Destination Golf - August 2017 * | Page 42

Sebonack Hole 18 After returning home from Switzerland, I was fortunate enough to be able to stage at Lespinasse under Gray Kunz. As I cleaned the endless amount of baby artichokes, I kept my eyes and ears open because you didn’t know who may be working next to you. In this kitchen, the young chefs included Andrew Carmellini, Floyd Cardoz, and the Executive Sous Chef Troy Dupuy, for whom I would later work. It was there at Lespinasse where I got my first reality check when Chef Kunz said I had worked next to the entremetier long enough and would start the next day working the service. I was so nervous that I was there the next morning at 6 am before the start time of 8 am, and I got the whole station set up. The evening entremetier showed up and said I was doing a great job, and lets me put out the first ticket - what a rush! At the end of the day, I was rewarded with another tasting menu prepared by some of the most talented chefs in New York City. I knew I made a good impression, as the first course was three baby artichokes with a pairing knife with a side of Band-Aids! commis chef. I was over the moon until they realized I didn’t have any proper work papers and had to move on. My heart was broken, and the Chef saw it in my eyes as he broke the news to me. He thanked me for my efforts and told me never to give up, as he loved the passion I showed. Anthony, for someone who has all of this training, it’s impressive that you still chose to pursue a culinary degree. When I got back to the States, I landed a position in the Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City with Alfred Portale. It was quite the place, doing 300 covers a night for dinner and 180 for lunch. Chef Alfred Portale was very precise with his cuts, flavors, and food quality. It was a great environment for my first “real job” in the industry. It was here I learned speed and consistency. Since then, I’ve tried to push my career by learning one significant thing at each place I worked to carry forward to my next experience. It was at Lespinasse that I knew that I wanted to pursue this as a career. I attended the Culinary Institute of America and graduated in the summer of 1995. After I had graduated, I decided to take a year and work in London, England. I started at the Hyde Park Hotel just to get my feet wet in London, and I experienced a whole different level of cooking. I then fought my way into Le Gavroche, which was the first Michelin-starred kitchen where I worked. The Chef was three star Michelin Chef Michel Roux. I didn’t know much about him when I started, but I had the highest regard for his focus on discipline and respect. After three weeks, I was offered a full-time position as a 42 Destination Golf .TRAVEL Mossimann’s Belfry? I went on to stage at Mosimann’s Belfry, under the direction of two star Michelin Chef Anton Mosimann. I learned how to cook food in a more natural way i.e. poaching fish in sea-like water and being able to get intense flavors out of each ingredient. I finished my time in London by working in one of the most famous hotels, The Dorchester. It was ironic that I got to work in the exact kitchen, though with different chefs and concepts, as Chef Anton Mosimann did when he earned his two Michelin stars. Alfred Portale? Tell us about your stagiaire position at Le Louis XV with Alain Ducasse. In 1998, I returned to Europe and went to Monaco and worked