As the sun set, the champagne flowed in anticipation of the evening’s latest inductees into Gaggenau’sBlack Jacket Society: chefs Alain Verzeroli, director of culinary operations at the Bastion Collection (L’Atelier de Jöel Robuchon and Le Jardinier), and Juan Manuel Barrientos, of Elcielo. In partnership with the MICHELIN Guide, the Black Jacket Society recognition honors chefs who strive for perfection according to Gaggenau’s Professional Kitchen Principle: that cooking equipment, much like ingredients, must be of the highest quality.
After the toasts and pictures, it was time for everyone, including Two MICHELIN Star Californios’s Val Cantu, executive chef at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Le Jardinier James Friedberg, and Chief Operating Officer of the Bastion Collection Deleon Pinto to take their seats. The topic on everyone’s mind: What does fine dining look like in a digitally-minded universe?
And there’s no better example of this than “Chocotherapy,” a course plucked from Barrientos’s own memory. “Fourteen years ago, I was with my nephew in Colombia and we got a milkshake. The waiter came with a napkin and [poured it on my nephew’s hands], he started licking it. I saw his face filled with pleasure. And I arrived to my restaurant and said we need to do this with chocolate.” Meant to awaken the senses, Barrientos hopes his dish brings out guests’ inner kid and breaks barriers.
“There is a huge power with ideas and visual things,” says Verzeroli. “[With social media,] there is a sense of recognition from the viewers. So, we have a common sense of urgency from the guest.” But Barrientos concedes that speed isn’t always an asset. “When you’re showcasing fine dining, you have to take the time to cook it, but also to have a good photographer,” he says. And that ethos is what drives the chefs. “It forces you to push yourself and not do what everyone else is doing,” says Friedberg. “Let’s not try to do something new, but let’s try to do something.”
Photography: Adahlia Cole
At Gaggenau, we continuously aim to improve our website and the information we provide. We would like to invite you to take part in a short survey & thank you in advance for your time.
If you wish to be contacted by us, please use our regular contact form here, contact Customer Support at 1-877-442-4436, or chat online with a Customer Support representative.
At Gaggenau, we continuously aim to improve our website and the information we provide. We would like to invite you to take part in a short survey & thank you in advance for your time.
If you wish to be contacted by us, please use our regular contact form here, contact Customer Support at 1-877-442-4436, or chat online with a Customer Support representative.