Day nine. I get that that’s a sentence fragment, and I
should consider revising, but I’m a rebel, and I think it gets the point
across. This is my ninth day of work in a 13-day stretch. Yesterday was by far
my most productive day since I started working at Levy almost five months ago.
Here’s what I did: I started the day by making strawberry syrup which is a painstaking
process to say the least. It took about an hour to make two gallons of the
base, which I will reduce by about half when I get to work today. It’s going to
accompany the strawberry cobbler which I also started assembling yesterday.
Next, I chopped a case of red cabbage which will be braised
today in some sort of beefy-briny liquid of my choosing, most likely to include
some red wine. I set that aside in a giant plastic container, and that’s what I
will start with today.
Next, the most daunting task of the day, I had to French-cut
eight standing rib-roasts. This means that I carve all of the meat from between
the bones of what you people might call a prime-rib, and shave all of the
excess skin and fat off of those same bones until they are somewhat bare. Those
went in the oven and were slow-cooked all night and will probably be in their
ready state by the time I arrive today.
I was then asked to go upstairs to the Jack Daniels
restaurant where there was a party of 160 people waiting for a buffet setup.
Myself and three other guys went to work assembling three hundred sliders—three
different varieties—and brought out all other necessary components of a buffet
including starch, vegetables, and dessert.
An hour-and-a-half of that, and I departed early to get back
downstairs to help one of the chef’s dip 280 long-stemmed strawberries in
chocolate ganache. You have no idea how heavy those things get after an hour.
That part killed my back. But we finished the project, and we were done for the
day.
I looked around. We were the only ones left in the kitchen,
aside from the night porters who had just arrived. I felt a sense of
accomplishment just over ten-hours into the prep, but I knew there was a lot
more to do on Valentine’s Day.
Myself and six other people are essentially doing all of the
prep for what will likely be 400 guests reserved, at roughly $16,000. So, it’s
kind of a lot to do, and there isn’t much room for error.
Today, I will be in my restaurant, The Reserve, serving the
rib roast and other sides we’ve prepared on a smaller scale. My restaurant has
about 75 of those reservations, and I will be there alone, slicing meat,
refilling potatoes and sauces, and finally serving the strawberry cobbler. I
will be worn down, but days like these keep me going.
On a side note, I also enjoy letting other people cook for
me, and my beautiful Heather and I went to Hell’s Kitchen for our V-Day feast
on Sunday night and were not let down. She had the glazed salmon, and I had the
braised BBQ bison short-ribs. Both were fantastic.
My favorite part about going out anywhere these days,
though, is being accompanied by my favorite gal. She adds a new light to my
life, and I try to spend as much time as I can with her, even during these
dog-days where work just doesn’t let up. Sometimes we can only see each other for
a couple hours, but it’s important to do just that to strengthen this bond we
are creating. Each day, one way or another, we are connecting on a level I’ve
never experienced. As my dear grandmother said in a V-Day card I received
yesterday, I’ve found a keeper.
