We had the most incredible weekend. Following the TJFF launch we were nice and busy without lineups until the weekend. Thursday was insane. My day began at 4 am with a call from the security company letting me know about a break-in at the deli. Nice. I arrived there within a few minutes to find Giulia and 1st cook Peter with the security guy. We waited for the cops who came a few moments later. Interestingly, the security guy said the glass repair people hovered like vultures.
When we entered, the cops made sure the place was clear and then we surveyed the damage: some bottles of booze and the pos touchscreen monitors. And the door of course. The camera captured the guy pretty well so the police should be able to have something to go on. They csi’d the whole place. At 8 am I packed up my car and headed to Rogers TV in North York for a live 9 minute cooking demonstration on the Daytime Toronto program.
I sliced my finger on the tin foil unwrapping the meat but that was before the show and I don’t think the tv caught the bloody towel. Yoona and Deborah both said I did well.
Returning to help with the deli, it was a slower day than usual so I went home to chill for a couple hours when I start getting messages on Twitter about a New York Times article. Adam Sachs wrote a terrific piece about Toronto as Meat City. He gave me lots of ink which makes me feel all warm inside. hahahaha
How do I describe this? It would have been hard to imagine anything else happening that could turn this into a wonderful day than a NY Times article online. Bonnie Stern brought Adam Sachs into the deli with her daughter Anna the day before I left for Vegas. Bonnie has been so good to me, sharing recipes, techniques not to mention bringing Ruth Reichle to the Monarch. My apple cake is her mother’s recipe.
Which was funny when a group of her cousins came in for dinner last night – they polished off the whole thing. Actually, we got eaten out of all our deserts – kudos to Robb the Baker. Our whole desert program is wonderful. Yesterday was exceptional for many reasons. We were busy from the opening whistle but for the first time ever, Sunday dinner was busier than the lunch. It was all large groups and many of them my own relatives. I’ll remember for next year to bring in more staff but for now a special thanks to everyone who helped out.
I’m heading back to work now to make my First Seder deliveries. Here’s wishing all of you and your families a wonderful Pesach. Next year we’ll do a Second Seder in the deli.
