Chez Panisse is one of the most important restaurants in America. Opened in 1971 by Alice Waters, Chez Panisse was one of the first restaurants to focus solely on seasonal produce and farm-to-table menus. Almost every modern restaurant in the United States has been somewhat inspired by Chez Panisse’s philosophy, highlighting ingredient quality as a cornerstone of their food. Chez Panisse features both the restaurant downstairs and the café upstairs, which features an à la carte menu and a La Marzocco Linea Classic. We were recently given the chance to visit Chez Panisse during their prep time to see firsthand the important role that espresso plays in the restaurant behind the scenes.
Prep work starts early in the morning, with some kitchen staff working to get the café ready to open while others start breaking down vegetables for the dinner menu.
With daily changing menus, running Chez Panisse takes a lot of planning, pivoting, and execution. Depending on what produce and proteins were available locally, the menu at Chez Panisse can shift at a moment’s notice to accommodate fresh spring asparagus or late harvest tomatoes, for example.
On this day, Nabeel Silmi of Grand Coffee was visiting and brought a round of cappuccinos to the kitchen staff in the main kitchen. Typically, the bar staff arrives around 3:00 pm and begins making drinks for everyone, so the early in the day cappuccino break was welcomed by all.
Ramps cannot be easily farmed, so most are foraged from forested areas. For that reason, most restaurants tend to shy away from featuring them on the menu. With their seasonal focus, however, Chez Panisse is able to pivot whenever a treasure trove of wild foraged ramps becomes available to them.
With how intricate their dinner menu can be, many hands are required to prep for every course—espeically dessert. Fresh citrus plays a large role in Chez Panisse’s dessert menu due to how well California’s climate is suited for citrus.
As dinner prep begins to wind down, the kitchen staff takes inventory of their tasks for the day and what needs to happen to finalize service. It’s a time of reflection, and yes, even more coffee for some.
Meanwhile, the front-of-house staff is prepping for that day’s menu. Many servers take notes during the staff meeting to help them remember details about each brand-new dish for that day.
Just before service begins, most of the staff take a moment to prepare themselves for the incoming flurry of diners. This is the last chance to familiarize themselves with the menu or make last-minute tweaks.
When dinner service begins at 4:30 pm, the staff finish the last bits of their pre-shift espresso and prepare to execute some of the best food ever to grace a restaurant’s table. The anticipation is palpable, and a powerful aura begins to fill the dining room.
Visit Chez Panisse at their website and on Instagram.
Photos by Ellen Mary Cronin.
