The Importance of France

After my mother died, I determined to own my own restaurant. René and Paulette would not sell me an interest in La Rive, so I went to New York City and worked as a poissonnier (fish cook) at The Polo Restaurant, an exciting, dynamic kitchen with talented young French chefs. Here I saw composed plates for the first time. All the sauces were reductions, and it was my first experience working within a traditional French brigade system.