The following articles were previously posted to Hotel F&B Observer, which as of April 2019 has been closed and its trade publication discontinued by BPMedia. I have had the pleasure of being affiliated with this venue since 2008.
Photo Credit – John McJunkin
The Essencia Experience
Wine so precious you drink it with a crystal spoon – Essencia is in my Life
This was certainly the most exquisite way to start the New Year. Tasting the Royal Tokaji Essencia from its traditional crystal spoon had me wondering less about its pricey interruption to my budget than its overall unique flavoring, tending more towards the classic dessert wines like Croft Porto Vintage (a coffee-infused delicacy), Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny Port (tasting a delicate ambience of crushed nuts, raisins with a slight essence of vanilla bean), Les Clos de Papulilles Banyuls Rimage (a Grenache from France, my favorite region). I generally shy away from the overuse of Sauternes (blending French Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscatel grapes) as I’ve over-consumed this for the past 48 years with well-meaning aficionados and relatives whom you could not distract or recommend otherwise – so, I have acquiesced far too long.
I have found there is honor in saying “no mas” and trying out a (new to me) wildly luxurious blend. I’m not sure whether I was taken more by the presentation of a weighty, possibly handmade, crystal spoon – but I like this classy approach. This was necessary marketing. This approach has eye appeal. You wouldn’t generally want to drink water from cupped hands; however, I would certainly find a way to cup my hands should this bottle fall by my wayside.
Recently, Ivanka Trump decided to introduce this Hungarian winery of The Royal Tokaji – Essencia to the new Trump Benjamin Hotel in DC. Selecting this blend certainly follows the current momentum of posh and fad with her F&B team setups around the world.
Pricing among restaurants serving Essencia, the wine is available (and served / charged by the spoon) in around 20 restaurants across the United States, with prices ranging from a relatively modest $25 in some venues to the $130 charged by Saison in San Francisco.
Factotum: Essencia is the richest and rarest of all Hungarian Tokaji wines. It is the truest expression of terroir known to man. Typically, this free run juice takes 6 to 8 years to complete its fermentation to less than 3% alcohol. Essencia can reach 85% residual sugar. Essencia wine is legendary. Essencia 2000 is presented in numbered bottles in a brass hinged wooden box complete with a traditional crystal spoon.
Béchamel Mucho – Extricate Yourself from Failure: Innovate
Dedicated chefs and patissiers have learned all about preparation, cooking and presentation techniques for their time-honored classical and traditional recipes, such as a chocolate soufflé or a petite entree for Gruyere cheese soufflé with chives and a hint of dusted Hungarian paprika for the spiciness desired. Read More
COMING TO A HOTEL NEAR YOU
Under the new legislation, restaurants will be required to display calorie information for standard menu items as well as calories for each serving of food at a salad bar or a buffet line (e.g., LTO’s – fast food and chain restaurants). Read More
The airlines have certain policies affecting liability issues as it relates to passengers traveling with animals; the airlines consider them (animals/pets) as “inanimate pieces of luggage” in which limited liability would apply. Essentially, the limited liability statutes which airlines have are very similar to those which hotels have with respect to people’s property.
Are you falling short on customer expectations?
As the director of F&B operations, is your staff compelled to exceed your sales goals?
At left is the Gingerbread House; at right is the real Ca d’Zan Mansion
Executive Pastry Chef Guillaume Marchand brings with him vast experience and a passion for the sweeter things in life. Before joining the culinary team at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, he held the position of assistant pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Hotel Arts in Barcelona, Spain and he was also the Chef de Partie at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas.
As Executive Pastry Chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Marchand is responsible for the day to day operations of a 24-hour pastry shop, supplying all breads, pies, cookies, chocolates, candy, ice cream, cakes and desserts to the seven food and beverage outlets of the resort. Prior to his tenure with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., Marchand oversaw dessert preparation on a cruise ship with Renaissance Cruises and also spent several years working in London.
Born and raised in Western France, Marchand, similar to many other French chefs, learned his trade through an apprenticeship in a pastry shop that was affiliated with Relais Dessert International, an association of pastry chefs that spans across France. He spent two years in Nantes, France and a year in Toulouse and in this time learned what many “American schooled” chefs do not: The money value of time and ingredients. “A sense of urgency as well as a respect for ingredients is most important to a shop owner because the success of his business is at stake,” Chef Marchand remembers.
_________________________________________________________________
The Interview
Q: What was your educational background that led you to become an executive pastry chef?
I apprenticed for two years in Pastry and two more years as Chocolate Master.
Q: Did you start out wanting to be a pastry chef, or did you start in a different job which led you to your current field of expertise?
I decided to become a Pastry Chef at the age of 17. I love pastries and I knew that I wanted to travel around the world. Cooking can be a passport for world discovery.
Q: Did you have a mentor who guided you, as an apprentice, to work with pastries and confections, or did you pick up your skills while in school and perfected them later while on the job?
My time as an Apprentice was the most important in my career. I was lucky to be working in a good, refined Pastry Shop. Many people were helpful and always appreciated my curiosity and appetite to learn. As an Apprentice in France, I worked two weeks in a Shop and was going to school for one week. The two weeks in the Shop was when I was able to apply what I was learning in school.
Q: What type of continuing education are you required to take to maintain your professional licensure, if any?
No continuing education required, but I continue to study, learn and explore new concepts and ideas in my spare time.
Q: If you were to be invited to create a one-of-a-kind pastry masterpiece, say for The White House (symbolic for the purposes of this interview only, as a remarkable place which serves as host to remarkable and influential people from around the world), what would your creation be?
As a French Pastry Chef working in America, I think it would be fun to create something symbolic like a chocolate Statue of Liberty (a gift to the U.S. from France).
Q: What types of character traits and skills do you feel make for an outstanding pastry chef?
Curiosity, innovation, imagination, passion, respect, commitment and discipline.
Q: Your position working at the Ritz Carlton is pretty much a solid career path for you, especially when the hotel brand is known for hiring from within on most openings for its hotels around the world. You were formerly with the Hotel Ritz-Carlton Arts Barcelona (2002 – 2005). Did you start your professional career there? How does the job differ between our two continents? Can you voluntarily choose which locations you would like to work at next – should occasion offer itself to do so?
After Barcelona, I worked at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas as the Chef de Partie. Moving to the Caribbean from Barcelona was a huge move for me. In the city of Barcelona, I had exposure to a fantastic culture where you can obtain inspiration from famous pastry chefs while experiencing the artistic side of the city. A lot of concurrence.
My next position will be with The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai (the second Ritz-Carlton in Dubai scheduled to open in late December 2010). I am moving there next month. This will be a big challenge and a very exciting time for me to work in a different culture and to open a hotel! It will be a lot of work, but again, the concurrence of this city is big!
Q: What was your most complicated dessert project – the longest it took you to prepare?
The most complicated is when we have our Big Brunches for 500-600 guests. It takes almost three weeks of production and research to make it something to amaze our guests. I like to “wow” them with our creations and displays.
Q: Have you ever had a request from a guest/client that you simply could not fulfill (exactly as requested)? How did you handle it?
The biggest issue I’ve had to deal with is the weather. Many clients will ask for something that might not be able to withstand the humidity in Florida. For example, they might ask for a wedding cake (for an outside wedding) and I have to explain and perhaps make part of the cake “fake” in order to hold up in the hot weather.
Q: What is your most unusual – exotic ingredient that you had to use / obtain?
In Singapore, I worked with some very unusual fruits. They were very exotic and I had never worked with these fruits before. I can’t recall the names, but I will never forget the experience.
Q: In relation to the Ritz-Carlton Barcelona where you worked previously, how did your pastry menu and ingredients requirements change when you arrived at the Sarasota property? Did you bring any of your former favorite recipes to the Sarasota Ritz-Carlton that have done well for you in the past?
The two continents do have differences. For example, the quality of butter is different. The percentage of fat in the cream is different. Barcelona had a big influence in my career. Working as the assistant pastry chef with Sylvain Guyez was fantastic. His taste and presentations were incredible. He is definitely one of my mentors!
Q: You have the benefit of an expanded team to work with you in your current position at the Ritz Carlton. What do you look for in your creative team members in accomplishing your duties.
I ask my creative team to accomplish their duties by creating items that will seduce the customer. The items MUST be flavorful, beautiful and “sexy”!
Q: When you prepare for the traditional “High Tea” service in the Ritz lobby, do you change the pastry makeup based on the seasons? Which pastry is your favorite to create?
For High Tea, I like to involve my team because they have GREAT ideas. They try recipes and they know more about some of the traditional tea items than I do. They came up with the idea of creating mini cupcakes and their idea for a key lime cupcake was a huge success.
Q: Do you have a favorite event for which you like to prepare: weddings, special events, high teas, competitions?
All the big brunches: Mother’s Day, Easter.
Q: How was the Gingerbread Masterpiece (photo above) – the replica of the John and Mable Ringling’s Ca d’Zan mansion – envisioned? Was this your idea and how long did it take for you and your pastry team to create? What became the most challenging part of handling such a large-scale edible work of art? How many people were involved in this project? How long did it take to orchestrate this particular item (from the beginning of the assignment to presentation date)?
This was the idea of Executive Chef Chris Southwick. I was lucky to have Mae Cavazos on my team who is incredibly talented. She was the creator of the architectural design as well as the attention to detail on the Gingerbread “Mansion”. Of course, the entire pastry team had to help out by keeping the operation of the hotel in mind, while assisting (where and when they could) with the creation of this masterpiece.
[A photograph of this incredible edible masterpiece is shown at the top of this article and is juxtaposed alongside photograph of the actual mansion located on The John and Mable Ringling Museum grounds.]
Q: You know, the gingerbread mansion project would be similar in scope and effort to one created at The White House during the holiday season by their own pastry department. Did this have any influence on your own preparations for the Cà d’Zan mansion project.
I once met the White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. While I didn’t specifically ask him about their holiday season, I was impressed with his experience and our conversation. I did think of that while we were creating our edible holiday decorations.
Q: As you, I am sure, recognize that your particular field of expertise is influential in providing a visually attractive dining experience, how has the afternoon High Tea – with its bountiful repertoire of delicacies presented on beautiful service – been received in terms of volume? The press has certainly covered this wonderful program with beautiful photography, especially when the Hotel opened its doors in November 2001. The price for the High Tea service at $25 may seem high to some, but then again this is a true Ritz Carlton tradition favored by so many. Has the price point been an issue lately, in relation to our current economy, or do you feel the coverage of service and the delicacies presented are price-worthy? How has your department handled this issue?
We feel that our tea has been price worthy.
Q: Has your kitchen been affected by budgetary constraints in the current economy and how have you made changes to accommodate?
We are always very aware of quality. We will not compromise the quality of our product and the presentation. While we didn’t fill the Assistant Pastry Chef position, we have a very strong team with the desire to excel and together we create beautiful works of art in pastry.
Q: Do you keep a written journal with photographs for each step of this creation for future reference
Yes.
Q: We recall the special birthday cake you created as a surprise for professional golfer Paula Creamer with a huge, golf-ball-shaped pink cake to celebrate her win. Additionally, you also created a replica of Paula made out of pink sugar for the cake topper. This must have been a fun project. Did you expect such great press coverage for the Ritz as a result of your part in this?
It was a surprising project and a fun one, too! We only had one day to create the cake and topper—but we knew immediately that it needed to be pink (her favorite color). We were delighted to do something so unusual and it was great to see her reaction! She loved it and immediately shared it with her fans on her Twitter page.
Q: Who were the biggest inspirations for your career?
My Grandmother; Sylvain Guyez, with whom I worked with at The Ritz-Carlton, Barcelona; and French Pastry Chef Pierre Hermes (I read about him in all the books).
Q: What do you enjoy most about being a pastry chef?
I love the creativity and I enjoy “tasting” my sweet creations each day!
Q: What was your great career success and biggest setback?
Success — My first appointment as Executive Pastry Chef (the promotion to The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota) Biggest setback – One year when creating the Gingerbread House I decided to use pastillage and it wasn’t working. At the last minute, I changed the process and the entire team helped me create a complete “Gingerbread Village” that turned out to be better than I had imagined! (Good came from the initial setback!)
Q: Do you like to teach pastry arts – who were you most influenced by when you were a student?
I love to teach! I was most influenced working in the pastry shop during my education instead of just by the influence of one individual. I was always very curious and in the pastry shop I was allowed to ask questions and find the answers. I was able to be very creative!
Q: How important is it to create and maintain relationships within the culinary profession? If it is, how do you do it?
It is very important to work well as a team with all the culinary departments. I maintain a positive attitude and instill that in my co-workers.
Q: Is it crucial to always network with chefs from around the world?
Yes! I keep in touch with others through Facebook, phone calls, etc. I keep up with trends by attending classes and by networking with other professionals.
Q: What are some of the tools of the trade for pastry chefs? Which ones do you use most?
There are many tools that I use. My favorites are the airbrush and the molds for sugar or chocolate showpieces.
Q: How much and what kind of work is done outside of the kitchen?
I research and study outside of the kitchen because I do not have time to do it while I am in the kitchen. Q: What are some trends that you see in the field that might help prospective students?
There is so much research and learning that can be done on the computer. Students should always be asking “Why? Why? Why?” and want to learn.
Q: What factors did you consider when choosing a school of culinary arts or culinary department?
I look for innovation, style, and reputation.
Q: What advice can you give to prospective students thinking about an education and career in the culinary arts?
Be passionate and committed to the field. And always ask “what can I do better?”
Q: Based on what you hear in the industry, which do you think are the most respected and prestigious pastry schools in the world that really can make a difference to students who graduate from these schools?
The French Pastry School in Chicago and The Culinary Institute of America. But I still believe an apprenticeship is the best way to learn. Schools cost so much money, but I believe that working and learning at the same time in an Apprenticeship is the best way.
Q: In your opinion, is there a major difference in the industry between graduating from a prestigious pastry school or graduating from a college with a pastry program? We recognize that pastry schools can provide a more intensive program than a college and, therefore, the students gain a more in-depth knowledge. Do you agree?
I’m not sure. I believe it all depends on the student and how they apply themselves to the program.
Q: As we all recognize, the Ritz Carlton is world-renowned for its special attention to serving its dining patrons with immaculate attention to detail, plate presentation, sophisticated recipes and, of course, impressive service. You are providing a memorable dining experience for the guests who are typically well traveled and knowledgeable about gourmet meals. How do you go about preparing the elegant pastries and desserts served at the hotel’s fine dining restaurant – The Vernona?
In our Vernona Restaurant we have found that the most popular desserts are the ones that are most recognized by the guests. We only serve the freshest ingredients which makes the most delicious desserts.
Q: Do you have seasonal favorites you try to create based on prior demand? What are they?
We do have seasonal favorites. For example, guests love pumpkin items during the fall and chocolates during Valentine’s Day and Easter. We created a “Chocolate Decadence” chocolate dessert buffet during Valentine’s Day. It’s a huge success!
Q: When you prepare for special events catered by the Ritz-Carlton, such as the recently completed 17th Annual Florida Winefest & Auction Gala Dinner and Dance (with a guest count of 500), how did you orchestrate and prepare for the event? What were the challenges you and your team had to prepare for in order to ensure your compositions would render up well to the occasion?
It’s all about timing. I have experimented with many desserts and have learned all the nuances to ensure that the desserts are appealing to the eye and the palate. A big banquet is always challenging but I’ve learned to make it successful through years of training.
Q: What type of pastry competitions have you entered and which one would be your most ambitious in terms of challenges?
I haven’t entered many competitions. It takes so much time but perhaps with my new challenges in Dubai, I’ll be able to compete.
_________________________________________________________________
In closing, I wish to thank Chef Marchand for allowing me his time and wonderful personalized responses to my inquiries. He is well regarded by his colleagues and his contributions and talent will most certainly lead him to an even greater future. Without a doubt, the transition to the Middle East where he will soon be headed to work at the Ritz-Carlton Dubai, can be nothing less than magical – and a fortuitous challenge. We wish him bon chance.
Senior Director of Culinary Operation
Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo, Florida
Located on the northern tip of the Florida Keys, just under an hour from the busy metropolis of Miami, the legendary Ocean Reef Club began in 1948 as a remote yet exclusive fishing camp. Over time, the club added amenities to suit the desired lifestyle of its members. Today the member-owned club includes a 144-room inn, private residences, two 18-hole golf courses, multiple tennis courts, gyms, a marina, a private airport, medical center, cultural center, library, art league, private school and, yes, some of the world’s best fishing and golf.
While food was a part of the Club’s history, it was not until 2000 and the arrival of Chef Philippe Reynaud that the focus shifted from food and its related services toward a much broader array of dining options.
A passion for food and assisting in his parent’s restaurant at age twelve influenced Ocean Reef Club’s Executive Director of Culinary Operations, Philippe Reynaud, to pursue a career as a professional Chef. Interested in all aspects of the culinary arts, Reynaud has seen his cuisine develop throughout the years, through extensive training in various French regions, California and Florida.
Chef Philippe is French-born and classically trained, following a formal three-year apprenticeship at France’s Casinos in Cannes, Deauville and Antibes. He graduated and became certified from the esteemed Culinary Academy of Nice in 1979 at the top of his class.
Chef Philippe then worked in several provinces of France under reputable chefs to learn their cooking styles, techniques and knowledge of regional cooking. In 1981, he began his professional life in the U.S. and served seven years as Executive Chef at the award-winning Westwood Marquis Hotel in Los Angeles.
He later opened and ran the kitchens of the renowned Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, and the luxurious Stein Ericksen Lodge in Deer Valley, Utah.
In 1991, Chef Philippe returned to Los Angeles and dedicated eight years to running the culinary operations of the exclusive Jonathan Club.
Since joining the Ocean Reef Club, Chef Philippe has been a member of Ocean Reef Club’s Senior Management Team. He is responsible for the culinary operations of 12 restaurants, conference banquets, member’s catering and special culinary events within the Club. Chef Philippe oversees every menu development, hosts many visiting celebrity chefs, oversees and mentors extern students from various top U.S. culinary schools, and manages over 120 culinary associates and chefs in season. Chef Philippe likes to create many original menus for special events and celebrations and thrives on being challenged. He prides himself with participation in local events and fundraisers for the community.
Chef Philippe is a member of the American Culinary Federation, The Euro-Toques, La Chaine des Rotisseurs and the James Beard Foundation. He, his wife Lisa, and their children reside in Key Largo, Florida.
THE FOLLOWING IS MY CONVERSATION WITH CHEF PHILIPPE
What was your educational background that led you to become a Chef?
PR: While growing-up in Cannes, France, my parents ran a seasonal restaurant on the beach from May to September for 17 years. I was fascinated by the kitchen’s organized chaos during lunch time. I knew that if I helped, I could perhaps get a little reward anything I wanted from the kitchen, and so I did it for many more summers! When the time came to choose a career path, my first choice was cooking because I liked cooking then – I still like it now. I always felt attracted to cooking and loved to be in the kitchen because it felt like I could do very well at it. With my parent’s blessing, I took on a three-year apprenticeship at the Casino of Cannes and Deauville, Normandy in the summer. My education was hands-on and continues to be to this day. In culinary, you never stop learning and everyday there is something new to learn. At times your comfort zone is challenged or put in question, so there are times you need time to adjust and continue to develop yourself.
Did you start out wanting to be a chef, or did you start in a different job which led you to your current field of expertise?
PR: At the age of 15 I started my career as a culinary apprentice, I really liked it then and I still do now. Since then, I never looked back. I have never filed for unemployment and always worked in kitchens, I guess it was meant to be.
Did you have a mentor who guided you, as an apprentice, to work in their kitchen, or did you pick up your skills while in school and perfected them later while on the job?
PR: Since I apprenticed in casinos composed of large culinary brigades, I was able to work along with many great chefs getting trained in many different areas of the kitchen spectrum. When I started my three-year apprenticeship, I went to school once per week to learn the academics and worked five days per week.
What type of continuing education are you required to take to maintain your professional licensure, if any?
PR: None is requested to maintain your chef status unless you are a certified Chef by the ACF. However, once you become the kitchen top chef, you should NEVER stop learning or think the you have “arrived”; young chefs have to learn how to manage a team, develop and mentor new cooks. They need to be proficient in financials and communicate well. Chefs should, as well, go out and dine in other restaurants, experience dinning, see the new trends, attend fundraising events and meet other chefs. When you are a chef, education never stops!
Here is my favorite question I like to ask other chefs: If you were to be invited to create a State Dinner, say for The White House (symbolic for the purposes of this interview only, as a remarkable place which serves as host to remarkable and influential people from around the world), what would your menu be?
PR: First and foremost I would need to find out who is coming and who the Guest of Honor will be, what they like, what is the budget for this dinner and, how many courses they would like to eat, and how much time they have for the dinner. Then, there are many other things that would come into play – for instance: (a) can this dinner be made out of all locally grown or outsourced foods? (b) Can this dinner have a theme like an all-truffle dinner, etc? I guess I would do a five-course meal, pairing it with different wines from the same region, using only fresh locally grown foods. It is really difficult to give you a specific meal until you narrow it down to a certain style or flavor for your patrons.
What types of character traits and skills do you feel make for an outstanding chef?
PR: Outstanding chefs, besides being great cooks in all aspects, must always be organized and have a plan. This plan (opening a restaurant, the launching of a new menu, training a new cook on a recipe, or even meeting a bride and groom for their wedding dinner) should always be well communicated. Chefs must have good communication and planning skills. To me, success comes with passion, research and persistence. Outstanding chefs have eyes for the “big picture” – they not only should have great business aptitude but also become great mentors and teachers in fostering new generations of chefs. Successful chefs never rest, they do a lot of research, and they are always thirsty for more knowledge and remain curious about the industry.
Your position working at the Ocean Reef Club, a members-owned Private Club, is pretty much a solid career path for you, especially when the Club has had such an extensive and prominent history serving its membership who hail from all over the world and has become a multi-generational home for so many. How does this job compare with your prior work experiences in terms of production, oversight of employees, and management of the various F&B operations?
PR: My last position was Executive Chef at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles where I spent 8 wonderful years with the current ORC President, Mr. Paul Astbury. We catered an average of 200+ special events per year and it all came from the same kitchen in one building. Here at Ocean Reef Club all the restaurants are independent from one another and located in different buildings, so we have many more chefs and menus to manage in this kind of setup. It takes a good deal of organization and planning to get it all done.
What was your most complicated special event project?
PR: The one at the Jonathan Club in creating a celebration to mark the Millennium. Here at Ocean Reef the New Year’s Eve event remains the highlight of our preparations.
When you and your team from Ocean Reef Club participated in the James Beard Foundation’s Hidden Chefs Series dinner last spring, how did you arrive at your menu selection for “Taste of the Tropics? How was your team selected for this recognition event?
PR: We picked the Caribbean because we are in the tropics and one of our ORC chef team members, Chef Nelson Milan (a native from Puerto Rico) is very talented with Caribbean cuisine. We, of course, picked the team based on each chef’s talent and deciding who would benefit from such exposure and deserved to go. Then, once the team was identified, we sat down to review the menu, created some samples we were all happy with, and planned the trip. Manda Hudak, our Food and Beverage Director and CIA culinary graduate, came along for that dinner as well as Mr. Paul Astbury, ORC President.
Have you ever had a request from a guest/client that you simply could not fulfill (exactly as requested)? How did you handle it?
PR: Special requests happen – for example, some can be a special diet, duplicating an heirloom recipe or another restaurant dish, some are on getting specific ingredients like White Truffles from Alba, Italy, or getting fresh Nantucket Bay Scallops (which is difficult to get). When we were not able to honor a specific request, we have tried to come very close to preparing the real thing. The customer has always walked away happy with the results knowing that we tried our best to honor their request.
What is your most unusual – exotic ingredient that you had to use / obtain?
PR: Swiftlet Birds nest; I had to make birds nest soup.
Did you bring any of your former favorite recipes to Ocean Reef which have received great response from the dining patrons and membership? What are they?
PR: Yes, recipes and techniques do follow me. The Club members like Southern French food at times, so I do my favorite Bouillabaisse recipe for them. I have many simple recipes like Fresh Tomato Gazpacho, and Soufflé Potatoes, which always impresses everyone. I like to work with game meats, lamb, and at times have created some pretty nice Truffle Lamb Saddles. Many of my recipes have evolved at Ocean Reef Club to suit the members’ palates. There is no single item that I can say has remained original to the moment it was created, except for very precise recipes used in baking, most all recipes evolve with every chef.
I am assuming you have the benefit of an expanded team to work with you in your current position at Ocean Reef. What do you look for in your culinary team members in accomplishing your duties overall.
PR: In a Chef, I look for those chefs that have passion for their craft and, of course, some experience managing multiple cooks in busy and successful businesses. Once you have picked the Chefs for your team, leading them to succeed can only be done by being transparent about your goals and expectations. You need a good amount of trust and teamwork from one another. Every ORC chef is different – they all have their weaknesses and strengths, and managing them has to be progressive and consistent with your goals.
When you prepare for the “high season”, what sort of activities do you schedule to get your kitchen and staff ready? I would imagine you have an action plan set for your vendor deliveries. What is the most complicated planning activity you have to deal with during this time?
PR: We first identify reopening dates or new meal periods for the various restaurants at the club. We then send our seasonal culinary staff their job offers with the time of arrival to match their training/reopening dates. We review last season’s Member & Guest feedback and formulate an improvement plan. Then we review all training standards and adjust them to match the improvement plan. This improvement plan includes full menu review for each restaurant, steps of service, equipment review and uniforms. Food outsourcing and cuttings take place late summer when we finalize all menus, write up the menu descriptions, produce new daily specials for our restaurants, train cooks and servers and perform the new menu launch. Many more activities take place during the off season as well. We visit our local farmers and decide on what they will be planting or producing for us. We visit other restaurants as well to see what is out there to keep our fingers on the pulse.
Do you have a favorite event for which you like to prepare: weddings, special events, outdoor catering events for corporate get-togethers, competitions?
PR: I like all unusual and challenging events – we get to create new things or refine old recipes. Events which incorporate action (cooking) stations are very popular at the Club.
As you, I am sure, recognize that your particular field of expertise is influential in providing a visually attractive dining experience, what can be the most challenging of your activities? How do you provide training for staff who need to attend to a higher level of service, respecting the expectations club members have for a private club?
PR: One of the most challenging “activities” in my position is to fully trust someone else to do the cooking. I am heavily involved in menu development; however, being Ocean Reef Club’s Director of Culinary, I focus on the big picture and try not to get bogged down in cooking everything myself. The challenge is how will the idea or recipe be passed on to other chefs, how well will it be reproduced? Very clear directions must be given to those responsible for the final product. The better you are at communicating your requests, the better you are at succeeding. I often get called to taste the food dishes we have talked about; we adjust them and finalize the product.
Has your kitchen been affected by budgetary constraints in the current economy and how have you made changes to accommodate?
PR: Yes, we have been affected by the recession. A reduction in group conference business made us scale down some of our kitchen operations, but we also stepped up F&B amenities. Our operating costs are being very well managed; we are very efficient in delivering a top product, while keeping expenses down. Watching operating utilities and maintaining a good recycling program helps as well. I must say that Chef Damian Gilchrist, Ocean Reef Club Executive Chef, has done a superb job assuming the responsibilities of our conferences banquets, our members’ catering functions and special events in the absence of a Banquet Chef and Pastry Chefs.
Do you keep a written journal with photographs for each step of your special recipes and one-of-a-kind creation for future reference?
PR: Yes, we do. I take many pictures of our special events, menus dishes and other special occasion foods we produce. We take many pictures of the many wedding cakes we create and use them to inspire the brides-to-be. Our recipes are kept electronically and in a recipe software. Every ORC restaurant here at Ocean Reef Club keeps an updated cookbook of their own menus.
Who were the biggest inspirations for your career?
PR: My Chef Saucier when I was an apprentice at the Casino of Cannes, France. He was an incredibly detail-oriented man, very steady in his daily work and recipe production. He may have been strong-minded in his conversations with us all; however, his craftsmanship skills were some of the best I have seen. I was glad to have experienced my apprenticeship with him as I learned a lot from him.
What do you enjoy most about your position as Senior Director of Culinary Operation?
PR: The variety of things I am involved with; our culinary spectrum here is very large. I love to organize, plan things and look at the end result. I love to see our Seasonal Culinary students grow and become confident in their craft. I love to put teams together, observe how they work together and coach them along.
What was your greatest career success and biggest setback?
PR: I have many career successes which I am very proud of as well as some setbacks. One of the most memorable, is actually a combination of a momentary (technical) setback and a success in the end. This took place when I was preparing to cater a five-course gourmet dinner for 300 guests with dining on the rooftop of the old Macy’s building in Los Angeles. This dinner was prepared for the Jonathan Club members following a private viewing of the Van Gogh paintings collection which had been flown in from the Netherlands museum. We had only electric-residential stoves to work with which were set up on the roof level. The electrical power went off while the Veal Racks were roasting and… dinner was “slightly delayed” – we were expecting complete controlled kitchen chaos when we finally had the electricity restored 20 minutes later. At the end, our event became a complete success.
How important is it to create and maintain relationships within the culinary profession? If it is, how do you do it?
PR: If I “click” with a fellow Chef or anyone in the industry, I try to stay in touch and maintain a good relationship with them. It is very important to stay in touch with those you respect and lookup to. You should at least send a Christmas or birthday card every year or look them up in Facebook to stay in touch. There are ways you can stay in touch, make the effort to call and call again if you don’t get through the first time. Take the time to visit them if they can’t visit you. Many opportunities I had in my career were because of a fellow chef friend, a past boss, or someone whom I had a mutual respect for.
In your opinion, is it crucial to always network with chefs from around the world?
PR: Networking with other chefs is part of developing yourself; you get inspired or get ideas that may influence your product. I have a friend who lives in Ireland and I always like to call him to ask about some Irish recipes for St Patrick’s Day. He calls me for Bastille Day. Networking is also a good way to stay in touch.
How much and what kind of work is done outside of the kitchen?
PR: I do plenty of work outside “the gate”. Every year I go on recruiting trips to interview culinary students. We hire an average of 10 students every year and they do their externship with us for our 7-month winter season. I travel as well to food trade shows to see what is new in the industry, taste new foods, and check out new equipment. Before the planting season, I visit the local farmers and develop a plan to get fresh produce, cheese, fish, etc. At times I take a group of chefs with me from ORC and we visit hotels and restaurants to see what they are doing. In many ways we are inspired by these trips, so this is very helpful to us. Work outside of the kitchen is important, you need to get out and see what is out there, and it gives an opportunity for others to see you as well. ORC Executive Chef Damian Gilchrist and Clubhouse Chef de Cuisine Dominic Gorton did a Research and Development trip to Bangkok for 4 weeks. They went there to study and learn Thai / Asian foods. This season we are infusing our menus with new Asian dishes.
What are some trends that you see in the field that might help prospective students?
PR: Local farming, and farmers’ markets are trends that have taken chefs and students out of their kitchen to field trips. Many young students get to understand how vegetables are grown, how cheeses are made. They learn how weather can influence food quality and prices. These days restaurant customers want to know where their fish, meat, and produce come from. You need to know this kind of information to pass along to your fellow chefs as well as the guests who have an interest in learning where their foods come from. Also, student education is key to their success; we used to say that practice makes a perfect chef, but a chef is not perfect until he/she has perfect ingredients knowledge.
What factors did you consider when choosing a school of culinary arts or culinary department?
PR: The single factor which influenced my decision to be an apprentice at the Casino of Cannes, France, was the large variety of cooking and quality chefs working in that kitchen. Imagine the art of cookery as a tree trunk – every branch of that tree is a profession related to cooking. At the start of your culinary career, your knowledge should be rooted in basic cookery skills: with practice comes confidence, creativity and slowly the branches of the tree start to grow. Now imagine developing your skills “branch” as a food stylist for magazines, or becoming a chef teacher, or working as a nutritionist, or cooking at the White House. Whatever you decide you are going to be, students must have a good knowledge and understanding about how food is handled, prepared, displayed and where it comes from.
What advice can you give to prospective students thinking about an education and career in the culinary arts?
PR: Going to culinary school can be expensive. Before signing up for culinary school, spend a day or two in a busy kitchen if you can and see if this is really what you want to do. Go to a culinary school and speak to a few students to get some feedback. Ask to speak to a chef. At times I get calls from prospective students asking me how hard it is to be in this profession. I always say, very hard if you want to be successful at it.
Based on what you hear in the industry, what do you think are the most respected and prestigious culinary schools in the world that really make a difference to students who graduate from these schools?
PR: Many successful chefs have graduated from the CIA. Other star chefs have no culinary school background but have been mentored by a great chef. It all depends about the passion you have for the craft and how great you want to become. To me the best school is practice, cooking your heart out, being thirsty for knowledge, being curious, asking questions, knowing where the great chefs work, seeking them out and trying to work under them.
Has your purchasing of oysters and other seafood been affected by the recent Gulf oil spill? If so, where have you been selecting your seafood and shellfish?
PR: Yes, our oysters purchasing has been affected this summer. We have relied on East and West Coast oysters for a while, however, oysters are only a fraction of the total seafood we purchase. We get a lot of locally caught seafood down here in the beautiful Florida Keys. We are surrounded by pristine waters and have many options from which to choose.
Do you have seasonal favorites you try to create based on prior demand? What are they?
PR: Yes, our members love the local field & Heirloom Tomatoes grown in the Redlands, about 18 miles away. Near Thanksgiving our local farmers start harvesting their first tomatoes, beans, bell peppers, etc. The local Stone Crab season just started this past October 15th and will end May 15th. The Club is several miles from the deep Gulf Stream where swordfish, tuna and other delicious fishes travel. We are lucky to be on the only North American Coral Reef Barrier and we get many varieties of snapper, spiny lobster, and grouper. We cook a lot of yellowtail snapper, tuna and mahi mahi – all locally caught and very fresh. Our members love fish simply prepared and seared with a light sauce or salsa. I am very lucky to be working as a chef at Ocean Reef Club where we embrace traditions, care for our food and celebrate the seasons like no other place.
______________________________________________________________
I wish to thank Chef Philippe Reynaud for his time on this interview, especially as the busy winter season is about to commence. His insightful responses have given us an educated point of view into the world of culinary management and cooking skills, in particular how he was positively influenced at such a young age to love working in the kitchen. He followed his training and persevered to gain his current command within his profession. When you learn of the involvement by so many culinary team members taking place behind the scenes of a successful kitchen, then you can identify this orchestration as excellence in management. Chef Reynaud has channeled the student-teacher effort where everyone benefits with on-the-job training. As he elicits so eloquently: “Success comes with passion, research and persistence. Outstanding chefs have eyes for the “big picture” – they not only should have great business aptitude but also become great mentors and teachers in fostering new generations of chefs.”
Hypothetically speaking, you learn that your former chef has borrowed your well-recognized restaurant concept and opened his own eatery within proximity to yours. Suddenly, you find that your unique concept of a “pudding-only” menu is now being duplicated in northern California. A bit far-fetched, yes, but stranger things have happened. Read More
Do you have a gold mine in your F&B operations? You might if you were to avail yourself of all the collective information compiled from your frequent guests’ preferences, including catered events. Read More
You’ve set up your F&B budget for the year based on expected inflows and outflows for operating your dining establishment at the hotel in a profitable mode. However, you relied on economic trends from previous years (lean and getting leaner) and forgot to include one of your most important expenses – marketing your operation. Read More
LUXURY HOSPITALITY CONSULTANTS 