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Chef Charles Tutino Interview
(Chef at Capsouto Freres Restaurant in New York)
Charles Tutino, the
chef at Capsouto Freres Restaurant in New York has been proclaimed a “rising
star” by the James Beard Foundation.
Charles graduated with a degree in economics from New York University and
worked for the Exxon Corporation and then the Federal Reserve Bank of New
York until he decided to leave a career in finance to pursue a career as a
chef. He also enjoyed reading the cookbooks of Elizabeth David, Julin Child,
and James Beard as well as cooking and creating dishes for his family and
friends.
He decided the best approach to becoming a chef would be to apprentice
in a professional kitchen, rather than to train at a culinary school. So,
he made the rounds of the Top French restaurants in New York City.
Among the restaurants he applied to was the legendary La Cote Basque, newly
re-opened by Jean-Jacques Rachou. Rachou, impressed by Charles’ enthusiasm
and determination, hired him as assistant (comis) to the night poissonier
(fish chef) at less than one third of his salary in finance.
During his six years at La Cote Basque, he rose through the ranks, working
every station in the kitchen, ultimately including those of poissonier and
saucier, the two most important positions at La Cote Basque.
Under Rachou’s classical guidance, Charles was able to bring innovation
to the cuisine including the introduction of natural reduction sauces and
eliminating roux’s.
In 1986, Charles Tutino became the Chef at Capsouto Freres Restaurant.
We spoke with Chef Charles Tutino about his rise in the restaurant business.
Q – Chef Charles, The New York Times called Capsuto Restaurant, “charming”.
What makes the restaurant charming?
A – Well, we’re in a landmark building that dates to 1891.
It’s a warehouse that’s been renovated. The upper floors
are apartments, but, the ground floor is a restaurant. It’s an
unusual building for Manhattan. It’s in a Dutch-style, so it really
stands out. We’re in a warehouse district and most of the other
buildings I would say look like Civil War type (buildings)-----the Neo-Roman
classical style. Sort of flat, square boxes made out of brick. But, this
one is a beige brick and it’s got little gables on top. Right off
the bat, it’s set apart from the whole neighborhood. And inside,
it’s got very tall ceilings. There’s a lot of space between
the tables so people have a very comfortable feeling. It’s brick-lined
walls. I think that’s what makes it charming. The inside contrasts
so much to the outside.
Q – The restaurant has been there for how
long?
A – Since 1980.
Q – And how long have you been there?
A – Since 1986.
Q – You believe food is for eating. Are
there some chefs and restaurants that prepare food just to have you
marvel at it?
A – As in everything, I think you’re gonna find that people
have different approaches. Some people are gonna have a more cosmetic
approach, not to say they’re ignoring the taste aspect of it, but,
the more cosmetic you get , the more I think the taste suffers. Our approach
is to present the food simply. It’s not just put on the plate.
There is an eye to it. There is a feel to it. But, the focus is on the
food and the simpleness of it. When we do a grilled fish, we save it
with accompaniments. We’re doing a wild-striped bass now. We’re
serving it with purnted potatoes and a raspberry vinegar sauce. The fish
itself is just plainly grilled. And then the sauce and the accompaniments
compliment it, as opposed to being blanketed under a sauce or trying
to do some unusual presentation with it. We always try to have a simply
grilled fish on the menu. We do a roast duck where we take regular Peking
ducks and we roast ‘em very well, with herbs and garlic and ginger.
We keep them on the bone when they’re heated up for the customer
and we bone them just before they’re put out so they stay moist
and crispy.
Q – Do you make all of the jams, breads,
pates, sausages, ice-creams and sorbets from scratch?
A – Well, that’s what we’re here for. We’re not
here to be a retail store. We buy the rolls that are served with dinner,
but, the ice-cream is made here and the sorbet. We make a bread for the
eggs benedict. We make a black bread for the salmon, the smoked salmon
we serve. There’s almost nothing out of a can. Occasionally of
tomatoes are not available, we’ll open a can of tomatoes. But,
the idea is to do everything from scratch.
Q – That has to be terribly time consuming.
A – It’s time consuming, but, that’s what we’re
here for. The Sous Chef Chef comes in at 7am and he stays ‘til
4pm. He starts making the sauces. We start getting things ready on the
cold side. Get apples and peel them. We try to keep four flavors of sorbet.
When we start to run low, we pick up another flavor and try to be seasonal.
We don’t really buy purees. You can buy frozen purees for the sorbets.
We go with whatever fruits are in season. Right now, pears are in season,
so, we’re making a pear sorbet. In the summer there’s raspberries
and strawberries and blueberries. And now, also citrus, because the winter.
So, we start with lemon sorbet, orange sorbet. We’ll make a grapefruit
marmalade and a lemon marmalade and a pear jam and a quince jam for brunch.
Q – What time does the restaurant open?
A – Lunch begins at 12 and goes to 3:30pm. Dinner opens from 6
to 11 during the week, and till midnight during the weekends, Friday
and Saturday. Sundays, it’s back to 11 again.
Q – Would you say that making everything
from scratch is what separates Capsouto from your competition?
A – Well, I would hope so. Our grapefruit marmalade is much lighter.
It’s not as sweet. The ice-cream here you couldn’t buy this
ice-cream. We make it with egg yolks, cream and milk. So, it’s
very rich and satisfying. We try and do unusual cream now. We roast pumpkins
and we sweeten them with sugar and molasses and cinnamon all spice clove,
not mace and vanilla and then puree that and then add that to the ice-cream
to get a pumpkin ice-cream. We’re serving that with cinnamon butterscotch
sauce. So, the combinations are a little bit unusual. We try to pick
up things that you wouldn’t be able to get other places.
Q – You were a stockbroker before you became
a chef?
A – Well, I worked at the Federal Reserve Bank which is not a regular
bank. I was in the government securities department. The bank has a regulatory
function and it was the government bond dealers. They had to file reports
and we had to check the reports and make sure everything was o.k.
Q – Why did you leave?
A – A lot of people use that position as a stepping stone to go
into the government bond world or to become a broker. I figured if I
was gonna spend my whole life working I should do something I wanted
to do and cooking seemed to be something I wanted to do.
Q – How did you know that?
A – Oh, I liked to do it home. I didn’t do anything formal
as far as culinary education, and I took a chance. I just sort of went
around and knocked on doors of restaurants to see if I could get a job.
Q – Has your background in finance helped
you at all in the kitchen?
A – It doesn’t hurt. It’s a little bit arcane to this.
What we were doing there is not something that’s really relevant
to running a business. We’re not doing re-purchase agreements or
buying back government bonds that we don’t own. (Laughs). So, it’s
not really relevant to this, but, like my experience it comes in a little
bit here, a little bit there.
Q – You knocked on doors of the top French
restaurants in New York looking for work. What type of work were you
looking for?
A – Just to start. Just to get in the kitchen.
Q – What were you told?
A – I went to the Four Seasons but, they didn’t have anything
open. I went to Le Caravelle and talked to the chef there, but, he didn’t
have anything open. I was lucky I went to La Cote Basque and Jean-Jacques
Rachou had just bought it and opened it, so, he needed people. He staffed
his kitchen with Americans. He needed somebody at a very low level. He
was intrigued I think by the fact that I came in and said I was willing
to work for nothing. He paid me, but, to start at the bottom. I started
as a comis position which was as an assistant to the night poissonier,
the person who cooks the fish. And, I had to peel the shrimp, and clean
the scallops and chop the onions for him. I got to work on the line from
the first day, helping him. So, I was thrown right into it.
Q – Was it always in your mind to open your
own place?
A – Well, I think there’s always that desire to open your
own place. I think it’s in the back of every chef’s mind.
It just depends when the opportunity is there.
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