Approaching Estancia Vik for the first time brings a sense of calm, the hacienda sits atop the highest point on an expanse of open land covered by  miles of grass to the north and tidal inlet to the east. Greeted at the gate we were immediately put at ease, a suave, tanned guide shares 10 minutes of his time. We tour the building and learn that it was originally planned for the owners’ family personal use only. Later it was determined  to be too large and instead then was transitioned to a lodge.

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The Annual Quail Hill Farm Common table event has become a ritual that I’ve enjoyed for as long as I can remember. This year, for the first time it was a lunch.

I read the memo wrong and arrived at 11am, lunch to me means sometime in the early afternoon. Upon arrival I found the set up crew just getting underway, tables bare, no other chefs, just Julie Resnick with her clipboard. My dish, the Inside Out Lasagna was made (14 10 inch springform pans) and ready to go into the pizza oven.

Happy to know that I wasn’t running late I took the opportunity to go home and spend two quiet hours with my wife watching a movie.

Thank you Quail Hill! That never happens.

My Photos taken at the Common Table

Vision, mission and values, the base line for success according to William Rosenzweig, Dean & Executive director, FBS (The Food Business School). Having just returned from a 3 day intensive workshop created by Mr. Rosenzweig, the author of “The Republic of Tea”, I will now summarize his approach to teaching non MBA’s how to bring new services and products into today’s food market place. Will’s first words “vision, mission, values” are ringing in my head now as I sit here thinking about where to take my newest venture, how to map out the plan and how to side step many of the potholes along the bumpy road to success. Read More »

Join me in celebrating the launch of our own “Food Lab” on Long Island’s East End. This morning, I slipped away from the Saturday breakfast crowd and garden tasks that generally occupy my time on weekend mornings in order to sit with about 75 other food entrepreneurs in a Stonybrook University auditorium on the Southampton campus.

The focus for Food Labs first two seminars was the food business, appropriately lead by 2 iconic NY Times columnists, Amanda Hesser and Florence Fabricant. I thought I was watching the American dream roll out in front of me.

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I am a big fan of the NPR food radio series Stirring the Pot by Stefanie Sacks. On a recent trip, returning to Estia’s Little Kitchen from my Estia’s Back Porch location in Darien, CT, I happened to catch Stefanie’s show featuring her friend Dan Gibson and his Grazin’ Angus Acres farm. Yesterday, with Stefanie’s introduction, I was invited to visit the farm in Ghent, NY and spend time learning about what it means to be a restaurateur selling “Animal Welfare Approved” products.

As a child, traveling from state to state on vacation in the Ford wagon was always a family experience. My father was a grain merchant for Cargill. He ran shipping and milling operations for one of what we now refer to as the Big 3 (Cargill, IBP, Smithfield). Riding in the back of the wagon was my chosen spot. It kept me away from my sisters, allowed for a little extra room and provided a view of America from 3 large windows. Through those windows I watched American farmland, row after row. Read More »

I was invited by the Macari Vineyard tasting room manager to present a meal to the Macari wine club in the main dining room of the Vineyard—just in time for the bud burst on Macari’s merlot vines outside the kitchen door.

Tasting Menu for the Macari Wine Club, 40 guests.
Saturday, May 9, 2015

Roasted Beet on Sweet Pea and Goat Cheese Coulis
Rabbit Pie
Venison Filet Au Poivre 
Sweet Potato Flan Read More »