ngatti

Can I ask what restaurant that was at? I had a wonderful meal at Clio and am a big fan of Oringer. Kenny is a local product (Bergen County New Jersey). I was Executive Sous Chef at the Loews Glenpointe Hotel throughout the 80s. Kenny passed through the banquet department while doing his 15 week culinary externship from CIA. Now is an opportunity to extol the virtues of the young'uns. As an older management type chef in a corporate environment (that's what I was back then), it can be very easy to cling to a dogmatic tired, "that's the way it should be" culinary approach. Having guys like Ken Orringer, Joe Verde, Steve Santoro, and Vincent Barcelona (owner of SEVEN in NYC and RiK Lakkonnen's sous chef from Lux and River Cafe), pass through your kitchen ( I think Dan Orr was there too, but memory dims) was incredibly reinvigorating. I think I learned much more from these people than they learned from me. Their enthusiam, exuberance, the new cutting edge ingredients and techniques. These guys had great palates. I'm thrilled every time I read about them. Their success is my success. I'm much better for having met and worked with them. Nick

After reading the thread over, I'm not sure if you can be so arbitrary. Surely times have changed since I started my first job at 25. At the time I was the oldest in the kitchen. Everyone else being in their early twenties. Certainly the industry has changed along with the publics perception of what we do. The age thing? I've seen 21 year old kids without formal culinary training who have staged in 4 places in 8 months, emerging with incredible palates and able to make excellent choices constructing menus and specials. On the other end of the spectrum, I've seen Chefs trained in France who were the biggest shoemakers on the planet. Of course the converse of the above statement is also true. Two cents Nick

But if someone doesn't have the right attitude, there is no way you can teach them real skills. Without right attitude, little can be learned. As I look back over my "teachers" I see that it was "attitude" that they passed on to me most. But I can't teach it. You had an inherent willigness to learn. I'm saying it was already there. If one can take something from me, fine. But I don't flatter myself into thinking that my example or presence will automatically instill the right mindset in an individual. The best one can say is "attempt" to instill a proper attitude. Give direction, perhaps. The attitude part is the "getting out what you put into it" thing which is so often mentioned. I can teach a skill set. It's up to the individual to want it. I stand by what I said Nick

Orringer did his externship where I was Executive Sous. I recall a pretty young kid, maybe early twenties. Nick

OooH!, I like that one Nick

Seems a bit old compared to my line cooking experience. Whatever. Follow your bliss, and know that as a later in life career switcher you may face some predjudices. If you want it bad enough you'll prevail. Heart counts for a lot in this business. Well it counts for a lot with me. I can teach skills. I can't teach attitude. Nick

Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. Thank you Jaysusss Nick

Is this the HoJo's on 8th avenue about 51st street or so? Nick

Tuna salad (canned BB type) in all its forms. The thought of tuna melt makes me retch. Nick

Oh No! I haven't been yet. Shit! Nick

Beaucoup Congrats, Steven. So where's the first signing going to be. Or should we make one up. Good excuse for a bitchin' eGullet piss-up, though the last signatures'll probably pretty unrecognizable. Nick

A strategic blunder on the part of Forrester, perhaps? If he had tempered his remarks to the point of keeping Torricelli in the race, I think it likely he would have won. Much less so against Senator Lautenberg IMO. Coupla pennies Nick

Yeah Bux, both restaurants *and* vendors. I had raised the point that Le Bernadin carries much more credibility with me than Moe's Sea Shack & Fish Emporium. Nick

All good points Paul. Nick

Mondays Tuesdays or Thursdays after Columbus Day The 20th? Only if you'll be there after 8:00 PM Nick

Interesting that you say this nickn. One guy I was chatting with said that he'd rather describe his primo fish as "top of the catch". That is the fish caught the last day at sea, being that which is on the top of the pile when landed. Nick

Sunday Evenings or Monday as long as not the Hotel Show at Javits. Tuesdays and Thursdays also work. Lunch or dinner. I'm also good from Oct. 20th on. Sorry to be so conditional. it's this damn restaurant business thing. I've kind of used up my "taking off early, leave the Sous Chefs in charge" allotment already this year. Nick

No Sats. Sats bad Nick

Don't knowthe name but it's on Piermont road in Closter. Nick

I lke Tappan 00. BBQ sounds good, and it's pretty darn close to Dumont. I'm free Mondays (starting next week) as well as Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I can also occasionally sneak out on a Sunday. If there's anything I can do to help organize, please let me know. Nick

Steven (deadeye dick) Shaw does it again. damn if I had that scope on my rifle I'd never have to work for my supper. Nick

Others and myself truly can't stand this place. That's okay. All we do is disagree with the writer (and a significant percentage of the local population as this is a very popular place), much as we disagree with each other here on eGullet. I find that this piece flows much better. The sub themes of eclecticism and Ice Cream flow much more smoothly as a quiet unifying theme. Dislikes and likes are noted and the writer moves on to the next topic. Seems to me that between Marge Perry and Jeffrey Schwartz, we may have a pretty decent tag team. Now if only the feature eds could get their budgets increased so we can see more of these two. Nick

Thanks for the link FG. Regarding your question about fish criteria; I suppose that all of it would be welcome. Unfortunatly only shellfish is tagged in such a fashion as to hit all of your bases. It is important to develop some close ties within the wholesale industry. I find that as much as we chefs think we know, the reality is that aside from cooking, many of us don't know that much. I truly depend upon my wholesalers to educate me. Jinmyo has a point when in an earlier thread she implied that she'd just as soon not know every detail about every food item. What matters is what's on the plate from a cooking (and eating) standpoint. This can be quite enough for any chef to contemplate. So the truly knowledgable people (vendors and other points of sourcing) become very valuable. They are willing to share much information if you show the right kind of polite interest. Just as a diner in a restaurant, I find that this type of interest also rates you a little extra attention when it comes to your meat or fish. Nick

Yes Glyn, Correct. I was told this, this afternoon. Never knew it. You smug scientific guys *do* know it all Nick

Nickn, Thank you so much. FG, It's an amzing site. In depth Knife buying and sharpening tips and how to purchase an electric guitar all in one thread. There is always something to amaze me here. Nick