1 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: Thing from My Heart Radio. French chef Eric Repair is 3 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: the culinary virtuoso behind one of New York City's flagship 4 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: fine dining establishments, the Temple of Seafood. Le Bernardin. Repair 5 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: has kept the restaurant at its peak for three decades, 6 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: consistently earning three Michelin stars in addition to the accolades 7 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: he's earned for La Bernardin. Repair himself has been honored 8 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: as Top Chef in New York City and Outstanding Chef 9 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: in the US by the James Beard Foundation. He is 10 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: also the author of numerous cookbooks and a New York 11 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: Times best selling memoir, and he hosted the Emmy winning 12 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: TV series Avec Eric. All of this on top of 13 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: his charitable work feeding the hungry with City Harvest. Born 14 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,839 Speaker 1: in the South of France, Chef Repair has a long 15 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,839 Speaker 1: and storied history with food. I wanted to know when 16 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: he first fell in love with gastronomy. Actually it's linked 17 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: to eating because as a young kid, I was always 18 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: in the kitchen of my grandmothers, always in the kitchen 19 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: of my mother and my I had the Italian grandmother 20 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: one from province. They were cooking salt food and I 21 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: love the vibe in the kitchen and the smell and 22 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: the ingredients everywhere, the colors. I was going to the 23 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: markets with them. They didn't want me to cook. That 24 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: was allowed only to look and eat, and it's what 25 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: I was doing. And I wanted to become a chef 26 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: because I thought I would be in that environment. Those 27 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: kitchens were very dreamy, and it was in the south 28 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: of France, where you know, everything smells good. Old arms 29 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: are strong, and you smell the melons and the basil 30 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: and every think as as this fantastic smell and look. 31 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: And I was four or five. I was obsessed with cooking. 32 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: So when I was in school, instead of doing my 33 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: homework at night, I was looking at cookbooks. So as 34 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: you can imagine, I had bad grades. And then when 35 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: I was you should be ashamed of yourself here right then, 36 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: I was fifteen, and they called me at the principal 37 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: office and they said, that's it's for you. You can't 38 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: we have to find what they call a vocational school. Sure, 39 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: and I was like, same here, I want to be 40 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: a chef, that's it. And I went to culinary school, 41 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: thinking that I would be in those dreamy kitchens and 42 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: and so on. And then I started to learn the craft, 43 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: and on the beginning is a bit boring because it's 44 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: very academic, so I was not necessarily too excited. What 45 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: was the school? What was the first when you went 46 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: to Perpinion, which is in the south of France at 47 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: the border of with Spain almost And then when I 48 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: started in latour d round nineteen two and I'm seventeen 49 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 1: years old, that's a real, real kitchen with like thirty 50 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: fourty guys cooking, and and I'm like amazed and terrorized, 51 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: and I make all the mistakes in the world, but 52 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: I love it. And it's maybe that the moment. Maybe 53 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: you're right, it was not when I was a kid. 54 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: It was jin Paris nineteen When you're actually doing it, 55 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: not studying it, I'm really into it, like like with 56 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: my entire body and soul, and I'm giving everything. But 57 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: when you see the Julia Child documentary that I loved, 58 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: when she talks about her training and France, no women, No, 59 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: it was no woman at the time, And for you, 60 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: the same thing, yes, because the kids, First of all, 61 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: it was not a job that that was attractive, like 62 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: you were going in the kitchen because you were a 63 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: bad student, or you were dysfunctional, you had problems, and 64 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: your parents were like all the men in the kitchen 65 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: with thos, go to the kitchen. At least you would 66 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: have food. And and there was also very uh how 67 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: can I say physical, like we had we didn't have 68 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: the technology that we have in kitchens today. So it 69 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: was very hot and the pants were like super heavy, 70 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: and actually I burned myself. I burned my entire leg 71 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: with like fifty gallons of lobster bisk or something. I 72 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: mean like it was it was like so heavy I 73 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,160 Speaker 1: couldn't even lift it. So it was not an environment 74 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: that women were really attracted. Then the media made the 75 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: idea of cooking in professional kitchens kind of romantic, glamorous, 76 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: but even today it's not that romantic and glamorous. It's 77 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: really like it's tough now if it's it's all men 78 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: back then, and you were two doors. When you're a 79 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,559 Speaker 1: young man, you're seventeen and you've only been in cooking 80 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: school for a couple of years, how did they treat you? 81 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,479 Speaker 1: Where they were they mentors and they helped you or 82 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: did they was like the military, and they were all 83 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: sharing at you all the time. No, it was really 84 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: very much like the military, except that the military sometimes 85 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: I never understood the logic of what we were supposed 86 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: to do because it was mandatory to be a military 87 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:05,919 Speaker 1: in fruence for one year. But in the kitchen it 88 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: was the same, except that it was a logic. But 89 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 1: they were screaming at you, and the way they were 90 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: educating you was through humil humiliation, so you were going there, 91 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: they were breaking you and then the idea was to 92 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: rebuild you and make you a champion. Of course, in 93 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: the process we were losing so many good people because 94 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: it's not the right way to do it. But it 95 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: was being kicked in the bud, being punching the shoulders, 96 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: being insulted all day long, and so only with through 97 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 1: a process. Yeah. But the other difference between and the 98 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: military was at the end of the day, with the 99 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: morn works was over, you had a nice Sam and 100 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:45,119 Speaker 1: Moose at the restaurant, not in the military, know, Sam 101 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 1: and Moose at the military. Not really How long we 102 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: went to jan two years? Two years? And where did 103 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: you go from there? I went to a restaurant called Jaman. 104 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,919 Speaker 1: The chef was Royal Roberchan. He was considered at the 105 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: time the best chef in the world with another chef 106 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 1: in Switzerland. Fredit are they They were like no competition 107 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 1: with those two guys, like very different styles. But Roby 108 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 1: Shan was like wow, And for me it was a 109 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: revelation when I when I met him, I was like, 110 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: oh my god, Okay, now we're talking. And so two 111 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: years you're only now nineteen years old. Yeah. So when 112 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: you go to the kitchen with Robert Shan, what what 113 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,039 Speaker 1: do you have that he wants? Why does he want 114 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: you in that kitchen? He wants young people because we 115 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: are more flexible, we don't have badabits. I had been 116 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: training lad around the classic way, so I know my basics. 117 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: I described that. So the basic the Blue Noon Blue 118 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: is more like how can I say? It's a cotton 119 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,599 Speaker 1: place of school for people who are going to cook 120 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: at home. It's not a school that prepares you to 121 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: be in a professional kitchen like where I'm I am evolving. 122 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: If we can make an analogy, I'm going to formula 123 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: one and the other one is for you know, on 124 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: Sunday driving your caspas something. So so it's it's no comparison. 125 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: But Robbie Shawn wanted to have someone who knew the 126 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: basics because without the basics, you cannot really build and 127 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: evolve with more the precision that he wanted and for 128 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: him was very important to have a young kid that 129 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: was referred from my old chef to him. So he 130 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 1: said probably the chef said, okay, so repair his discipline. 131 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: He's not gonna answer. He's gonna work hard. He's going 132 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: he master this and that he wants it, and he 133 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: wants it. He wants to be there, which is always critical, 134 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: Which is always critical, of course. I mean I always 135 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 1: think about what is the space that I go into 136 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: in my profession that calms me and makes me feel 137 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: very centered. You can do a play and you can 138 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: be very still, and you wonder what their response and 139 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: after a very still response during the performance, they erupted 140 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: into applause. They're sobbing, and they're you know, it's very strange. 141 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: But for you, is that what this world became was 142 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: a place where things made sense to you. You found 143 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: out how it was home. Yes, when I entered the kitchen, 144 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: I was very familiar, even if it was very extreme. 145 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: The conditions of work, you know, like working sixteen to 146 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: eighteen hours a day, I think thirty thirty minutes break 147 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 1: and a little bit to it. I mean we were 148 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 1: all skinny like that and white like ghosts. But we 149 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: had the passion and we knew we were doing something 150 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 1: very special. I love the rigor at the time that 151 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: in that kitchen, that the discipline and the rigger and 152 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: the beautiful place, the challenge of course all the time 153 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 1: we were challenged, and the beautiful plates that we were 154 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: doing and sending, and and then we had the feedback 155 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: actually from the clients right away. I mean clients were 156 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: saying it's good, or clients sometimes we're living a little 157 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 1: bit of food in the plate and were terrorized because 158 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:05,439 Speaker 1: the chef will go crazy, like if someone was living 159 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,680 Speaker 1: in it was famous for looking at every plate coming back. 160 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 1: He wanted to date everything. Yeah, and if someone was 161 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: leaving something, it was a disaster. That's interesting. Yeah, it 162 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: was interesting, I'll say. But anyway, in those kitchens, it's 163 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 1: control chaos. It looks like it's chaotic, But the more 164 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: control chaos is happening, and the more pressure you have 165 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: when you know what you're doing, you have this kind 166 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: of revelation and you kind of like do things and 167 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: in a very heroic way. And it was. It was 168 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: like that, and it's still to day for me. When 169 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: I entered the kitchen and it's like lunchtime, it's one o'clock. 170 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:46,199 Speaker 1: You have to feed every everyone in the dining room 171 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:49,679 Speaker 1: good food, obviously, but in a timely manner, in a 172 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: clean plate and making sure that the food goes to 173 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 1: the person that has ordered that plate and so on. 174 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: It's an entire process, right, and I get sucked in 175 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: to the process. I love it. There was a restaurant 176 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: I worked in. It was called Enophelia. It was on 177 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 1: the Upper West Side and it was a real frontier 178 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: because there was almost nothing up there in the upper 179 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: eighties and nineties, back in this is back in the eighties, 180 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: and then the streets up there, way up in the 181 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: nineties on off of Broadway and Amsterdam and Columbus, there 182 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: was very little that was good in This guy opened 183 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:23,960 Speaker 1: a place where the wine list was what was featured. 184 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,959 Speaker 1: The food was very good. It was very small, and 185 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 1: we would come to work at three thirty or four 186 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: o'clock have the shift meal. They'd make us all a 187 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: meal to eat and then when the when the shift 188 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: was over, I was a service bartender. I made all 189 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: the cocktails for the table. There was no bar. When 190 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: we were done, we would sit down and the owner 191 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:43,680 Speaker 1: was lovely man, and he'd say he and the manager 192 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: knew what the stock was to choose. You could choose 193 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 1: a really nice bottle of wine. No, not the most 194 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: expensive bottle, but you could have a forty bottle of 195 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: wine back then or fifty. Oh yeah, he was very nice. 196 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: The owner was a lovely guy, and he was never there, 197 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: and he'd say to the manager yes, and the manager 198 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 1: would open the bottle of wine. He'd pour us all 199 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: a drink. And then they would dump all the money 200 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 1: on the table that we made the money to divide 201 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: between the waiters, bus boys and the service partender. And 202 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: then they would roll a joint. They drove the biggest 203 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 1: joint they could, the size of a flashlight. And then 204 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: they would smoke pot, drink wine and count the money. 205 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: And I remember it was like the greatest experience. Yeah, 206 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: you don't do that, Aberna. In No, we don't up 207 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: the coins. But in France also it's it's again like 208 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: the military. You don't drink alcohol you don't smoke joints, 209 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: you don't work, you just yeah, you have this incredible 210 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 1: level of discipline and and that's it. Now when you left, 211 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: Robi Shan, how many more restaurants in Europe did you work? 212 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: And what year did you come to the United States? So, 213 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 1: Robbie Shan, I do one year. Then it's so hard. 214 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: I have to do my military duties. So I go 215 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: see him and I said, I have to leave. Unfortunately 216 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: it's mandatory, and he says, don't worry about it. I'm 217 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 1: going to send you to the Eliza. You'll cook for 218 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: me around president of friends at the time, I have 219 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: the connections, don't worry and you did no, I want 220 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 1: to get out of there. And I'm like, I need 221 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 1: to get out of there and said, no, no, no, 222 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 1: I thank you so much. I have I have already 223 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 1: my connections. Thank you appreciate. And I'm thinking I'll never 224 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 1: see this man again in my life. I'll move on 225 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: somewhere else, learn something else. On my last day of 226 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: my military dude is he called me and said to me, 227 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: I heard that is your last day. Do you want 228 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: to come back and you're going to be the chef 229 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: person you extracting, Yeah, he knew about I don't know 230 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: how we knew, but you know. And I said, you know, 231 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: sir chef, I need to think about it. I had 232 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: a girl friend and so on. I said I need 233 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 1: and he says, oh, for sure, think about it. You 234 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 1: have thirty seconds. And I was like what as I 235 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: said yes, and I went back to Paris and I 236 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:54,959 Speaker 1: did two more years with him. So I worked with 237 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,559 Speaker 1: Robbie Shawn for three and something else. Then, Um, we 238 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:00,719 Speaker 1: did the military service. You will into the military. I 239 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: did my Yes. I thought you were gonna tell me 240 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: that's when you dumped the lobster best on yourself deliberately. No, no, no, no, 241 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: did you get out of I did the military service? 242 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:11,199 Speaker 1: You did? Yeah? What you do in the PA? Come 243 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: you cooked? So they put me in the kitcher and 244 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: I was supposed to cook for the officers of the 245 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 1: whatever I was. And the food was so disgusting. I 246 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:24,199 Speaker 1: had never seen that. They burned spaghetti is in the water. 247 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,559 Speaker 1: I have never seen spaghetti is burning in water. It's 248 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 1: not possible. Well they did it. So I went to 249 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: see the general and I explained to my situation. I 250 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 1: was a young kid, and I said you know, I 251 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 1: don't mind to do it, but you know I can't 252 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 1: cook shoot food. And he said, I'm going to send 253 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: you to the commandos. What do you think of that? 254 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: So I look at him and I said, sir, look, 255 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: I'm so skinny. I can't do the commandos. And he 256 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: was laughing and said, what do you want? You would 257 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: be my waiter? I said yeah, So I became his 258 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 1: waiter for one year. I was the waiter of the 259 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 1: general and then I went back to and then he 260 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,440 Speaker 1: sent me to do you to do us. So after 261 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: the military serviation, you go back with Robert Shaw. Right 262 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: after that you come to the States where there's more European. 263 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 1: So after two years, I want to get out of 264 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:15,200 Speaker 1: rubbish from and I want to go to Brazil. So 265 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 1: I love Brazil and at the time, I'm like, I 266 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: find it very exotic, and I have a lot of 267 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 1: friends there, and you know, I'm thinking it's gonna be 268 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 1: a nice and it's gonna be a big party as well, 269 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna have a good time. So I went 270 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 1: to see Robbie, you're very young at this time. I 271 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 1: want a party. And when I told him, he said, no, no, no, 272 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: I'm not sending you in a vacation, no way. So 273 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: I said, I would like to go. He said, truly 274 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: something else that's in Spain. He said, Spain. It is 275 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: you live in Andorra, which was between friends and Spain. 276 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 1: It's it's basically Spain. So I said to him, I said, well, 277 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 1: don't ask me, tell me where I'm going. And he said, well, 278 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: go in vacation. When you come back, I send you 279 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: to Washington, d CEA. I worked at the Water Hotel. 280 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 1: No what year nine, way after Nixon scandal, of course, 281 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 1: but I am at the Water Hotel. They have a 282 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 1: very good restaurant called Jean Louis French. It was probably 283 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 1: one of the first French chef celebrity in the US. 284 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 1: And from Robbie Strom kitchen, which is basically like the army, 285 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: like Catholic school. Almost I end up in Woodstock where 286 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 1: we're smoking cigarettes in the kitchen and different nbnce tiny kitchen. 287 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 1: I learned a lot with him. He was extremely creative, 288 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: as I recalled. Because I lived in Washington for three years, 289 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: I went to college there. I went to g w 290 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 1: first nineteen seventies six or nineteen seventy nine. I left 291 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: and you go there in eighty nine, and you are 292 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: in what is now the more of the modern Washington. Washington. 293 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: Then when I went, it was still a very quiet, 294 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: sleepy backwards when they make maybe three restaurants. It was 295 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: sleepy too. Because I was bored to death and I 296 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: wanted to come to New York. I was like, there's 297 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: no way where you went. So Washington a year and 298 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: enough because I had the visa, uh student visa eighteen months. 299 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: So I did my visa and then I came to 300 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: New York and I worked downtown with David Boulet for 301 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: short period of time, and then I started at Lebanon Lebernard. 302 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: And let's face it as like the Temple of restaurants. 303 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 1: I mean, many of them have come and gone. I 304 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: remember that I worked. One of my first jobs in 305 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 1: New York was I worked at the least like court 306 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: Pasque Pascal, who was the pastry chef. I worked for 307 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: Gi Pascal. I know him, he was my pastriy chef. 308 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: He said that the people from the court pass gave 309 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: him the name. She said to him, oh you can 310 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: have the name. And and and g who was a 311 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: man who he loved me. He loved me. He was 312 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: a very loving person. He was a very loving He 313 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: would walk up to me and he put his hand 314 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: on my face and said, oh, leck, I want for 315 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: you to come to work every day. For me, I 316 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: worked at the place delivering the pastries to uh look 317 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: renowl pronounce like all the old school sign of the dove, 318 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: all these. I delivered the pastries from Geat in a 319 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,479 Speaker 1: truck to the restaurants. So I worked with him. Well, 320 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:15,439 Speaker 1: Bernarden is all those spaces are gone? Bernardan is still here. Yeah, 321 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: I think we were still here and we're still relevant 322 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 1: and so on, because we basically question ourselves every day 323 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: and we push ourselves and we have no ego about 324 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: our accolades or anything like that. Whatever was yesterday doesn't 325 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: exist anymore. Every morning we start again, and we want 326 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 1: to create an experience for the clients. For the people 327 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: who come. We want to push to envelope with our cooking. 328 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 1: We want to create an ambience in the dining room 329 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,840 Speaker 1: that is very warm, considering that we are for fine 330 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:52,959 Speaker 1: dining restaurant. We want people to laugh. We want people, 331 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: if they want to scream, scream. We want the dining 332 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: room to be loud and so so we we always evolve. 333 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: We changed decre since I am there three times, keeping 334 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: some iconic items like the ceilings. You are a part 335 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: owner in the restaurant, yes, you're not just a chef 336 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,919 Speaker 1: under contract. And as a part owner, obviously you have 337 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 1: control over and that's in the back of the house, 338 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: so to speak, and you have some significant control over 339 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 1: the front of the house as well. Yes, of course, 340 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,640 Speaker 1: the fabric on the chairs, the flowers on the tail 341 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:23,400 Speaker 1: as you have some say yes. And then we work 342 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: really well as a team with my business partner. It's 343 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: it's really it's really a great pleasure to work together, 344 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: which is I think very important to have partners that 345 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 1: are aligned with the vision. Alberada is evolving all the 346 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: time because we first of all, we refused to have 347 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: signature dishes because the day the day you have a 348 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: signature dish, you don't evolve anymore. And as you know, 349 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 1: New York is pretty quick and fast. If you don't evolve, 350 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: you behind the next day. The second is stop. That's it, 351 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: it's over. We just have the passion and we want 352 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:06,399 Speaker 1: to do new things. Chef Eric Repair. If you enjoy 353 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:10,399 Speaker 1: culinary conversations, check out my episode with the author of 354 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: in defense of food and cooked Michael Pollen, Amazing things 355 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: happen at the table, and you know, as you give 356 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:20,920 Speaker 1: up cooking, you give up eating together. And when when 357 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,920 Speaker 1: you start going to the microwavable meal, everybody gets their own. 358 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,919 Speaker 1: And there's something about eating from the same pot that 359 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 1: puts people on the same page psychologically, I think, and 360 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: we give that up and increasingly we're eating alone. We're 361 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: eating in the car of American food gets eaten in 362 00:19:35,359 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 1: the car right now. Um, we eat alone way too often, 363 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: and so we're losing. It's not just about the food. 364 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 1: I mean, food is important, but there are the institutions 365 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: that come with it. To hear more of my conversation 366 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: with the author, Michael Pollen, go to Here's the Thing 367 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 1: dot org. After the break, Eric Repair and I discussed 368 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:13,639 Speaker 1: the unparalleled importance of dessert. I'm Alec Baldwin and you're 369 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:17,400 Speaker 1: listening to Here's the Thing. For a chef working at 370 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: the level that Eric Repair does, the standards that le 371 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,639 Speaker 1: bernardin must be excellence, and not just in food, but 372 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:30,119 Speaker 1: in presentation, design and hospitality. I asked Repair what he 373 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:33,639 Speaker 1: thinks are the hallmarks of good service, and in particular, 374 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,680 Speaker 1: what makes a good waiter. A good waiter is someone 375 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: who's passion it and rocks hard and understand that he's 376 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:48,199 Speaker 1: here to create an experience for the clients. That's a 377 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 1: good waiter. Of course, he has to have a good 378 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 1: relationship with the kitchen and be knowledgible about the food 379 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:56,159 Speaker 1: and so and the wines and so on. But we 380 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 1: are in a hospitality business. People come to the Banner then, 381 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:04,679 Speaker 1: not to have a waither star or chef star. No, 382 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: we are here to make your experience the best we can. 383 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: And the way there has to be very generous in 384 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: this way, you know, has to be very given as 385 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 1: to read also the client really well, you may come 386 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:22,119 Speaker 1: to the Bernarda and it could be a date and 387 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 1: you in love and so on. The way there shouldn't 388 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,720 Speaker 1: be in the middle, and we say, right, we leave 389 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: us alone. You've been really you've been reading my mind 390 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,280 Speaker 1: because right before you came, we were talking about over service. 391 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: Yeah no, you don't want that. But you may be 392 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 1: also celebrating a business deal. Okay, so it's the way. 393 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 1: There should be a standing stay away. But if you 394 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 1: have foodie and you traveled, and you you save money 395 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: and and you're looking at everywhere, and the waiter should 396 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: see that and then read your mind and know that 397 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: you want interaction and you want to talk up food 398 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:02,919 Speaker 1: and you want to potentially visit the kitchen and what 399 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:06,399 Speaker 1: the hell? Yes, the waiter should be invisible until you 400 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:11,399 Speaker 1: need them. So, without naming the part of town you 401 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: live in where your home is, are there restaurants that 402 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: you walk out the door? For me, my wife and 403 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: I have four or five go two restaurants in the neighborhood. 404 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: We have dinner, rem united, We put our kids to 405 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 1: dead every night, and we walk out the door the 406 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 1: same restaurants. Is that the same way you live? Do 407 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: you walk out the door and there will go to restaurants? 408 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 1: Are you always reaching out and exploring new things always? Well, 409 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: First of all, the big difference in between you and 410 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,160 Speaker 1: I is that when you go out, I'm cooking, right, 411 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: So during the week, five days a week, I am 412 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: in the restaurant. When you do go out to lunch 413 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: on the weekend, one day we go out, one day 414 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 1: we stay home. So when we stay oh my coop, 415 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,399 Speaker 1: because it's fun to cook at home is different. And 416 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 1: then when we go out. I'm very loyal to places, 417 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:55,880 Speaker 1: but I like to explore as well, and so it's 418 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,159 Speaker 1: a mix of U. And sometimes I do trips like 419 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:03,639 Speaker 1: I decide to go for two weeks in Scandinavia and 420 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: I do all the restaurant that I'm thinking that will 421 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:10,200 Speaker 1: inspire me, and I come back trying new things. Yeah, 422 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:15,200 Speaker 1: and when you travel the world, what's the difference between 423 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: the restaurant experience in Europe and in America? What do 424 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 1: the Europeans do that the Americans don't do or vice versasa? Right? Um, Well, 425 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:28,640 Speaker 1: in Europe, the chef is always right. You don't discuss 426 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 1: the chef the ideas of the chef. In America, the 427 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: clients really challenge you if they don't like what you 428 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: are doing, or if they don't understand, or it's no 429 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 1: logic to have that without the But yeah, of course, 430 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 1: in Europe, no, it doesn't happen. And then in fine 431 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:56,880 Speaker 1: dining in Europe, people are very quiet and silent. It's 432 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 1: almost like they are in church, which I dislike. I 433 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:02,439 Speaker 1: like restaurant with ambience and good vibes and so on. 434 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 1: So in the US, I've in fine dining, especially in 435 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: the city like New York, the dining rooms are more 436 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: vibrant and then I have to say what I like 437 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:16,440 Speaker 1: about Europe is the quality of the products that they are, 438 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,399 Speaker 1: you know, like when they serve vegetables, the test like 439 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 1: what's supposed to taste here's a bit of a challenge. 440 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: It is a challenge because we do not cultivate the 441 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 1: same way, you know, like the soil is maybe not 442 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,720 Speaker 1: the same. I don't know, Like an artichock in the 443 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:36,680 Speaker 1: Mediterranean is not the same artichock that we eat here. 444 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:40,439 Speaker 1: The artigine, for example, anichuck that you would serve at 445 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:44,680 Speaker 1: Lebernardine is ground where California, California, where where most of 446 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,880 Speaker 1: the artichos are grown. And you know, it's like those 447 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: gigantic farms and they have ways of cultivating and maximizing 448 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: the land and it's factories and it's difficult. So now 449 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 1: when in New York it's the good season which is 450 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: going to start now, we use small farmers, local, local, 451 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:05,879 Speaker 1: and then you have a much much better product. So 452 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: that's the difference in between Europe and in terms of 453 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: quality of the food. My ex wife I loved Los 454 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 1: Angeles and I were to go out there and work 455 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: and I said, you know, what what is it you 456 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 1: love about living here, and she without flinching, we're at 457 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 1: Gelson's market and she picks up a tomato and she goes, 458 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: you see that tomato? Shees, you can't get that tomato 459 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: in New York. She said, that's a tomato, meaning that 460 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,679 Speaker 1: all of the farming and all the fresh food in 461 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 1: the California experience just dwarfed the East coast and it 462 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: doesn't travel well. Right, So I'm wondering, how difficult is 463 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:46,359 Speaker 1: it for you to get the things you need? The 464 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 1: chicken you want, the beef you want, the pork you want. 465 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: You have vendors you buy from. Are you in charge 466 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:54,920 Speaker 1: of that of the shopping or someone does it for you? 467 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: Ultimately I am in charge, but of course people of 468 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: course with different tasks and so on, and learning how 469 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:04,159 Speaker 1: to do it, and and so on. I have to 470 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:08,160 Speaker 1: tell you. And and lebernarda is mostly specialized in seafood. 471 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 1: If you want to have good products, it's very simple, 472 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:17,639 Speaker 1: pay your bills on time, and do not bargain. Well, 473 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:20,879 Speaker 1: sometimes you have the exaggerate a little bit, but the 474 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: price is the price, and you pay a S A p. 475 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 1: And you get the best, and weever bargains and once 476 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 1: the cheap price and doesn't pay his bills nor he's 477 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,000 Speaker 1: not going to get a good product. What was the 478 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 1: impact of the COVID Did you close for some period 479 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 1: that was really tough. We close on March thirteen, A 480 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:42,119 Speaker 1: week later the mayor or the governor. I don't remember 481 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 1: close all the restaurants was, but I closed right away 482 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:48,920 Speaker 1: when I saw the bad news on TV, I was like, 483 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:52,400 Speaker 1: this is really bad. I don't want to have neither 484 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:55,760 Speaker 1: the clients or the employees being exposed. And I thought 485 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: we were closing for three weeks, maybe a month. Night 486 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 1: it was closed a long long period of time, almost 487 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 1: like a year. And we couldn't take out because our 488 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,440 Speaker 1: food doesn't go in a box, and I couldn't pull 489 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: the terraus because the experiences in our worlds. So what 490 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: we decided to do. It's a collaboration in between City 491 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 1: r Vest that rescue food that will go to waste 492 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:22,680 Speaker 1: that is perfectly fresh, and World Central Kitchen, the organization 493 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: of Rossi Andreas, who's feeding people all over the world 494 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 1: when it's a catastrophe right now they are in Ukraine. 495 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 1: When it is the earthquake, they go to the earthquake 496 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 1: and so on, and we use our kitchen to do 497 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 1: four hundred meals a day every day on the beginning 498 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 1: for doctor and nurses from our of states that we're 499 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 1: staying in hotels, and the group paid for us. World 500 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 1: Central Kitchen was helping us and City r Vest was 501 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 1: giving us part of the food as well, so we 502 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: were able to basically break even. And we did that 503 00:27:55,600 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: from the military. Yeah, we did that from May to December. Now, 504 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 1: why is the focus of le Bernardin and seafood and 505 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:05,880 Speaker 1: this is your philosophy obviously at your restaurant, Why don't 506 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,640 Speaker 1: you focus on that. I didn't open lebernard I came 507 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: the opening eighty six in New York, the opening seventy 508 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:16,440 Speaker 1: two in Paris. Seats in Paris was like a very 509 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: clearly restaurant dedicated to seafood because they were coming to 510 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:24,440 Speaker 1: Brittany was a sister and brother. Dad was a fisherman. 511 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: Then you want to cook fish. They were cooking fish. 512 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 1: And then they got one star Michel and then to 513 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: star Micheland that they came to the US. Uh, New 514 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 1: York Times give them four star right away they open, 515 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 1: they get that huge accolade and it's an instant success. 516 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: And they were cooking fish because it's their passion. They 517 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: love that. And in NTE I was well trained because 518 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 1: as you remember, I was chef past only at rob 519 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 1: so I joined the team and I feel at home. 520 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: I'm like, this is easy. It's a cook fish. I 521 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: know to cook fish. And I get along really well 522 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: with the brother who passed away ninety four. He mentor 523 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: me with his style and these ideas and I we 524 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 1: have a good exchange. I know some techniques that I 525 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,720 Speaker 1: have learned from Robbie Strom who was a great technician. 526 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: He has a great philosophy, and we worked together. And 527 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:20,720 Speaker 1: then when unfortunately passed away, I took his position and 528 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: and move on with lebern Adam. Who is your pastry chef, 529 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: Orlando Soto? How important do you find? I mean, I 530 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 1: never I never tire of seeing the childlike glow of adults, 531 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:39,720 Speaker 1: especially when they go to an expensive restaurant, very fancy restaurant, 532 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: and they know they're gonna have like the the highest 533 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:45,320 Speaker 1: level of dessert. And I never tire of seeing their face. 534 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 1: They're like children, yes, and they say would you like 535 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 1: to see the dessert menu? And they're like oh yes, 536 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 1: oh yeah, and they bring in the dessert and you're like, oh, 537 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: and I want to have this and this and this. 538 00:29:56,360 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 1: What's your favorite dessert? What do you like a you do, yeah, 539 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:06,400 Speaker 1: with a lot of repression and vanilla ice cream. Then 540 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 1: then I'll think about the colories. It's okay, Chef Eric Repair. 541 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 1: If you're enjoying this conversation, tell a friend and be 542 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 1: sure to follow Here's the Thing on the I Heart 543 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: radio app, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. When 544 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:29,880 Speaker 1: we come back, Eric Repair discusses the future of food 545 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 1: and the movement of sustainability. I'm Alec Baldwin and you're 546 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 1: listening to Here's the Thing. Chef Repair is known for 547 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 1: creating the type of cuisine that defines a destination restaurant 548 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: full of pomp and pageantry. So I wouldn't help, but 549 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: wonder what he might enjoy in his downtime. If you 550 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 1: give me a cocoa van which is a stew of 551 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 1: a chicken in red wine in the winter, I'm like, 552 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:14,720 Speaker 1: what can be better? Make that? You make it at home? 553 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 1: You do? Do you do with the blood or no blood? 554 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: It's illegal to told me you can, yes, I do 555 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 1: it with the blood. Yeah, because at home. But my 556 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 1: friend said to me. We used to go to uh 557 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 1: this is an ancient reference, but I used to go 558 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:34,000 Speaker 1: to Fabia. Of course. I used to go to Tuva 559 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: all the time, all all the time, and they had 560 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: cocoa van And I asked him did they do the 561 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 1: rooster blood? Did they blew the blood of the chicken? 562 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 1: And they looked at me. They were like no, and 563 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 1: then they winked at me. All our team at the 564 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 1: time was going there every night. We went to Tuvambia 565 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: every night after when I would work in the theater, 566 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 1: and I would have coca every night and it was 567 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 1: good good you like, yes, of course, yes, I have 568 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: something in common with the Great Eric in terms of 569 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: what we crave in terms of food. That is a 570 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 1: that is incredible. It's incredible. Now, what's the first thing 571 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: you notice when you go to a restaurant? If it's clean, 572 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 1: it's clean. If it's clean or not clean, it's interesting. 573 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:16,320 Speaker 1: You should say that, And for me, not clean, or 574 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:21,960 Speaker 1: if it's a smell, I just can't interesting. Yeah, sometimes 575 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:24,719 Speaker 1: it's a it's a restaurant near where I live and 576 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: I'm not going to say the name, obviously, and the 577 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 1: guy does a good job, but it's a sushi place 578 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 1: and I smelled the fish. I just can't. I just 579 00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:36,760 Speaker 1: cannot get in. I opened the door and I'm like, 580 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:40,080 Speaker 1: oh no, no way. They wrote an article. They did 581 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 1: this research into fish served in Japanese restaurants in California 582 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 1: and particularly in l A and they identified that in 583 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: some cases, over fifty of the fish that was served 584 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 1: in the sushi restaurant was mislabeled. It wasn't what they said. 585 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:00,120 Speaker 1: It was not only in Japanese restaurant, in all rest one. 586 00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:05,240 Speaker 1: Very often you find snapper is not a snapper stripe bus. 587 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 1: It's not a stripe bus. And very few people can 588 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:12,280 Speaker 1: make the difference because how many times do you eat snapper? 589 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: You know? It's a lot. I mean, like me, I 590 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: just look at the fish. I know it's a snapper 591 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: without the skin. It doesn't have to be like yeah, 592 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 1: just look at the filly. I know, because it's my job. 593 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: I do, and I eat, and if I tasted, I 594 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: know immediately it takes me two seconds. Or codfish or 595 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 1: ache ors, things like that. But a lot of restaurants 596 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 1: are misleading. I see so much. Once I did a 597 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,080 Speaker 1: story with the New York Time. We went to the 598 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 1: market it was about farm raised salmon versus wild salmon. 599 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,080 Speaker 1: So is it? Well, is it farm raise? And then 600 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: they were analyzing. They took the samples and took it 601 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 1: to to a lab. So I was with the journalists 602 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:51,520 Speaker 1: and they were like, what is that? And I was 603 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:54,920 Speaker 1: like farm raised? And he was saying wild and that 604 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 1: one farm raise, and and and and in the market 605 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:01,040 Speaker 1: it was like wild and wild and wild and wild 606 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 1: and out of the I don't know siry samples that 607 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:07,480 Speaker 1: we add, I said, this one is wild. It was 608 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: the only one, and the and the lab confirmed that 609 00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:12,880 Speaker 1: I was right. It was the only one. Else wasn't wild? 610 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 1: Everything else wild. Obviously, people got a great lengths to 611 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 1: secure a reservation at your restaurant. Bernardin would probably be 612 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:27,280 Speaker 1: the punchline and episodes of Signed Feld for how difficult 613 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:30,560 Speaker 1: it is to secure reservations in your restaurant. It's it's 614 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:33,440 Speaker 1: pretty bad. We have many people here who testified the 615 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:36,759 Speaker 1: fact that they've had their stresses now. But you do 616 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:40,680 Speaker 1: online reservations, correct, we do? And do you find that 617 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:45,239 Speaker 1: that's a positive, a negative or both? No, it's positive. 618 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,719 Speaker 1: It is why online reservation it's positive from on our 619 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 1: point of view. It's easier because we don't need so 620 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,680 Speaker 1: many people on the phone to answer the phone. People 621 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:56,839 Speaker 1: can do it online and it's less stressful also for 622 00:34:57,120 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: the people who are behind the phones. So that's one thing. 623 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:04,120 Speaker 1: And then as a client, you can go online at 624 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:07,319 Speaker 1: the time that you wish, you can make your reservation. 625 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:11,680 Speaker 1: So I think it's very convenient for the clients to 626 00:35:11,719 --> 00:35:15,279 Speaker 1: be able to go online. And then sometimes you don't 627 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 1: get the table because we don't give all our tables online. 628 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,880 Speaker 1: We save some of the tables and you have to 629 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: call family, not for family, family of the restaurant people 630 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:29,799 Speaker 1: come over, so if someone else calls and we may 631 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:32,279 Speaker 1: have a table and you may have an interaction with 632 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:34,880 Speaker 1: someone with a real voice, and so on. The building 633 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:37,120 Speaker 1: that you're in, does the company that you're with your 634 00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 1: you and your party, Do you own the building? No, 635 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:42,400 Speaker 1: it's a least. Yeah, we have a least in that building. 636 00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:46,600 Speaker 1: Since nine the building has changed ownerships a couple of times, 637 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 1: but we have a great support from the building. That's 638 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:50,760 Speaker 1: what I was going to say, because many people who struggle, 639 00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:55,280 Speaker 1: especially during the even before and after that, they struggle 640 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,400 Speaker 1: because this least situation is a difficult. You have a kind. 641 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 1: We have a very kind, very kind landlord, and and 642 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: they have always been since the beginning, very kind, And 643 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:07,799 Speaker 1: I think it's a win wind. We bring to the 644 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 1: building a certain prestige, and we we bring a nice 645 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:14,520 Speaker 1: and the amenity for their clients in the floors and 646 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:17,000 Speaker 1: so on. So they like us, and we like them 647 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:21,120 Speaker 1: because they like us, which works. It's a wind. The 648 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:23,920 Speaker 1: reason I asked about the online reservation thing was because 649 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:26,719 Speaker 1: I have a friend of mine whose mother eats the 650 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:30,200 Speaker 1: same night, same time every week. She has dinner at 651 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:33,400 Speaker 1: Le Bernadin once a week. She's an old New Yorker. 652 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: This is her thing that she loves. But I would 653 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:38,440 Speaker 1: imagine that you come into a room and it's friends 654 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:40,399 Speaker 1: and family people you've been cooking for them and their 655 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:43,600 Speaker 1: children and on and on for a while now, and 656 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:47,040 Speaker 1: then the online reservation runs the risk of the person 657 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 1: showing up who don't understand what they're getting into, someone 658 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 1: who might even attempt to send the meal back and say, 659 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:57,080 Speaker 1: I'd like you to cook. These lamp shops are like 660 00:36:57,320 --> 00:36:58,600 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, It's like they're not friends 661 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:04,840 Speaker 1: and family. We we don't have that problem because I think, yes, 662 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:08,279 Speaker 1: because the restaurant has a certain reputation when we are 663 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:11,080 Speaker 1: not beginners. I mean, if you don't want the place, 664 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:13,759 Speaker 1: like google Le Bernard and you're like, Okay, it's an 665 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:16,759 Speaker 1: expensive restaurant. It's fine dining. It's not what I want. 666 00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:19,759 Speaker 1: I'm not going to make a reservation. Oh they specialize 667 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:22,359 Speaker 1: in seafood. I don't like fish. I'm not gonna go there. 668 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:25,759 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go somewhere else. So today, with with information 669 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: that we get, we don't have that problem. But to 670 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,359 Speaker 1: go back to the reservation quickly. You know, we have 671 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:33,560 Speaker 1: people who come to three times a week, especially for lunch. 672 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,600 Speaker 1: You know, they work in the building. It's convenient, they 673 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:38,840 Speaker 1: do business at the table and so on. We always 674 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:41,920 Speaker 1: have to keep few tables that we released twenty four 675 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:46,160 Speaker 1: hours before, but two or three four tables for those clients. 676 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:49,000 Speaker 1: I mean, the part of our family really for you, 677 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:57,960 Speaker 1: do you sense that people are becoming more concerned about sustainability? Oh? Yeah, 678 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,640 Speaker 1: for sure. For quite some time, especially with the young clientele. 679 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,400 Speaker 1: The older clientele was less sensitive. But today I think 680 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:10,280 Speaker 1: we have been really bombarded with informations about what's happening 681 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:12,600 Speaker 1: on our planet, what's happening with the suffering of the 682 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:16,360 Speaker 1: animals in factory farms and so on. Right every day, 683 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 1: it's NonStop, and it's not a trend. It's a movement sustainability. 684 00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:26,880 Speaker 1: It's in the mind of everybody, everyone in your profession, 685 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 1: certainly world for sure, we think about it. So what 686 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:34,480 Speaker 1: do we do. We don't. We do not serve endangerous species. 687 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:39,840 Speaker 1: We support local farmers, we support organic practices, we support 688 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:42,640 Speaker 1: actually all good practices and in general and so on. 689 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:46,120 Speaker 1: Because if we don't, if we don't do anything today, 690 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:51,440 Speaker 1: your children might my child, they're gonna have a world 691 00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:55,279 Speaker 1: that has been sabotaged by the previous generations. We have 692 00:38:55,400 --> 00:39:01,360 Speaker 1: to do something. So avoiding too many fair fertilizers, avoiding pesticides, 693 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:04,239 Speaker 1: and first of all, for your own good as well, 694 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:07,000 Speaker 1: for your own health and the planet. You don't want that, 695 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 1: and for the planet, and you don't want to deplete 696 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:12,320 Speaker 1: the planet. You don't want to pollute the planet. I 697 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 1: mean most the Earth is taking care of us, and 698 00:39:15,640 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 1: we all here and we have to take care of it. 699 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:22,040 Speaker 1: And today people are really thinking about it. I want 700 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 1: to say, I was so looking forward to doing this 701 00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:27,879 Speaker 1: because I'm such an admirer of the more I read 702 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:30,879 Speaker 1: about you and your life and what you've done. I thought, Wow, 703 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:34,279 Speaker 1: what an amazing thing for any human being to be 704 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:36,240 Speaker 1: able to get to a place where in your field 705 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:39,400 Speaker 1: you are at the top of your field. You worked 706 00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:42,720 Speaker 1: so hard that the boy that was fifteen years old, 707 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:45,960 Speaker 1: who's trying to lift the heavy paths in the kitchen 708 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:47,680 Speaker 1: and all the men are yelling, and look at where 709 00:39:47,719 --> 00:39:50,120 Speaker 1: you've come to as a part of that line. And 710 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:52,520 Speaker 1: now you're at the top of the mountain. The culinary 711 00:39:52,560 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 1: mountain takes you so much. I'm very unerable chef Rick repair. 712 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:05,960 Speaker 1: This episode was produced by Kathleen Russo, Zack McNeice, and 713 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:10,719 Speaker 1: Maureen Hoban. Our engineer is Frank Imperial. Here's the Thing 714 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:15,360 Speaker 1: is recorded at c DM Studios. I'm Alec Baldwin. Here's 715 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:18,200 Speaker 1: the Thing is brought to you by iHeart Radio.