When Chef Marc approached to me to help him with the new GP fall menu, quite a few thoughts started running through my mind; among other things, there was excitement, then apprehension, and then excitement once again.
I started in this position only a few months ago, just in time to taste the spring/summer menu, and there were all the usual suspects; asparagus and peas, watermelon and tomatoes, corn and beans. The flavors reminded me of a new beginning, when the cold ground of winter warms, and beautiful crops start to break through to the light of the beaming sun. Yet, the menu had a decidedly modern flair, only then did I realize that Chef Marc and his team had been dabbling in the world of molecular gastronomy; foams and froths were prevalent, “caviars”, “glasses” and “mists” appeared like familiar friends with brand new looks, ready to hit the stage and show the world what they could do. The menu was good, really good, it made me excited to finally be a part of it all, to be exposed to different techniques and to grow and learn with a talented, creative group of people.
As the months progressed and we were deep into the busy spring season, the call came out to start thinking about next season’s menu. Honestly, this was a bit overwhelming, not only was I just trying to learn the ropes of a large organization that has been around since longer than I’ve been alive, but it was spring, and I had morels on the brain. Here is where the apprehension settled in, and if it weren’t for the clear direction of Chef Marc, I would have been lost. He decided the new menu should be simple, refined, and classic; elegant enough to satisfy an upscale dinner for 10 people, yet practical enough to serve for a thouasnd. This may sound like a ridiculous endeavor, but once we started working on it, the wheels started turning and our notepads were soon full. There were individual brainstorming sessions, there were group sessions, there was research, both in books and at restaurants, and let me say, I like the latter far better. We had hits, misses, and periods of complete chef’s block, but in the end, it all came together just as we had planned.
It was a tremendous feeling to know that I had played a part in creating something that in the coming months, literally thousands of people would be enjoying. It felt less like a job to me than anything I had ever done in the past, it was an expression of creativity, coupled with practicality and a strong sense of personal accomplishment. When it was all said and done, when the recipes had been tested, the plating had been perfected and the GP family had the chance to taste it all, it was hard to control the excitement, not only for what we had just done, but for the anticipation to do it all over again.