Yes, Chef: never has there been a more fitting title for memoirs than this. Tuesday evening, chef Marcus Samuelsson and Skyy Vodka hosted a memorable evening at Ginny’s Supperclub, the subterranean lounge of Samuelsson’s acclaimed restaurant Red Rooster. The exclusive gathering benefitted City Harvest, and Skyy Vodka did its part keeping an endless flow of cocktails throughout the evening.
Yes, Chef chronicles Marcus Samuelsson’s remarkable journey from humble kitchens to some of the most demanding restaurants in Switzerland and France. And finally to New York where, through sheer determination, his ambitions came true at Aquavit – earning him a three-star rating at the age of 24 from the New York Times. From that point on, his career exploded between White House dinners, reality show triumphs and, most importantly, the opening of Red Rooster in Harlem, which fulfilled his dream of creating a multicultural dining room where the who’s who of Manhattan’s elite and UN dignitaries could mingle with artists, bus drivers, and nurses. For the first time, Samuelsson opens up about his emotional journey, as a grown man to meet the father he never knew. Yes, Chef encompasses the high price of success, both the highs and lows and the ultimate victory of the man with the singular passion.
Chef Marcus is a man with a dream, who faced every obstacle life laid before him and now shares it, and celebrates it with all those around him. Followers of this tastemaker – from Robert Verdi to Becca Parish—made the pilgrimage to the heart of Harlem to show their support, showing just how much one man’s journey, one man’s passion, and one man’s culinary creativity can affect the masses.
