All hands on deck as chefs help New Yorkers
Some of New York's top chefs and kitchen staff have teamed up to help feed rescue workers following the terrorist attacks in Manhattan on 11 September.
The day after the World Trade Center tragedy, Don Pintabona, executive chef at the award-winning TriBeCa Grill, contacted the operators of the Spirit of New York, a harbour cruise ship, and asked for their help in setting up a temporary catering operation.
"There was no way anyone could set up a restaurant on land. They just couldn't get into the [damaged] zone," said Steve Schwartz, regional director of Spirit Cruises.
The ship was moved from Chelsea Piers in midtown Manhattan to the Battery Park sea wall near the site of the World Trade Center. A little over 24 hours after Pintabona's call, the first food was being served on board. Meals were cooked at the participating restaurants, taken to the ship, reheated and served on board.
Twelve restaurants have been involved in the operation, including Aureole, Daniel, Gotham Bar & Grill, Park Avenue Café, and food service and restaurant firm Restaurant Associates.
"In the beginning, the food was very much gourmet food, like chicken and veal dishes. But then they started to run out because of the demand," said Schwartz.
The restaurants have since been preparing more mass-catering dishes, such as lasagne and turkey breasts. At its peak, the relief restaurant has been serving 25,000 portions a day.
"We're getting relief workers, the FBI, emergency management workers… It's becoming the place to eat for anyone involved," said Schwartz.
He puts the cost of food alone at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Staff of the restaurants and cruise ship have donated their hours free in what has been a dark time for New York's restaurants.
The TriBeCa Grill, a few streets from the site of the attack, was temporarily closed because it had no electricity. Food and drink suppliers have supplemented the food given by restaurants, and there have been donations of goods such as napkins, paper cups and mobile phones.
Schwartz brought in the American Red Cross to manage the operation when demand began to rise. He and the restaurants plan to continue the effort until the end of this week, when the Spirit of New York resumes its lunch and dinner cruises.
The American Red Cross said it was looking into paying contract caterers to continue its many feeding operations around the city.
by Gillian Drummond
