Journal
Thoughts & Essays
2 Croissants & 1 Baguette, s’il vous plait!
Recently the boys & I went to see the latest Hunger Games Mockingjay movie. With a budget of $160 million,
the film is considered a “success” for grossing something like $240 million so far, worldwide.
As we left the movie, my head still spinning, I kept thinking: how do I reframe what really defines creativity, art & dedicated work to my boys in our society that defines success based on dollars.
Then, a memory came to me and the summers I spent in the Ardèche region in my godmother’s little bakery & how with each baguette sold, I learnt how success is what happens when someone pursue quality & integrity.
Brooklyn In 2015: Building, Consuming & Throwing It All Away
If you live in Brooklyn, and take time to walk around a bit, you are probably well aware of the incredible disconnect happening in our borough right now: stretches of once-vibrant commercial streets are turning into no-man’s-lands, with two or three vacant storefronts on every block (please, if you haven’t recently, go walk down Smith Street.)
At the same time, the rest of the world is looking at Brooklyn fantasizing about the way of life here, supposedly the most vibrant, creative, and exciting place to be in the whole wide world.
How can such a dichotomy happen?
More importantly, what does it mean for those living in Brooklyn, and then, for those beyond this microcosm?
And why do I care about that so much?
Expansion
The Maison May expansion and philosophy
Vision: Building a new kind of independent business that can play an active part in the global reconstruction & healing of the environment & its people.
Blueberries & Sardines
A summer in the 1980’s: I am 10 years old.
My feet are dunked in the sand, my gaze on the horizon of the placid Gulf of Saint-Tropez. All over my fingers & my face is the smell of freshly grilled sardines, which I just devoured. I am happy: with each I got closer to the sea, merging with all elements surrounding me.
Summer 2015: Upstate NY with my boys.
Theo is covered in blueberry juice & Lucas has an impressive cream-on-top-milk-mustache. As I watch my sons, I am transported back to the beach of my childhood, grasping all at once how food not only connects people to each other, but to a place, a precise geographic pocket of where it comes from, in a very visceral way.
On Being a Wine Lover (& Not a Wine Snob…)
A couple weeks ago, the wine importer Camille Rivière & myself hosted a wine dinner at ICI (now Maison May), pouring biodynamic wines from Jura, France.
At the end of the evening, several guests commented on what a delicious, unpretentious & eye-opening experience this dinner was.
I truly enjoy introducing natural wines to people who have never before tasted these kind of wines before. It’s like watching someone eating farm fresh chicken for the 1st time: Once you taste the difference, you never go back.
On Building Community
On a gorgeous spring evening last week, a dozen people gathered on the patio at ICI (now Maison May)
for the May edition of our community dinner series.
Each month a handful of neighbors, customers
& friends of friends join us for this special dinner.
There is no agenda and the theme is very subtle each time.
But the purpose is strong: by gathering around a table
& sharing food, I aim to feed everyone’s soul & build a community.
Leading a Kitchen: Standing at the Pass… Spring Menu (R)Evolution
Recently, I found myself standing by the kitchen pass after an epic dinner at ICI (now Maison May), feeling like the stars had aligned.
I was overwhelmed by a delicious feeling of raw empowerment & accomplishment. Looking at my two co-chefs, Armando & Robert, I felt like a football coach on the night of the Super Bowl, after the quarterback scored the winning touchdown to lead the team to victory.
The food had exceeded my high expectations,
I felt like my vision had been met, yet I had not set foot in the kitchen or cooked a thing.
How does that happen?
Getting married… in Brooklyn!
ICI (now called Maison May Dekalb ) has grown into much more than a delicious farm-to-table restaurant in the heart of Fort Greene and has, in recent years, become the top destination for thoughtful, intimate boutique weddings in New York City. I’m still in awe over this success, and wanted to share some of the philosophy behind it all.
I sat down with Lauren Berg, to pick her brain. She is our beloved event coordinator, and a large part of her duties includes ensuring that every wedding held at ICI (now called Maison May Dekalb )will exceed expectations.
Here, she gives us a few pointers on how she makes it all work so well.