A Team Effort

You’re sitting in a beautiful restaurant enjoying a cocktail after having just ordered dinner.  Your mouth may be watering a bit, maybe from your drink, and maybe with a little anticipation of your coming meal.  You may also be wishing you could watch as the chefs prepare what you are about to admire and then devourer.  Are they crafting your choice with the focused concentration of a thoroughbred  eyeing the finish line?  I think they definitely  are.  At Gabrielles they’re actually enjoying what they do because they are  fine artisans and, they are working in an exciting profession with other like minded people.  I have watched this kitchen work and I’m impressed with the cohesive and collective effort I’ve observed.  These people work fast, they know where one another is in the space and, what is especially impressive, they know how to, and are ready to, help one another.  I’d like to introduce you to the beating heart and imaginative soul of this exceptional restaurant.  Let’s begin with the head chef, Jason Groten.

Chef J is originally from California.  He has been in the food industry since high school and has always intended to be a chef in a fine dining restaurant.  Chef J learned the nuances of cooking from an old school Italian family, the matriarch of this family, Carmela, taught him to make pastas when he was just 15.  He first attended  the CT. Culinary Institute in Farmington, but quickly moved on to the Culinary Institute of America in New York.  Here he would study for 18 months and then perform an externship for 6 months, a sort of battlefield initiation, at Croche’s in San Diego.  A restaurant owned and operated by the late Jim Croche’s widow.

Chef J has worked in many fine restaurants including, Bricco’s in West Hartford and Max on Main in Hartford. He began by working  as a pantry chef and soon move up to sous chef.  His first head chef position was at Sigs in Chester, CT.  It was here that Jay was first encouraged to express himself and design the menu based on his personal recipes.  Sigs was a huge success and quickly propelled Chef J into the ranks of the Connecticut river valley’s best chefs. A special kind of devoted professional Chef J knew he was in the right place when he realized he loved the long hours, the fun that is food preparation and, of course, the great food.  Chef J respects his profession and feels the term, chef, is used to freely. You can tell the kitchen at Gabrielle’s is Chef J’s kitchen.  Everyone knows their place, their job and they all know how to contribute to the overall effort.  No huge ego’s complicate the soildarity, but with 25 years experience Chef J is clearly the leader.

Chef J loves to share what he’s learned over the years.  So, as an avid foodie and kitchen junkie, I took the opportunity one afternoon to ask Chef J a few questions. What are your favorite smells?  Without any hesitation Jay said, ” Jasmine rice, duck confit, basil, sage, lavender and clarified butter.”  I instantly understood something about food preparation from that answer.  The way to great tastes and recipes is through building with great flavors and aromas.  He does wish he was a better baker, loves the speed and pure idea of the saute, and wants to present something he would love to eat.  Oh yeah, I don’t know why, but I asked him , “cilantro or parsley?”  He said, “I don’t use parsley, it makes your teeth look funny.”  I agree.

The first time I talked with Chef J about his kitchen and his restaurant efforts it took him about 1 minute to start telling me about just how important the others in the kitchen were to the success of Gabrielle’s and, he began by telling me about Sous Chef John Crandall.

John studied at Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island. He has spent 11 years in the restaurant business with the last 4 years at Gabrielle’s working side by side with Chef J.  Calling Madison, Ct. home, John has worked at the Harborside Restaurant on Block Island, as well as, Noodles in North Madison and Perfect Parties in Madison.  All of these establishments have great reputations and John received some great training  while working there.  Pasta is John’s favorite creative food passion and he is developing deft skills in this tricky art.  His favorites include ravioli’s, lasagne , and pappardelle.  John has a love for new age american cuisine and the bistro style restaurant environment.  One of the great ‘tastes’ at Gabrielle’s is the music that paces the kitchen.  John has much to say about the music and contributes a great deal to the ‘heart and beat’ of the kitchen. I don’t doubt for a moment that John will someday own his own restaurant, the cuisine of which will compliment his food and rhythm.  I asked John who were his influences and favorite chefs.  Without hesitation John said, “My Mother”, (great answer) Chef J and Gordon Ramsey.

At the front of the house the most familiar face belongs to Kate Evans.  Kate is Gabrielle’s restaurant manager and she welcomes all with a great smile and a sparkle that you’ll find instantly warming.  Kate is another at Gabs with many years of experience and she brings an accomadating style to the guest first impression.   She started at the Griswold Inn about 10 years ago and quickly parlayed her new found bartending skills into a worldly skill.  She tended bar in Cardiff, Wales to pay for college at Cardiff University where she studied Journalism.  Back in Ct. Kate was hostess at Ocean Dr. in Norwalk, CT.

Kate has embarked on a plan to visit all 7 continents, learn new languages and become as worldly as possible. After a stint as a watress in New Haven at Barcelona she traveled to Kenya to do research for the charity C.H.E.K.A.  (care and health education for kids in Africa).  She has spent time in Jordan and Syria and visited  the ancient city of Petra while in Jordan. Being an avid hiker Kate easily endured a 4 hour bus ride followed by a tricky 1 mile hike to gaze upon the magnificent city of Petra.  Google it, you’ll see what I mean and, what she’s seen.  She now has 4 of the 7 continents in her pocket.  She has also climbed Mt. Washington twice, which will come in handy next month as she travels to Peru to hike again, this time to Machu Picchu.

So, as you can see Gabrielle’s has many talented people who enjoy life, like what they do, and know how to present to you a great dining experience.  We want you to enjoy your next visit to the restaurant, and I’m sure you will.  Chef J and sous chef John will make sure of it..