Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs

Each year, ICE curates an innovative lecture series called “Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs“, inviting industry leaders to share their experience and expertise in an informal, conversational setting. Originally designed as a complement to the school’s career program in Culinary Management, these lectures have grown into free-standing events, open not only to students and alumni, but also to the general public. In 2013, MTCE will feature an exciting line-up of chefs, restauranteurs and food media professionals, highlighting the vast array of career opportunities in the culinary field. It all kicks off tomorrow, February 12th, with renown West Village restauranteur, Gabriel Stulman.

2013 Speakers:

Gabriel Stulman, Owner, Little Wisco (Joseph Leonard, Jeffrey’s Grocery, Fedora, Perla and Chez Sardine)
New York, NY
Tuesday, February 12, 3-4:30 pm

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >

Gabriel Stulman is a West Village-based restaurateur, of neighborhood favorites Perla, Joseph Leonard, Jeffrey’s Grocery, Fedora, and most recently, also Chez Sardine. Born and raised in Fairfax, VA, he attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he first began to dabble in the restaurant industry. During his sophomore year, he made his start bartending at a local college bistro/bar called Cafe Montmartre, and hasn’t looked back since. Soon after moving to New York, he opened a series of restaurants known for their friendly hospitality, eclectic and laid-back decor, relaxed neighborhood atmosphere, and above all, delicious food.

Though Wisconsin will always be close to his heart (the company is dubbed Little Wisco, in tribute to its large contingent of Midwestern employees), he makes his home in the West Village, where he lives with his wife Gina, and their son, Simon.

Lucinda Scala Quinn, Executive Director of Food and Entertaining, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
New York, NY
Thursday, March 14 , 10-11:30 am

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Lucinda’s love for cooking started early, in the kitchen and around the table of her childhood home. This passion blossomed into a career as a chef, cooking teacher, caterer, author, food editor and television host. Living in New York with her three boys and husband, cooking feel-good meals is as important as ever. She is a firm believer that food, security, and love are entwined in the meals we cook and serve to our family and friends. Moreover, Lucinda believes that there are few things more important—or pleasurable–than teaching your loved ones how to cook, then watching as they grow into fine cooks of their own and pass those skills on to others.

Lucinda is Executive Director of Food and Entertaining at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and hosts the daily cooking show, Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn, on the Hallmark channel (weekdays at 11 Eastern). A co-host of EveryDay Food on PBS for six years, Lucinda now appears regularly on NBC’s Today Show and on Martha Stewart. She has written three books, Lucinda’s Rustic Italian Kitchen, Lucinda’s Authentic Jamaican Kitchen, and MAD Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys. Her next cookbook will be published by Artisan Books in Spring 2013. All of Lucinda’s books and projects feature the food she cooks and loves, with recipes that are big on flavor and low on fuss.

Michael Stillman, President & Founder, Fourth Wall Restaurants (Maloney & Porcelli, Quality Meats, The Hurricane Club, Smith & Wollensky, The Post House, Riff Raffs)
New York, NY
Tuesday, April 9, 3-4:30 pm

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >

As the son of one of the country’s leading restaurateurs, Michael Stillman grew up with a unique vantage point on the inner workings of the industry. Michael learned from a young age how artful design, quality ingredients, and creative marketing all play a critical role in attracting and retaining a loyal clientele.

After graduating from Brown University, Michael worked for the acclaimed Union Square Hospitality Group before learning the business of The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group from the ground up. After stints in the restaurants’ kitchens and purchasing departments, Michael played a critical role in the opening of the Smith & Wollensky restaurants in Houston, Dallas, and Boston. During openings, Michael participated in staff recruitment and training, menu development, and operations.

When the proposed merger of The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group closed, Michael became president of Fourth Wall Restaurants, a New York-based restaurant group that owns, manages, and develops unique restaurant and nightlife concepts. Currently, Fourth Wall Restaurants oversees the flagship location of Smith & Wollensky New York, Quality Meats, Park Avenue, Maloney & Porcelli, The Post House, The Hurricane Club and Riff Raff’s.

Rick Camac, CEO, Fatty Crew
New York, NY
Thursday, April 25, 10-11:30 am

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Rick Camac holds multiple, highly practical degrees—the kind of certifications that mean he’s a good and capable businessman. But to most of the concerned culinary world, what Camac really holds are the keys to one of New York’s favorite, boldest, and most idiosyncratic dining experiences: the Fatty Crew restaurant group.

Not that Camac’s degree in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Oswego, or his diploma in Computer Technology from NYU, don’t keep the Fatty wheels well-greased. In addition to being the managing partner of the group, which owns, operates, and manages the various “Fatty” restaurants around the boroughs—Fatty Crab, Fatty ‘Cue, Pig & Khao, etc.—Camac oversees plans for national and international expansion.

Always eager to expand what’s clearly become a successful, potentially iconic brand, Camac’s also an integral factor in the Fatty Crew’s professional expansion, managing efforts to get into licensing opportunities, collaborative partnerships, and product roll-outs. Meaning the Fatty experience New Yorkers have so come to love may well be closer than ever.

Rob Tod, Founder, Allagash Brewing Company
Portland, ME
Thursday, May 16, 10-11:30 am

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When Rob Tod founder Allagash Brewing Company in 1995, it was a one-man operation in a small space on the outskirts of Portland, Maine. He had worked a brewery setting before and recognized a void within the craft brewing movement. While both German and British styles had become prevalent throughout the U.S., the ever-creative Belgian-styles were very difficult to find. Through his travels, Tod had sampled many of these unique beers and felt that the flavors and traditions of Belgium needed to be shared with the American drinking public. He designed a small 15-barrel brewhouse, gathered the finest array of authentic raw materials and began his quest towards the production of traditional Belgian style ales. Rob sold his first batch of beer in the summer of 1995.

Today, Allagash has six year-round beers in its portfolio, seven yearly releases and numerous one-offs and keg only releases. It began as New England’s original Belgian-Style brewery and have grown into one of the industry’s most distinguished and well-respected brands.

Chef David Bouley, Chef/Owner, Bouley Restaurant and Brushstroke
New York, NY
Tuesday, June 11, 2:30-4 pm

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Chef David Bouley studied at the Sorbonne and worked with some of Europe’s most acclaimed chefs and returned to New York, to become chef of Montrachet restaurant. In 1987, David opened his own restaurant, Bouley, in TriBeCa, which soon earned a four-star review in The New York Times and the James Beard Foundation awards for best restaurant and best chef. In 1997, Bouley Bakery opened as a wholesale and retail bakery as well as a café and restaurant, and served as the base of operations to prepare over one million meals for Ground Zero relief workers in conjunction with the Red Cross.

Bouley Bakery served David’s newest venture is Brushstroke, a Japanese restaurant owned in collaboration with the Tsuji Culinary Institute of Osaka and housed in the former Danube space at 30 Hudson Street. Brushstroke adheres to the traditions of kaiseki dining which hails from Kyoto and started as a tea ceremony. Chef Bouley is about to re-define fine dining in America once again at his namesake Bouley Restaurant now located at 163 Duane Street. Dedicated to the well-being and happiness of his guests, Chef Bouley is one of the only chefs in America who personalizes each meal to his customers’ likes and desires.

Chef Andy Ricker, Chef/Owner, Pok Pok, Noi, Whiskey Soda Lounge, Pok Pok NY, Phat Thai
Portland, OR and New York, NY
Tuesday, July 9, 10-11:30 am

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Andy Ricker visited Thailand the first time as a backpacker in 1987. He has spent several months each year since his second visit in 1993 traveling, eating, cooking and studying food culture in Thailand and neighboring countries. He is the owner, executive chef and landlord of the award winning Pok Pok Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, which opened in 2005. Prior to Pok Pok, he spent a good portion of his life working in restaurants all over the world before settling in Portland in 1990.

A semi-retired rock musician and fully retired housepainter, he spends any spare time he has catching up on sleep and traveling when possible. In late 2008, he opened Ping, a neighborhood eatery in Portland’s Chinatown which received the honor of being named Rising Star of the Year 2009 by the Oregonian newspaper and one of the Top Ten Best New Restaurants in America 2009 by GQ Magazine, Whiskey Soda Lounge, a bar/lounge featuring the drinking food of Thailand across the street from Pok Pok opened its doors in late 2009. Chef Ricker’s Pok Pok Noi, a small to-go joint featuring the menu of the original Pok Pok shack, opened in March of 2011 in Northeast Portland. In 2011, he won a James Beard Award for Best Chef, Northwest. In early 2012 he opened two new restaurants in New York City, Pok Pok Ny and Pok Pok Wing.

Chef Harold Dieterle, Chef/Co-Owner, Perilla, Kin Shop and The Marrow
New York, NY
Thursday, September 26, 10 – 11:30 am

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Harold Dieterle’s Italian-American upbringing is what first inspired him to be a chef; specifically, watching and assisting his mother prepare traditional Sicilian Sunday suppers in their Long Island home. After graduating from high school in 1995, he went to Spain to work in some of the country’s top kitchens. After graduating from culinary school, he worked at a series of high-quality establishments on Long Island (e.g. Della Femina) and in Manhattan, most notably the 1770 House in 2002.

In 2002, Harold landed a job at restaurateur Jimmy Bradley’s Tribeca restaurant, The Harrison, where he worked under future standout chefs Joey Campanaro and Brian Bistrong. In 2006, Harold competed in and won the first season of Bravo’s Top Chef. The following year he and business partner Alicia Nosenzo opened Perilla in the West Village, a critically acclaimed New American restaurant with Asian influences. In October 2010, Harold and Alicia opened their second West Village restaurant, Kin Shop, devoted to contemporary Thai cuisine and inspired by his many trips to Thailand. Kin Shop was awarded 2-stars by the New York Times in 2010. In late 2012, Harold and Alicia opened their third restaurant, The Marrow, at 99 Bank Street in the West Village, focusing on contemporary German and Italian fare – the inspiration coming from Harold’s family heritage. Harold has appeared in media outlets such as: The Cooking Channel, CNN.com, Daily News, Esquire, Food & Wine, Men’s Health, New York Magazine, The New York Times, People, Saveur, Serious Eats, Today Show, Wall Street Journal, and Zagat.

Chef Sara Jenkins, Chef/Owner, Porchetta, Porsena and Porsena Extra Bar
New York, NY
Thursday, October 3, 10-11:30 am

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Sara Jenkins is based in New York City, where she has developed a reputation as a fine rustic Italian chef. The daughter of a foreign correspondent and a food writer, Sara grew up all over the Mediterranean, eating her way through several cultures and learning to cook what appealed to her. She began her professional career in the kitchen with Todd English at Fig’s in Boston, then went on to work as a chef in Florence and the Tuscan countryside, as well as on the Caribbean island of Nevis, before returning to the U.S.

After turns at I Coppi, Il Buco, Patio Dining and 50 Carmine, she published Olives and Oranges: Recipes and Flavor Secrets from Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Beyond, released by Houghton Mifflin in September 2008. That month she opened Porchetta, which was awarded the top spot in Time Out New York’s “100 Best Things We Ate in 2008” and also received a four-star review from New York Magazine. In November 2010 Jenkins opened Porsena, where she draws on memories of her Tuscan and Roman childhood to create a pasta-centric menu featuring Italy’s finest artisanal pastas. Chef Jenkins opened Porsena Extra Bar in 2012, a wine bar serving small Mediterranean plates, a selection of raw milk cheeses, hand-crafted cured meats, and seasonal vegetables. Wherever Jenkins cooks, she creates excitement with cuisine based on the Mediterranean flavors she grew up with.

Drew Nieporent, Owner, Myriad Restaurant Group (Tribeca Grill, Nobu, Nobu Next Door, Nobu 57, Nobu London, Corton, Crush Wine & Spirits, Acela Club at Citi Field)
New York, NY
Thursday, November 21, 1-2:30 pm

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Drew Nieporent, one of America’s most respected and celebrated restaurateurs, is the founder and inspiration behind the Myriad Restaurant Group, which operates Tribeca Grill, Corton, Nobu New York City,Nobu Fifty Seven, Nobu London, Nobu Next Door, Acela Club at Citi Field, Daily Burger at Madison Square Garden, and Crush Wine & Spirits. Over the last 27 years, Myriad has opened and operated over 35 restaurants around the world, including Seattle, Louisville, Providence, Boca Raton, London, Moscow, Citi Field, home of the New York Mets in Flushing, New York. Most recently, Myriad helped to open The Daily Burger at Madison Square Garden.

Nieporent’s first restaurant, the groundbreaking Montrachet (1985), earned three stars from The New York Times and kept that rating for 21 years. In 2008, the restaurant reopened as Corton, maintaining its three New York Times stars and receiving an unprecedented two Michelin stars with chef-partner Paul Liebrandt at the helm. Both Nieporent and Liebrandt are featured in a current HBO documentary A Matter of Taste. Tribeca Grill (1990), with partner Robert De Niro and an all-star roster of investors including Bill Murray, Sean Penn, and Mikhail Baryshnikov, opened to national acclaim and continues to be one of New York’s landmark restaurants. In 1994, again with partner Robert De Niro and sushi master Nobu Matsuhisa, Drew launched Nobu New York City to worldwide acclaim. Nobu NYC, Next Door Nobu, and Nobu Fifty Seven have all earned the coveted three-star rating from The New York Times. Nobu NYC was voted Best Restaurant in America by The James Beard Foundation. Nobu has gone on to open restaurants in all parts of the world.

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The Art of Blending with Lior Lev Sercarz

Lior Lev Sercarz is spice blender to the stars – star chefs, that is. From Eric Ripert to Michelle Bernstein, Paul Kahan and Apollonia Poilâne, his roster of clients is a veritable “who’s who” of culinary innovators. Even those chefs who know how to blend their own spices agree: Sercarz just does it better.

Lior teaches a recreational student how to prepare chocolate pots de creme.

Sercarz’s culinary education started early, as a young boy in Israel. His is not a romantic story of techniques and recipes handed down from his elders, but rather one of practical cooking. His mother worked late, and would leave behind ingredients for him to prepare dinner for his younger siblings. As years passed, and his family lived and traveled throughout Europe, Lior’s exceptional palate was honed by the wide range of cuisines and cultures he encountered.

Lior teaches a student how to segment a grapefruit for a fluke crudo dish.

At the age of 19, Sercarz joined the Israeli army, where he was charged with kitchen duty. It was there that he learned the simple but indispensable purpose of “food as satisfaction.” Upon leaving the army, he traveled throughout South America, and there discovered his interest in uncovering the source of food traditions. The spice trade, in particular, sparked his curiosity, because of the relative lack of industrialization in the creation of spices. His appreciation for these hand-harvested products only grew during his time at the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France, most especially during a culinary externship under the wing of Olivier Roellinger, a three-star Michelin chef renown for his rare knowledge of seasoning and spice blending techniques. From there, Sercarz moved on to New York’s Daniel, where he experimented with blends and eventually built an extensive spice rack, inspiring his current business, La Boîte á Epice.

For each of his 41 signature spice blends (plus 30 additional blends exclusively available to chefs), Sercarz seeks not to imitate a particular flavor, but rather to evoke a sense memory of a particular place. His “Cancale”, for example, is named for the town where he trained with Roellinger and features the region’s signature fleur de sel, as well as orange peel and fennel seeds from the plants that grow on Brittany’s cliffs.

A recreational student seasons raw tuna with Sercarz’s Salvador spice blend.

ICE recreational students had the pleasure of discovering twelve of Sercarz’s multi-sensory spices, including Cancale, in a cooking class that celebrated the release of Sercarz’s first cookbook, The Art of Blending. Like his spices, this book evokes an emotional response from its reader, with vivid pictures and anecdotes that span the world’s many flavors and cultures. Select chefs from Sercarz’s bevy of celebrity clients contributed recipes featuring each of his signature blends, from soups to sweets, smoked fish and even cocktails.

Sercarz himself is a highly skilled chef, and orchestrated the impressive production of fourteen different dishes that night. Yet his instruction was far from heavy-handed. As he explained to the class, he does not care how people choose to use his spices. He respects the creativity of the individual, and how they choose to interact with his blends. That said, the impetus to publish this cookbook originated with the frequent requests for recipe suggestions from his non-chef clients. Yet he believes that the cookbook also stands alone, regardless of whether or not an individual owns each of the spice blends included in the recipes.

Cocktails spices with Sercarz's Borneo blend.

Cocktails spiced with Sercarz’s Borneo blend.

It was in sitting down to enjoy our spiced feast that we were able to most appreciate Sercarz’s unique perspective. He diagnosed a certain ignorance in our treatment of spices, explaining that they are products like meat or vegetables. There is seasonality, labor and a variance in quality. His blends range from 9 to 23 ingredients, and can take as little as one day, or as long as six months, to create. Each blend is approached with a meticulous attention to detail that demonstrates a deep understanding of his raw ingredients. From the selection of salt, to heat, to more unusual flavors, no decision goes unweighed, infusing Sercarz’s products with an incomparable complexity. His spice blends are truly a pleasure to work with – for all the five senses.

Fluke crudo, eggplan relish, ratatouille pizzas and other dishes, all garnished with Sercarz’s signature spices.

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“All In”: Jason Apfelbaum

By Carly DeFilippo

ICE alum and Chef’s Advisory Council member Jason Apfelbaum is far from your average culinary entrepreneur. When he first enrolled, his dream was to own a boutique hotel in a remote location (and, eventually, to become the mayor of that small town). The choice to attend culinary school was a “back up plan”, in case one of his employees didn’t show up to work. But all that changed when a guest speaker in the catering business visited his Culinary Management class. Soon enough, Jason was building his own catering empire, Chef & Co, which, at its peak, was the premier private and corporate fine-dining caterer in New York City.

After more than twenty years as an entrepreneur, Jason recently made the shift to become the Director of Food and Beverage for Morgans Hotel Group. This new challenge is only one in a series of crowning successes in Apfelbaum’s professional ascent, and he’s the first to attest that hard work and determination far outweigh luck in this highly competitive industry.

That was the message that Jason underscored this week, when he spoke to a class of Culinary Management students. Kicking off his presentation, he handed each student a poker chip, and shared the following video: “All In”.

As the Giants’ story demonstrates, it is dogged commitment to and passion for the goal towards which one strives that can secure even the most unlikely success.

Beyond this inspirational message, Apfelbaum explained that his diverse achievements are all based on two professional strategies:

Hire great people. Jason subscribes entirely to the philosophy that “you are only as good as your weakest team member” and that strategic hiring can cultivate a powerful company culture. To demonstrate his point, Jason introduced his most recent hire, kicking off his first day at Morgans Group with Apfelbaum’s motivational presentation. Luckily for this young professional, Jason also professed a strong belief in generous compensation packages, stating that “in the [Food and Beverage] industry, it’s not a question of whether people will steal from you, it’s how much they will steal from you”. When you hire the best people and reward them for their hard work, it’s a winning combination.
Know your weaknesses. As a manager, it’s important to understand what your weaknesses are and to hire the best person you can find to take over those tasks. Give these highly skilled employees two rules: work hard and be happy. With that, let them manage their projects with limited micro-managing, and provide all the tools they need so they have no excuses if they don’t succeed.

In the hour and a half that Jason spoke, there were more outrageous stories and sage advice than I have room to publish. But one repeated message rang true: the connections students make with their professors, peers and alumni network can make or break a career. So if students felt a little bit luckier upon leaving the lecture, it wasn’t due to the poker chip in their pocket, but rather, the copy of Apfelbaum’s business card.

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Behind the Scenes at Amy’s Bread

How does an aspiring marketing professional become one of New York’s top bakers? Like many of our students, Amy Scherber was a career changer, motivated by her passion for food.

Amy introduces ICE Culinary Management students to her Chelsea Market store.

In the 1990s, New York was far from the bountiful paradise of bakeries that we find today. When Amy’s Bread opened in Hell’s Kitchen, it was a pioneering force in a bread wasteland, a powerhouse concept that has flourished over more than twenty years of business. It’s no wonder that when Culinary Management instructor Alan Someck decided to take his Culinary Management students on a bakery fieldtrip that Amy’s was the obvious choice.

After a brief tour and tasting at Amy’s Chelsea Market outpost – including her signature semolina bread with golden raisins and fennel seed – students got to ask the nitty-gritty questions. As it turns out, Amy had just signed a lease for another space when the opportunity to open in Chelsea Market came on her radar. She lost money in the deal, but knew that the then-empty warehouse would provide the opportunity to fulfill her vision: to open a bakery where customers could see the bread-making process. Today, most of Amy’s baking has been outsourced to a large space in Long Island City, but she intends to maintain this transparent mission. The oven from her original Hell’s Kitchen location was recently installed in the Chelsea Market space, and her staff will resume on-site bread baking in the near future.

Shoppers look on as Amy takes ICE students behind the oversize windows of her signature store.

Amy also shared insight into the trials and joys of expanding her business. Certain products, like her olive twists, were as much a product of exhaustion and accident as proactive innovation. That kind of exhaustion can fuel creativity, but many bakers fail to overcome such odds. As Amy explained, the price margin in bakeries is much smaller than in restaurants. For example, her strawberry shortcake – made with high-quality ingredients such as greenmarket berries – can only retail for a meager $4-5, whereas a restaurant might charge $12 for the same product. Moreover, starting a new small business is more expensive than most owners anticipate, as it takes time to build credit.

In addition, Amy explained that it’s important to know your stores. Her West Village customers buy the most coffee, Chelsea Market moves the most bread and Hell’s Kitchen is a hotspot for sweets. But where other owners might stop there in calibrations, Amy strategizes to the day. If Wednesday afternoons show a trend toward increased sweet consumption, but Monday is more of a morning bread crowd, she adjusts and re-adjusts to fit her customers’ needs. And let’s not forget – on top of retail customers, she has over 300 wholesale accounts to attend to.

When asked expressly for advice, Amy urged Alan’s class of budding entrepreneurs to spend time working in the type of business they would like to open themselves. While aided by her study of Economics in college and time baking in restaurant kitchens, Amy admits she wishes she had spent more time working specifically in bakeries before starting her business. Last but not least, she underscored the importance of a coherent concept. Even if someone has a fully-developed business idea, it is essential that the consumer can effortlessly grasp it – from the name to the decor, the service style, the product, etc.

ICE Culinary Management students, Amy Scherber and Professor Alan Someck.

Looking out onto the eager eyes peeking into Amy’s oversize windows, it’s clear that she applied this final lesson early on. Her famous oversize windows breed a connection between staff and those they serve, an honesty and intimacy that has been an underpinning of Amy’s philosophy from day one.

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Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs: David Burke

Last Thursday, students at ICE had the opportunity to meet Executive Chef & Restaurateur, David Burke. Known for his whimsical dishes such as cheesecake lollipops and pretzel crusted crab cakes, he shared stories about his creative ventures, discussed how Social Media impacts restaurants and gave out his digits in case you need a reservation. His visit was part of our series called Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs, which gives students the opportunity to learn about operating a culinary business from some of the country’s leading restaurateurs.

Burke entered the room and had beautiful examples of his work to show students. He shared how he got his start as a dishwasher and mentioned that he didn’t chase a dollar bill for the first ten years as he wanted to gain all the experience he could. And gaining experience is what he did, traveling through France and working with notable chefs such as Pierre Troisgros, Georges Blanc and Gaston Lenotre. He returned to the U.S. to serve as a sous chef for Waldy Malouf at Le Cremaillere and then for Charlie Palmer at River Café, where he ascended to Executive Chef and earned three stars from The New York Times. In 1992, Burke opened the Park Avenue Café with Smith & Wollensky CEO Alan Stillman, and then, in 1996, he became Vice President of Culinary Development for the Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group. From there, the David Burke brand emerged and continues to grow in a variety of ways whether you are dining at Townhouse on the Upper East Side or grabbing take-out from Burke in the Box at Bloomingdale’s.

Anyone who has been to his restaurants knows that presentation is essential – especially if you’ve seen his chocolate Park Avenue bench. He has never advertised and instead sends his guests out the door with eccentric packaging to gain brand recognition – similar to the blue bag for Tiffany & Co. Burke spoke a lot about his signature touches, such as serving sashimi on a salt block and presenting his lollipops inside a tree. He noted that he sees cheesecake pops around town and his motto is “if they are copying they can’t catch up.”

Following that bit of wisdom, one student asked what inspires him to come up with a new dish, and his response was seeing something being thrown away in the kitchen and dreaming up a delicious use for it.

He was also asked to describe to the students what it’s like when he walks into one of his restaurants. Burke said the first thing he does is check the doors for fingerprints, and after that he makes sure the lighting and the music are at the appropriate levels. Most of all, he shared that there is an energy of a good time when things are going right. When people are having their 2^nd and 3^rd glasses of wine, you know they are having a great time and your restaurant is making a profit.

Another student brought up a recent article in The New York Times about encouraging wait staff to take pictures of their guests to post across Social Media platforms. Burke noted that this concept is much like what jeans used to be in the dining room – simply not allowed at most high-end restaurants. However, as time goes by, more restaurants are allowing a dressed-up version of jeans with a jacket, and slowly the same thing is happening with Social Media. If you are dining on the Upper East Side with a more sophisticated crowd, you may not get your picture taken, but if you are grabbing a bite after a spree at Bloomingdale’s, your purchase may not be the only lucky token you are bringing home.

Executive Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living, Lucinda Scala Quinn will be joining us next Thursday, October 25^th to give a glimpse into food media.

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Chef Thomas Keller at ICE

This blog posting by Rick Smilow, president of ICE, is the second of two posts on Chef Thomas Keller’s September 7 lecture. Culinary Relations Manager, Virgina Monaco wrote the first. Keller came to ICE for many reasons and one of these was his long time friendship with ICE Chef and Instructor Chris Gesualdi. Thomas and Chris worked and cooked together at three NYC restaurants in the 80′s: La Reserve, Raphael and Rakel.

On Friday evening September 7, ICE hosted Thomas Keller, one of Americas most admired and influential chefs. Keller, most known as the chef and owner of The French Laundry and Per Se, addressed over 100 ICE students, alumni and staff for 90 minutes before signing books – nearly 100 of them!

He covered a wide range of topics and answered a series of questions that students had submitted in advance.

One of the student’s questions dealt with inspiration and where it comes from. Chef Keller said it happens rarely, and that you have to be ready for it, as you don’t know in advance that it will happen. He wryly observed that an artist, a musician, a poet and a chef could be walking down the street together and each see a leaf fall. From that, each would be inspired differently. As a real life anecdote, Keller said that his signature salmon cornet appetizer was inspired many years ago, by a Baskin-Robbins ice cream cone standing rack.

On the subject of what he looks for when hiring new employees, Keller answered that people expect the answer to be passion, but the actual answer is desire. He went on to explain that he knows that passion is something that ebbs and flows, but desire is something that you can bring to work every day.

Speaking about what his goals are for the customer experience in each of his restaurants, Chef Keller said that he wants to make sure each of his guests leaves with a great memory of the dining experience and that memory defines success.

Keller is widely known for his commitment, interest and dedication to using the finest ingredients. Sometimes those ingredients are local, and sometimes not. But he pointed out that sustainability has various meanings and dimensions. So when his Napa Valley restaurants source butter from Orwell, Vermont or lobsters from Stonington, Maine, the product is not literally local, but he happily knows that he is helping small producers sustain their lifestyle and the economics of their own rural community.

Talking about the future, he said that one of his driving forces now, was what he called the next generation. That means that he, and his top staff, spend a lot of time training and mentoring. Keller said he thinks it is critical that the younger generations in his kitchens have the confidence and encouragement to collaborate.

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A Conversation with Thomas Keller

This Friday evening, ICE was honored to host A Conversation with Thomas Keller and welcome a true culinary legend to the school. Chef Keller’s awards, stars and accolades are too long to list here (and well worth a google if you are unfamiliar with him). Chef Keller and his iconic French Laundry restaurant came to fame at a time when America was known for fast-food and TV dinners, and to be a chef was to be considered a domestic servant, not a culinary arts professional. Ignoring that reputation, he has set the bar for American cuisine over the last twenty-five years and continues to define the ultimate fine dining experience across the country. He visited ICE to share stories of his experiences, philosophies on food and mentor the next generation of great chefs.

Students and alumni packed the sixth floor in anticipation of pearls of wisdom and words of advise. As I listened to Chef Keller give his thoughts on everything from his definition of sustainability to the importance of making memories, I couldn’t help but think that his advise was extremely wise in its simplicity and brevity. This wasn’t an infomercial claiming that you could be a success overnight if you followed four simple rules. He stressed basic but vital core principles for success – hard work, constant improvement, evolution, collaboration, desire.

There are no shortcuts to success and no secret formulas to revel. His strongest advice to students was to simply try and do just a little bit better than you did the day before. That’s not that hard, is it? With explanations like that, any level of success suddenly seems within anyone’s reach. It’s not always easy-going. Failures are inevitable and easy paths are tempting. Doing it right day after day, year after year, every single time, is much harder than it sounds. I could see that most everyone in that room admired Chef Keller for his deceptively simple devotion to doing it right, taking pride in what you do, and doing it even better tomorrow. Yes, he makes amazing food and yes, we admire his creativity and skill. But what truly inspires is his willingness to work hard, everyday, in order to bring pleasure to others and leave them with the fondest of memories.

My favorite quote of the evening was, “What is greatness if not consistency? Anyone can make one amazing meal. But to make thousands of amazing meals over dozens of years is what makes a truly great chef.”

For info on the next Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs lectures, including David Burke and Lucinda Scala Quinn of Martha Stewart Living, check out our culinary career development class listings.

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Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs: Mindy Segal of Hot Chocolate

Hot off winning a James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef, Mindy Segal visited ICE this week to share her experience opening the Chicago gem, Hot Chocolate. Her visit was part of our Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs series, which gives ICE’s Culinary Management students the opportunity to learn from some of America’s top culinary business owners.

Segal was full of knowledge and eager to share as much as she could in her time with ICE students. You could see her passion for food within minutes of chatting with her and the students kept her rolling with question after question.

Growing up, Segal didn’t play with Barbies, instead she grew up pretending to be in a restaurant. She didn’t do well in school due to a learning disability but found comfort working in kitchens. She attended culinary school and began working in several kitchens, which included the prestigious role of pastry chef at Charlie Trotter’s. She went on to open Hot Chocolate, where she prides herself on craft food and a comfortable, relaxed dining experience. Segal joked that many people come to her restaurant for the dessert and they stay for the food.

When describing her leadership style, Segal tells her staff that they have to feel comfortable making mistakes in order to learn. One of the most important lessons she has learned when running the restaurant is when people understand your expectation, they are successful. She also recently started to bring her yoga techniques into the restaurant telling her staff to “be present” and “let’s get ourselves into hot chocolate!”

Segal shared samples of her s’more cookies as well as her signature cold hot chocolate and encouraged students to never stop learning. She is a big believer in this – so much so that she has a tattoo that says “the more you think you know, the less you know.”

And finally, when asked what her favorite dessert was, she responded, “I am a banana, caramel and chocolate kind of girl!”

For info on the next Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs lectures, including David Burke and Lucinda Scala Quinn of Martha Stewart Living, check out our culinary career development class listings.