Michael Solomonov: I spent three years with Marc [Vetri] and learned about simplifying ingredients and literally making incredible dishes with three components on a plate. Marc (and Jeff Michaud) taught me pastries and baking and general operations - not Excel spreadsheets or any of that - but how to live and work and create on a daily basis. Terence taught me how to cook, how to work, and personal standards. He is an incredible cook and learning refinement from him was crucial to my success. I still ask them both for advice on a regular basis.
C.L.: I understand Terence is obsessive about the details of herb prep. ...
M.S.: Yeah, Terence used to make us pick mint in the walk-in [fridge], stack the leaves in bunches of 10 in 10 rows, and then chiffonade them thinly to be used for garnish. I once made the mistake of chopping parsley (60 cents a pound) on the hot line, and ended up with all my mise en place upside down, in a trash can. Pretty uncomfortable service after that. I learned standards and deep respect for product after that "lesson."
Reader: How do you think the James Beard Award will affect your life/work? Is it affecting it already?
M.S.: Well, I think that our guests' expectations and our personal goals are always growing and changing. We have to keep developing the experience, as we have been for the last three years, and the award and recognition will be a catalyst for that.
C.L.: In past decades, Israel never had a great reputation as a gastronomic center (quite the opposite, in fact). What was it about your own experiences there that made you think this cuisine could be so inspirational?
