Not a day goes by when I don't think of Michael O'Grady. I can't forget the creative ways he coached and mentored so many to new heights. In this series, “Lessons Learned from the Magnificent Manager,” I'll share my insights, breakthroughs, tools, and techniques, which honor Michael’s legacy of helping others grow and succeed.
Celebrity chef Todd Gray of Equinox in Washington, D.C., is draped with numerous awards. He’s been lauded in Gourmet, Esquire, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, and the Washington Post and was nominated five times for the James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic award. But, unlike many celebrity chefs, Todd is cut from a different cloth.
On a bright February morning, I sit in the wine room with Chef Todd. “How did it all start?” I ask. “Well, I graduated from the CIA in 1989 when all the rage was around French chef Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque in New York. I spent four years here in D.C. with Robert Greault at the legendary La Colline. Then I moved across town to work with Italian master Roberto Donna at Galileo as the chef de cuisine. It was pasta meets foie gras!” laughs Todd. “But, naturally, I wanted my own place.
“When my wife and partner Ellen and I opened Equinox in 1999, we set out to create not only a center of new American cuisine but a restaurant where our staff would be an essential part of the landscape. Ellen’s vision was to build a sales team that would educate while still being both funky and warm.
“Every day at 11:10 a.m. and 5:10 p.m., we sit in this wine room and go over everything from soup to nuts.” At the evening pre-shift, Todd sparks discussion and rapidly fires questions: “Edward, how’re you going to describe the local rib rack of pork with pomegranate juice? How did it get from the farm to the plate? Okay, the butternut squash soup has been on the menu for five days. Bring out another one. Let’s go over it again. This is celeriac. Chef Phillip, whack it open and pass it around. This is how it should smell. Simo, why do you like the smoky blue cheese? What would you say about it? ‘It’s barnyard and perfumey,’ he replies. Cool, get out there and sell it. Use your own language. Let’s keep driving it home,” Todd pushes.
After everyone leaves, Todd returns. “Ellen’s and my wish always was to have all 35 of us stand arm in arm and be able to say, ‘We rock!’ In the end, I hope each person takes away something bigger: an awareness of how vital food is in our lives. I hope we will be a little healthier, more conscious of our environment, and maybe drink a little less too,” Todd laughs.
Now I understand what sets Todd apart. He’s not only a rare culinary talent, but a hospitality Renaissance man who educates, mentors, and champions his staff.
Bob Brown, president of Bob Brown Service Solutions, www.bobbrownss.com, pioneered Marriott's Service Excellence Program and has worked with clients such as Disney, Hilton, Morton's of Chicago, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster. He has appeared on the Food Network and Hospitality Television and is author of The Little Brown Book of Restaurant Success and The Big Brown Book of Manager's Success.© Bob Brown Service Solutions 2008.
Bob Brown is a management consultant who has worked with such clients as Disney, Nordstrom, Marriott, Ritz Carlton, Hilton, Morton’s of Chicago, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Longhorn Steakhouse, Coors Brewing and hundreds of other restaurants, clubs, and casinos.