Dotting the Is and crossing the Ts in the kitchen

Overseeing nine restaurants, John Schenk is very much a big-picture kind of guy. Hard to believe his career path was once headed down the literary road--or is it?

Listening to this high school English teacherturned- chef wax poetic on his humble Dickensian beginnings on his family farm--where the food "had all the colors and vibrancy of life"--one realizes he has a way with words, not to mention food and kitchens. From the tales' re-telling, it is apparent that he has graced his fair share of them. Meet John Schenk, Executive Chef of Strip House. While his qualifications speak for themselves, they tell us nothing about his zeal for his craft; that comes from within. "When I was the executive sous-chef at Gotham, everyone on the staff was a CIA grad, with two exceptions: Jacinto, the junior sous chef, and myself, the executive sous chef. We had both come up through the ranks." But it is more than sheer years of experience that makes Schenk the force he is today; it is a gentle appreciation for the evolution of the food industry, a realistic consideration of his own talents and how to apply them, and an instilled passion for cooking that resides in his DNA from generations past that shape his real credentials. Today, Chef John Schenk spends the bulk of his time traveling between each of the nine Strip House locations to make sure both the food and service are consistently top rate, but he definitely has a soft spot for his two favorites: "If Houston is my left foot, then Las Vegas is my left arm. I really built those two restaurants brick by brick with the Glaziers. I have a profound psychological investment in them--they reflect my passion for the business."

Continue reading Dotting the Is and crossing the Ts in the kitchen.

Dressing the room at strip house

With the space secured, the name decided, and the concept out on the table, the Glaziers called upon architectural visionary David Rockwell to dress the room. Rockwell moved the design past the clubby era of traditional steakhouses to a modern, sultry, and sexy feel, while still maintaining a wink to the past.

In 1925, when amateur singer-turned-restaurateur Adolpho Mariani opened a small speakeasy in the East Village, he had no idea it would become a landmark restaurant that would attract everyone from opera stars to boxing champs. He was just an Italian who loved to sing opera, so all of the restaurant staff, from chefs and bartenders to the hatcheck girl and even Adolpho himself, would perform nightly for diners. In the end, the restaurant walls were covered with over a thousand autographed photos of the many frequent stars, including Jerome Hines, Rocky Marciano, Gian Carlo Menotti, Babe Ruth, and Joan Sutherland. It was a relaxed family business that was passed onto Auggie Mariani upon the death of his father.

When Penny, Peter, and Mathew Glazier acquired the legendary space, they turned to David Rockwell to guide the interior design for their new restaurant. From the start, they all agreed that the concept should reflect Asti's long-standing reputation as a place for joyous celebration. While the wall of more than 1,200 celebrity photos and the original tile floor remain, Rockwell reinvented the Asti's space to appeal to both men and women. The interior features rich, luxurious materials including silk, velvet, and leather, with red as the predominant color. The custom-made wallpaper and carpet include silhouettes of strippers. The cocktail lounge has coffee tables made of glass and plush red leather seating. The maître d stand designed in the shape of a woman, the bouillon fringe on much of the custom furniture, and the custom lamp shades with beaded trim are all details that evoke images of femininity-overwhelmingly saucy, sexy, and perhaps a bit brothel.

The women's bathrooms have penny-tile floors, vintage wallpaper from the 1930s, and solid mahogany seats. Each stall has several images of burlesque women. It could almost be a boudoir, with antique mirrors and lamp shades made with leopardprint material. The men's bathrooms have lamp shades made from men's shirting fabric.

the Quest for Q

Chef John Schenk's passion for food extends beyond the walls of each Strip House location. With a nose for smoke and an insatiable hankering for the best BBQ around, Schenk searches high and low to answer what could be one of the most hotly debated food subjects in America. These are his favorites:

NEW YORK
The Smoke Joint
87 South Elliott Place
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718.797.1011
thesmokejoint.com

I fell into this place after playing tennis in Fort Greene Park. There it stood, like a smoky beacon on a distant hill, calling my name. The Hacked Pork and the Beef Short Ribs have a real competition going on between them. Both are dry-spice rubbed and packed with flavor, and pair well with the dipping sauces. I consider the Smoky Greens and 'Cued Beans the dynamic duo of my culinary palate--I could eat those all day long! There's lots of love of BBQ here!

Continue reading the Quest for Q.

StripHouse (F 08)

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