kind, human and civilized. I put a lot of pressure on guys like Chris to create an environment where people are happy to work, or at least not uncomfortable or afraid. And it’s a challenge because every day at twelve o’clock and eight o’clock, it’s war.”

This is a management philosophy that I believe I will adhere to.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la procaine

SDM