the opportunities I had . He opened a lot of doors for me but made it clear it was up to me to go through them . It was the best way to do it in this industry . If people think you ’ re here because of someone you know , you experience a different acceptance and very little respect . But my passion and dedication for my work always produced results .
Getting back to your career , where did you go after Daniel ?
After I had moved on from restaurant Daniel in late 2000 , I realized I had submerged my entire life into working there , and I wanted something else . I staged at a few places looking for the right fit . I discovered I was used to working so meticulously , fast , and under extreme pressure that I would find myself chopping food just for the act of it as if I had to do something . I thought it was time for a little more balance in my life , and perhaps I may want a family one day .
I started at La Grenouille in the winter of 2000 as a Rotissuer . It was a classic iconic New York City French restaurant . It was also another very tough place to work . I focused my energy on cooking meat with different techniques . I even had to cook kidneys ! I don ’ t like organ meat at all , nor have I ever eaten one , but I had to learn how to cook them and cook them well , even though we would only sell maybe three orders a week .
In 2001 , I moved on to La Caravelle with Troy Depuy . He had been the Exec Sous Chef at Lespinasse when I was there , so I was able to get my foot in the door , and it was a seamless transition . I had only been there three weeks on September 11 , 2001 . Due to the economic reaction , the restaurant was only doing 10-20 people a night for a few weeks . I was nervous about my position , as I was the newest employee . I will never forget when I heard something that will stick with me forever . Chef Troy was talking to the two owners who were inquiring about the possibility of cutting some staff . Chef told them “ If you want to get rid of anybody , you get rid of me first .” They stuck by him , and for two or three weeks , we continued to do 10 or so covers , but no one complained . Then that passed and things slowly returned to normal . It taught me to be loyal to my staff . He treated us respectfully , and we wanted to do our best for him !
Chef Troy wanted the restaurant to be more on the modern side of cooking . So half the menu was French classics , and the other half was modern . It was a difficult start , but slowly the more modern menu outsold the classics every night . I learned so much from Troy about fish and flavors , as well as seasoning / spices and cooking fish . We had been getting positive and great reviews from many sources , so Troy reminded us that any day we might be reviewed by the New York Times . Without saying anything , every day I would portion four pieces of each fish perfectly , and if the reviewer never came in I would just use them up . I did this for over two weeks because I wanted to be ready for the New York Times .
One night in the thick of the service the Chef looked over at me , and nonchalantly said the New York Times was here . So I ran off my station , and returned quickly with my perfectly portioned fish and said , “ Chef , which one would you like to use !” He looked at me , picked his fish , and we went on with business as usual . It went perfectly ! The Chef had no idea that I had been doing that for some time . It just shows the amount of passion and respect I have for the food . Although we didn ’ t get the four stars that year , we did earn three Michelin stars !
Why Muttontown Country Club ?
After La Caravelle in 2002 , I made a career decision to go into hotel side of cooking . I started at The Mark Hotel as a Sous Chef / Chef de Cuisine . They put me in numerous seminars that taught other sides of management in the kitchen - people , staff , schedules , personal interaction styles - it was great . I was there for two years , and was into a major lifestyle change , as it was during that time that I married my wife , Nicole . I wanted to start a family , so I needed to make some choices . I was commuting to the city from Long Island daily and decided to take a job as Sous Chef at the Muttontown Country Club , which was much closer to home in 2005 . I met Troy Albert at Muttontown Country Club where he was General Manager . My life changed significantly for the better , and I ’ ve been in the club scene ever since . During this time , I had my first son Anthony and my daughter Sofia . After my first year at Muttontown , I was promoted to Executive Chef and never looked back . I was there for five more years , and I reunited with Troy at the Sebonack Golf Club in 2009 .
Sebonack is well recognized as one of the finest golf clubs in the world . Was the transition difficult ?
Since I had worked closely with Troy in the past , the transition went extremely well . The club was in its early stages with the normal growing pains , and it was great to be part of an emerging club story on Long Island . I interviewed with the owner Mr . Pascucci , Mark Hissey , and Troy . They wanted to make sure the personal chemistry was solid , and that I knew how to cook . I accepted the position in March 2009 . Shortly after joining , Mr . Pascucci wanted to taste the entire menu . That ’ s when I realized I would be part of something different here . I had to make four different versions of chicken salad and tuna salad using different ingredients , and we had it all laid out at the bar for him to taste . Of course , he had questions about each dish and that ’ s how we got started . I wasn ’ t sure what to expect here , but it ’ s certainly a high-end and quality driven culinary program . Sebonack has grown significantly from a food perspective since 2010 , and we have a passionate and dedicated team always looking to expand our menu .
It seems like you ’ re at home at Sebonack . Has the experience lived up to your expectations ?
It ’ s been a great experience working for the Pascucci family . Mr . Pascucci is tough , fair and has a passion for food . The ability to use such beautiful farm fresh ingredients is so important to me . The membership here is very exclusive . We have members who only dine here in the summer , despite having other alternatives in the Hamptons . Recently , a member pulled me over and said , “ I can eat anywhere I want , but I choose to eat here because you make this food wonderfully , the service is great , and the view is spectacular .” Comments like that are what every chef wants to hear , and makes me happy that our team earns the respect of our members every day .
Volume 3 • Issue 40 45