Pastry Chef Michael Laiskonis | Recommendation Details - Find. Eat. Drink.
Pastry Chef Michael Laiskonis, Le Bernardin, Executive Pastry Chef, New York, NY, Manhattan, Fish, Eric Ripert, Brooklyn, Queens, Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, Illinois, Detroit, MI, Michigan, Tokyo, Japan, Drinks, Food Blogs, Cookbooks, Wine, Spirits, Haus Alpenz, Bars, Restaurants, Bakeries, Bakery, Markets, Food Stores, Purveyors, Spices
ELEVEN MADISON PARK
11 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010
T: 212.889.0905 (make a reservation)
For a full-on dining event, it’s a close tie between Corton and Eleven Madison Park. Both reflect exactly what I look for in both service and food- warm and comfortable atmosphere and a highly creative and fresh approach to cooking. And both restaurants certainly inspire me as a chef!
Flatiron
New American
CORTON
For a full-on dining event, it’s a close tie between Corton and Eleven Madison Park. Both reflect exactly what I look for in both service and food- warm and comfortable atmosphere and a highly creative and fresh approach to cooking. And both restaurants certainly inspire me as a chef!
Tribeca
Contemporary French
Restaurants - New York, NY
Photograph courtesy of Michael Laiskonis
FRANCOIS PAYARD BAKERY
Hands-down, it has to be Francois Payard Bakery. I was among the saddened multitudes when his UES shop closed; the newest move to Houston Street has proven worth the wait. And not only was Francois a huge early inspiration to me, I’m also proud of the fact that he is among the long line of great pastry chefs to precede me at Le Bernardin.
Greenwich Village
Bakery
For dessert: New York City is no doubt the epicenter of pastry talent, so it’s difficult to single out any one favorite, but I’ve been keeping a close eye on my friend Brooks Headley, at Del Posto. He’s managed to marry the simple and rustic ingredient-driven philosophy of Italian cooking with high refinement and subtlety. His desserts never fail to present some small technique or ingredient in a new light.
Chelsea
Italian
KABAB CAFE
25-12 Steinway Street, Astoria, NY 11103
T: 718.728.9858
It’s often just Ali himself in the tiny kitchen (calling it an ‘open’ kitchen would be overstating the obvious) turning out and then personally serving his unique interpretation of Egyptian cuisine. I think there is a fixed menu, but I’ve never ordered from it, preferring to just let him cook to his whim.
Astoria
Egyptian
Restaurants - Queens, NY
LADY JAY’S
The one spot I wish was in my own neighborhood is Lady Jay’s in Williamsburg. I miss Sam Mason’s work at Tailor, but until someone convinces him to get back into the kitchen, I’m more than happy to hang out at his bar. It’s everything I’d want- a simple, not-too-hip aesthetic, great music, no frills (and no TV).
Williamsburg
Bar
Patisseries / Bakeries - New York, NY
Bars - Brooklyn, NY
AGATA AND VALENTINA
New York City has to be the best place to be a cook, in that no matter how exotic a cuisine or ingredient, there’s a solid chance you’ll find it here. I’m extremely lucky to have Agata and Valentina around the corner as my local neighborhood market.
Upper East Side
Specialty Market
Markets & Food Purveyors - New York, NY
BANGKOK CENTER GROCERY
Chinatown
Thai Grocery
JB PRINCE
The ultimate toy store, stocking everything from tiny sauce spoons to high-tech immersion circulators (it’s very difficult to go in without buying something).
Murray Hill
Chefs’ Tools and Equipment Store
KALUSTYAN’S
It’s a great store for exploration. It seems no matter how often I visit, there’s always something new that I never noticed before.
Murray Hill
Spice Market
KITCHEN ARTS AND LETTERS
It’s the esteemed Upper East Side book store; whether in or out-of-print, if it’s about food they have it or know where to get it.
Upper East Side
Cookbook Store
There’s a great shop that’s recently opened on the far west end of Hell’s Kitchen, La Boîte À Epice run by Lior Lev Sercarz, who also supplies bulk spices and blends to the restaurant.
Hell’s Kitchen
Spices / Biscuits
TAKASHI
I worked with Takashi Yagihashi.
Bucktown / Wicker Park
Contemporary French
Restaurants - Chicago, IL
SIAM SPICY
29838 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, MI 48073
T: 248.545.4305
The one place I miss the most since moving to NYC is the no-frills Thai joint, Siam Spicy in Royal Oak, Michigan. There’s nothing inventive about it, just honest and boldly flavored classics.
Royal Oak
Thai
Restaurants - Detroit, MI
CITRONELLE
What really excites me are those chefs that are equally adept in both sweet and savory; Michel Richard of Washington DC’s Citronelle, for example, began as a pastry chef for the late Gaston Lenotre, and only later in his career opened restaurants taking control over the entire menu.
Georgetown
French
Restaurants - Washington, DC
TSUKIJI
I’ve visited Japan only once, but still call upon many meals and food experiences for inspiration, from an early-morning tour of Tokyo’s awe-inspiring Tsukiji fish market.
Tokyo
Fish Market
Markets - Tokyo, Japan
COOKING ISSUES
French Culinary Institute’s Tech’N Stuff Blog
I love Cooking Issues from the French Culinary Institute’s Dave Arnold-- he has this uncanny ability to provide insight and answers to questions we chefs didn’t realize we had!
Food Blog
Food Blogs
IDEAS IN FOOD
Highly accessible blog and book, co-written by Aki Kamozowa and Alex Talbot.
Food Blog
THE QUENELLE
Francisco Migoya is an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, and his first two books (a third is on the way) are industry benchmarks.
Food Blog
DESSERT FOURPLAY
Offers even novice pastry cooks a glimpse into the building blocks of stellar restaurant desserts.
Purchase on Amazon.com
Author: Johnny Iuzzini
BOOKS
PIERRE HERMÉ
Represents the gold standard in my mind, and his expansive ph10 represents the breadth of his work and his agility with both the classics and the modern.
Purchase on Amazon.com
Author: Pierre Hermé
MODERNIST CUISINE
I’m not alone in my praise and awe of Nathan Mhyvold’s epic, six-volume book.
Purchase on Amazon.com
Author: Nathan Mhyvold
PEDRO XIMENEZ
Available at these retailers.
I also love pairing desserts with all manner of sweet wines, but if I have to name a favorite, it would be the wonderfully nutty and rich Pedro Ximenez sherries from Spain (which, by the way, would pair well with the Paris-Brest! - see recipe).
Spain / Jerez
Sherry
Wine & Spirits
ZIRBENZ
I’m a huge fan of the after-dinner drink, be it herbal and complex-- I love the odd pine flavor Zirbenz from Austria.
Austria / Alps
Stone Pine Liqueur
Pastry Chef Michael Laiskonis
April 12, 2011
Who
The Creative Director at the Institute of Culinary Education and previously the Executive Pastry Chef of Le Bernardin in New York.
Why
The award-winning chef is known as one of the foremost pastry chefs in the United States for his outstanding expertise and exquisite desserts.
Creative Director - Institute of Culinary Education - New York, NY
Recommendations
Michael Laiskonis’ recommendations for where to eat, drink and shop in New York, Brooklyn, Queens, Chicago, Michigan, Washington DC, and Tokyo.
