Exclusive Interview with Chef Alfred Portale of NYC's Gotham Bar and Grill
From:
ferss fer
141 days 14 hours 46 minutes ago
The secret to Alfred Portale’s success? Mastery of the classic French technique, seasonal fare, and surgeonlike precision. (To ensure his high standards of consistency are met, he measures ingredients down to the millimeter.) His efforts have not gone unnoticed—the James Beard Foundation named Portale, who’s helmed New York’s
Gotham Bar and Grill for more than 20 years, Outstanding Chef of the Year in 2006. The New York Times has awarded three stars to Gotham an impressive four times, and this year the Culinary Institute of America, Portale’s alma mater, will bestow on him its prestigious Augie award, which recognizes achievement and success in the restaurant industry. Read on to discover the items that make Portale’s list of winners. —Amy Gurvitz
Gotham Bar and GrillWhat's always in your refrigerator? Orange marmalade.
House bubbly? Krug NV.
Favorite cocktail?Pom Royale:
1/4 oz. pomegranate molasses
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
5 oz. champagne
orange peel garnish
Combine the ingredients above in a champagne flute and serve.
Favorite olive oil?
Laudemio.
Favorite fast-food joint, if any? ‘Wichcraft in Manhattan’s Bryant Park.
Your guiltiest food pleasure? Oscetra caviar.
Favorite new kitchen toy? Global diamond knife-sharpening steel.
What do you tend to serve last-minute guests? Cured meats and olives—charcuterie.
Is there anything that ensures a guest won’t be invited to your next party? If they put ice cubes in their Chassagne Montrachet.
What traits do you look for in a dining companion? Passion. Intelligence. Beauty. Or better, all three.
Most embarrassing cooking/entertaining moment? I once popped a champagne cork while entertaining the Chinese ambassador to New York and broke a glass.
