lessons in service

I had the sweet luxury and privilege of enjoying the "kitchen table menu" at Charlie Trotter's this past weekend in Chicago. The six of us were seated right in the kitchen, within arm's length of the chef de cuisine; watching him orchestrate chefs, hosts, wait staff and expediters was something to behold. It wasn't anything like the chaos that I'd read about in Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, but instead ordered, professional and focused: focused on quality, presentation, timeliness and an appearance of effortlessness. It was the epitome of what's required for flawless back-room execution of the experience economy. And the food was great, too...

Tempura of Dungeness Crab with Daikon & Hearts of Palm. Nantucket Bay Scallop with Hijiki & Green Tea Noodles. Buttermilk Poached Poussin Breast with Golden & Striped Beets. Watermelon Radish Ravioli with Raw Cashew "Cheese." Warm Souffle of Red Hubbard Squash with Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette. Tai with Fennel, Battera Kombu & Bras D'Or Oysters. Fingerling Potato Soup with Alba White Truffles. Hawaiian Moi with Leeks & Elephant Garlic Emulsion. Quail Breast with Cabbage & Kohlrabi Whole Roasted Squab with Boudin & Red Endive. Triple Seared Kobe Strip Loin with Minnesota Wild Rice & Pearl Onions. Velvet Rose with Juniper Figs & Roasted Walnuts. Golden Russet,Spartan & Cortland Apple Sorbets with Sarsparilla Soup. Almond Financier with Huckleberries & Mascarpone Ice Cream. Parfait of Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta, Sauternes Jelly & Spicy Pear Chocolate-Coffee Tuile with Espresso Sauce. Mignardises.

I'm usually suspicious of celebrity chef enterprises (Trotter's latest book Raw, was published on Tuesday by Berkeley's Ten Speed Press), but the experience we had on Saturday night is making Lessons in Service from Charlie Trotter a tempting purchase...

Comments

[dick]

Lunt and I have eaten at that table as well and agree completely. The one thing you're leaving out is how well 14 chefs work together to create such menus in that very tiny kitchen; a logistics miracle.

[jkottke]

Wow, that sounds like a fantastic spot to dine. When Meg, Matt, Kay, and I went to the French Laundry, our waiter suggested that we take advantage of a pause in our meal to go stand in the garden and peer through the screened windows into the kitchen. We were stunned by how quiet it was. I would guess there were about 20 people in the kitchen along with a steady stream of servers zipping in & out and you could have literally heard a pin drop.