Kitchen quintessential

Photographs by: Caroline Voagen Nelson

Traditional brigade kitchen

Eleven Madison Park
(11 Madison Ave at 24th St, 212-889-0905)

Once upon a time, professional kitchens were dungeons of disorder, where foulmouthed ruffians ruled the hearth. Then came Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935), the godfather of classic French cooking, who replaced the chaos with a military-like hierarchy known as the brigade system. With clearly defined roles and responsibilities, kitchen staffs became more efficient, capable of serving the public the type of food that previously was available only to nobility. Some kitchens, like EMP’s, still stick closely to Escoffier’s original vision. This real-life blueprint outlines the crew members’ turf as well as their tasks.

—Daniel Gritzer

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