the chocolate room at gramercy...

I was talking to Eric, one of the sous chefs this morning. We got into discussing work and all--he apparently is used to working seventy something hour a week, and only gets four hours of sleep, and by the way is only twenty years old and is a sous chef. He mentioned he was cooking in New York and so I asked his what that was like...

I imagine it's all postage-stamp-sized kitchens, dim fluorescent lighting, giant subway rat in the dry storage...basically, like Boston onyl tinier, dirtier, and darker. Though probably better paid. It was great, Eric said.

Then he told me about working at Gramercy Tavern. I've never eaten there but it's only two blocks away from the Barnes and Nobles I worked at in the city...so I feel a certain claim to it.

The kitchen, Eric said, is about twice the size of the Sonsie dining room. And there's this giant wood-burning stove that takes six chefs to work. And they crank out 200 covers for lunch.

But here's what got me: they've got a room the size of my bedroom for tempering chocolate! I wanted to get all technical with him...marble slab or seeding method? Or do they have a tempering machine? A room the size of my bedroom. Just for tempering chocolate. I've got to see this. I've got to eat there. I don't want to be one of those hoity toity restaurant chefs but a chocolate room is just so decandent! Maybe I can call them up, finagle a reservation, beg to see the kitchen...hah right.

But between Jacques Torres and this, and my millions of New York friends, there's got to be an NYC trip planned one of these days. If I ever have another free weekend.