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HAVING WORDS WITH Laurent Tourondel EXECUTIVE CHEF-OWNER, BLT RESTAURANTS

HAVING WORDS WITH Laurent Tourondel EXECUTIVE CHEF-OWNER, BLT RESTAURANTS

The last year has been a busy one for Laurent Tourondel. In the past nine months, the New York-based executive chef-owner of multiconcept BLT Restaurants has doubled the number of properties in his portfolio.

After making a name for himself in New York with his high-end BLT Steak, BLT Prime and BLT Fish, he has taken BLT Steak to two new cities and also developed two additional concepts for the BLT—or Bistro Laurent Tourondel—lineup.

The more casual BLT Burger opened last fall in New York City. About a month later, Tourondel opened a BLT Steak at the Ritz-Carlton in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Within weeks of that debut, he opened another BLT Steak in Washington, D.C.

These days he is focused on his latest project, BLT Market, a restaurant set to open this summer in the Ritz-Carlton near Central Park in New York City that will highlight fresh, seasonal products. And his long-term vision calls for more BLT restaurants in other U.S. cities, possibly including Los Angeles and Dallas.

But even as he nurtures those plans, Tourondel remains focused on the little things that built his career. From serving signature items—like popovers before a meal—to flying in products from hundreds of miles away, Tourondel strives to ensure that the “casual elegant dining” experience is executed flawlessly for each guest.

Tell me about BLT Market.

It’s a new concept mostly based on seasonal products. We’re trying to introduce simple dining and elegant dining at the Ritz-Carlton. We have a very seasonal menu, almost “monthly seasonal.” And when I say monthly seasonal, I mean a new menu every month, 12 menus a year. We will run a list of the month’s featured ingredients on the side of the menu and will be doing the menu according to the products of the month.

FAST FACTS

BIRTH DATE: Dec. 25, 1966 BIRTHPLACE: Montluçon, France EDUCATION: Saint Vincent École de Cuisine, Montluçon, France

Why did you open a restaurant in Puerto Rico?

I was approached about doing something inside the hotel, so I went to the property and I fell in love with it. I saw great potential for a restaurant to be busy and to accommodate guests of the hotel and the local people.

Why did you decide to keep your standard BLT Steak menu there instead of adapting to San Juan’s local flavors or products?

I think there are local restaurants there that do local food better than I could do. We have a couple of dishes that are more adapted to Puerto Rico’s style of cooking. We run some specials in that [Caribbean] style, and we also have sundaes with piña colada flavors. But mostly the menu is the same because the people who eat here and know our restaurant will expect for us to have the same thing in Puerto Rico.

With six, and soon seven, restaurants in three cities, how do you maintain consistency?

It’s always something you worry about, but it’s always something you can work on. Opening a restaurant and walking away does not work. That is why I am in the kitchen almost every night. I keep going to my restaurants, finding new stuff and bringing new ideas for the front- and back-of-the-house.

How have your background and career shaped your cuisine?

I traveled a lot. I think that’s made a big difference in what I do now. I’ve lived in several countries. I read a lot. I trained a lot. Traveling within the United States was important to me, too. I’m a big fan of American culture. That’s why I built a steakhouse. I try to incorporate different styles of cooking from within the United States, too. [At BLT Steak] we have some barbecue on the menu, and at BLT Fish we have seafood from Maine.

What do you find most satisfying on the job?

I’m happy when I see people leave happy. I’m happy when I see the food going out the way I want. I’m happy when the chefs who work for me try to keep consistency in the kitchen, when they’re enthusiastic to work for BLT.

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