CITY Issue 57

BUDDAKAN 75 9TH AVE., (212) 989-6699, BUDDAKANNYC.COM manage Victo Medina: “They can do whateve they want to do, so they eally p epa e whateve they like.” The e’s conside ably less ca te blanche at othe estau ants, at least in te ms of ing edients. t Centovini, a SoHo estau ant and wine ba with a Moss-designed inte io so ichly simple it ga ne ed a James Bea d nomination this yea , it’s all about the le ove s. Chef de Cuisine Ch istine Lau neve th ows anything away. n thin . “Tina will dig out the gills,” explained Executive Chef Patti Jackson. “Hey, you can cut the cheeks out [of a black bass] and it’s eall good,” Lau counte ed. The duo’s bante shi ed to thei aﬃ nity fo a house dish called “Me a Mezcla.” “ ou know, the bi mi ,” said Jackson of the mishmash of meat and vegetable le ove s f om the estau ant’s egula menu. “It’s a standa d Cent al and South me ican dish. Wheneve I wo ked with Salvado ians, they used a lite al Salvado ian wo d fo ‘slop.’ ” She laughed and, in he best accent, imitated the explanation she once eceived, “ ‘ ou know, the ja by the doo they keep fo the pigs?’ ” This time, athe than sit in the dining oom with the f ont-of-house staﬀ as usual, I ate standing up in the kitchen with the back-of-house c ew. The e was too much laughte , too much light-hea ted ibbing — neithe of which was te ibly common among othe family meals. Staﬀe s elsewhe e usually ate quickly amid light chatte . t Centovini, howeve , as well as at llen & Delancey, the expectation is to keep the atmosphe e as elaxed as possible. “Typically it’s a social time,” explained B ad McDonald, sous chef at the Lowe East Side haunt, whe e couscous and cu ied lamb shoulde that fell apa t at a light touch we e dished out. “We don’t spend too much time talking about what’s going on in se vice tonight unless it’s eally impo tant. It’s typically just to have a good laugh.” s one might expect at Thomas Kelle ’s fou -sta Pe Se, it’s not all fun and games. “We’ e lucky in the f ont of the house that we get to sit [a e staﬀ meal],” explains Jeﬀe son Kohle , an expedite . “In the kitchen, it’s that wa ning bell that se vice is coming and you need to make su e you’ e all put togethe .” The distinction between the f ont-of-house and back-of-house was all too evident the e and at G ame cy Tave n, whe e the fo me team eats in the dining oom while the latte eats at thei wo k stations, the esult of a sho tage of p ep time, manage s explain. Pe Se compensates, howeve , with a house t adition. “The FOH staﬀ each makes up a plate fo the kitchen,” says Kohle . “It’s so t of a ‘Thank you fo making this meal. We’ e going to make su e you guys get fed.’ ” On the day I visited, that meant dual plates of se ious comfo t food: f ied chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, and apple c isp. BUDDAKAN’S BANQUET-STYLE TABLE IN ITS TOWERING MAIN ROOM PLAYS HOST TO A LARGE PORTION OF THE RESTAURANT’S STAFF EACH DAY. 62 CITY TY http://BUDDAKANNYC.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CITY Issue 57

City Issue 57 Contents Letter from City Our Friends Action Wanted City Moment Temporary Contemporary In Rouge Fast Food The Amused Bouche How We Live/The Kitchen Taste Test Dessert Wine Going Local Expert Opinion Travel Employees Only Summer Showers Wild Things Be There at 10 P.M. Sharp If... Where To Buy It Icon

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