LOVE WORKING AT THE RITZ!

Today made me remember why I love the "rock and roll" of the kitchen.  What a great day.  When I arrived at the Ritz I couldn't find any of the chefs that I knew, but a kind gentleman from Ghana who works for Ecole Escoffier took me downstairs to get my uniform (I knew where it was, but he had to vouch for me.) and then introduced me to Sophia.  Sophia is a powerful yet completely affable young woman who is the right hand of the Executive Chefs.  Now that's a place I'd like to be; all the pressure, none of the blood and guts.  I got the "cook's tour".  Okay, cut me a break.  I couldn't help myself with that one. 

The Ritz is like a little underground city.  There's not much that doesn't go on down there.  I've already seen the laundry and dry cleaning facility.  That happened last week when the laundry said that they were closed, and I told them that I didn't care.  I needed a uniform!  In the end, it worked out just fine. Walking into the main kitchen, I felt like I was in a church, my church.  This is the pinacle of the culinary world as far as I'm concerned.  (Yes, I know that now I have to go to confession for saying that.)  In the Ritz, when it comes to food, there is a boulangerie, a pattiserie, many kitchens divided up into garde manger, the "gastronomic" restaurant, the bar, room service, and more.  Fish is separated from meat, and sauces have their own little world.  They have an area devoted to the making of chocolate; lot's of tempered chocolate.  As they're already preparing for the Christmas season, I saw dark chocolate bears and really, I can't remember what else. There was so much!  But what I remember from that particular room is, THE SMELL; chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.  YES!

I was assigned to "Petit Garde Manger".  That was the perfect place for me, right up my alley, suits my interests.   This was where God really smiled on me.  The first person I met when I walked in the door was Jonathan, an incredibly nice 29 year old American from Florida.  After fleeing the financial world, he just finished culinary school in Paris and is interning at the Ritz.  Talk about a "guardian angel".  Wow!  He was it.  This is not to say that I needed it as much as I expected.  I wasn't surprised, I was shocked at how friendly and respectful ALL of the chefs were in the Ritz kitchen.  Two of the three Executive Chefs (all on duly) came by, said hello, and welcomed me.

Soon, a server named . . .  came by and introduced himself.   I met a lot of charming Frenchmen today.  I can't exactly remember his name, and I don't want to get it wrong.  Anyway, when he discovered that I was from Austin he gave me the "hook 'em"  sign.  Yeah, you heard me.  HOOK 'EM!  Apparently this guy's best friend is a hairdresser in Austin.  (He shall remain nameless.)  All I know is that two weeks before I was chairing the "Nutcracker Gala" he cut my hair into a "mullet".  Immediately after that I had it cut short, real short.  I had no choice!  Don't ask Carmelo.  I think that my dress cost more because my hair was so bad.  Anyway, hair aside, this Ritz waiter was COOL!  I hope to have his pic on my blog this week.  By the way, he handed me a list of U.S. football scores for the weekend.  Apparently, he's a "Cheesehead".

After I picked my jaw up from the floor, I got to work.  Okay, so there was Jonathan, and then there was Damien.  Damien is a handsome twenty-five year old Frenchman that treated me the way I would expect my son (Graydon) to treat anyone.  He thoroughly answered any question that I posed, and just had an all around pleasant demeanor.  I watched him.  He was a "machine" during lunch service.  Enter Eric.  Eric runs the daytime show in Petit Garde Manger.  Right off the bat, he taught me things.  He has an incredible way of showing you step by step the right way without ever being condescending.  After showing me the proper and speedy way to shell huge langoustines, later in the day we did a big batch together.  He was faster than me, but saw that I caught on.  Apparently, Eric is coming to Austin to stay with my family and learn the "Texas" way. Yikes!

We made a few dishes, in particular, that I remember.  Eric was determined to show me exactly what went into each one.  First of all, the amuse bouche. There were three complete components to this dish.  I'll give describing it a shot.  We cut redfish into small 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch pieces.  I dusted them with curry powder and put them under the salamander to brown.  The fish was put on top of this chutney sort of stuff.  (I have to ask Johathan again what the heck they call it.  No one knows if it's Spanish, French, what?)  It was garnished with one sprig of chives. The second part was a fried fois gras ball on a little pedestal (I know that salt and seaweed were involved.)  On top of that fois gras was a little hat made from beet juice, gelatin, and agar agar.  Finally, there was a pumpkin orange, ginger soup with a tiny quenelle floating on top.  I'm not beginning to give you the full picture of this dish, but sorry, service was busy!  Couldn't take a photo, and I'm not really giving you all of the ingredients.

Petit Garde Manger is responsible for amuse bouche and appetizers for the fine dining restaurant.  Here are a couple of the appetizers.  One is a terrine surrounded by the most delicious calamari ever (that's from me, not what it says on the menu).  Another was gorgeous mixed vegetables surrounding one dynamite lobster tail.  Do I have to tell you that's not the description on the Ritz menu either?  Just my take word for it, amazing!

Of the many things that made a lasting impression, the attention to detail is the strongest of them all.  Working there makes you feel more like a surgeon than a chef.  The tiniest of movements the wrong way when plating can cause disaster.  I'm humbled and honored to be working there, not to mention learning a hell of a lot.

I was apprensive about how the Ritz kitchen would be.  All my fears were put to rest.  I worked hard, smiled a lot, took criticism and praise, laughed with the chefs in my section, and thanked God for this opportunity.  If this wasn't on my bucket list, it sure should have been.