Antoinette folded her hands in front of her apron and gave a regal nod. “Chef, I am from Bordeaux. They are aspecialty of my region. I can make the bread today and have them ready to bake tomorrow.”
Right, because most breads needed to rest overnight for optimal flavor…
Launching their first special on Friday night would be perfect.
“Wonderful!” She bounced in her high-tops. “I want the crème custard infused with kumquat to match the oysters.”
Her pastry chef blinked. “With the oysters, Chef?”
What was she missing here? “Is that too weird?”
The woman lifted her shoulder, her eyes scanning right and left. Madison turned around. The kitchen was silent again. “No, Chef.”
God, this one was clearly still hesitant to give her opinions. “Please. I want to hear your honest thoughts.”
“Well,” she said slowly, “they are a snack. People usually have them with acaféor tea.”
She turned around and held the pastry up. “Who else has opinions?”
Her question broke the proverbial ice like a mallet on sugar glass. Everyone had an opinion about when to eat the reveredcanelé.The French were great that way. Passionate. Firm in their convictions. She munched on the rest of her pastry as heated conversation danced around her. Once the arguments died down, she gave her best devious smile.
“I seem to have struck a chord. So tomorrow night, for our first special, we will serve raw oysters with pickled kumquats and crème fraiche accompanied by mini-canelés filled with kumquat crème. Now this is exciting! Anyone want to finish the rest of these pastries?”
Too many hands went up, so she detoured back to the bakery and bought out the rest of the pastries for her staff.
By the time Friday dinner service rolled around, she was in the zone. Every cooking instrument felt like an extension of her own hand. The cherry sauce for her duck simmered, thesound sheer perfection to her ears. The smell of vanilla, caramelized sugar, and Jamaican rum, along with her kumquats, added extra spice to the kitchen.
Tonight was going to rock!
Kyle, sex, and the Romance Shrine was working. Too bad he hadn’t hired the former Michelin critic yet. She’d loved to receive some professional notes on their special.
When hermaître d’appeared beside her at the stove, she stiffened. There was only one reason the head from the front of the house would come back to the kitchen during dinner service, and she knew it wasn’t for a problem. They were killing it. “Who’s out there?”
Her palms grew damp. God, had they finally IDed a Michelin critic?
Claude leaned forward and whispered the name in her ear. The person wasn’t with Michelin, but she still almost dropped the spoon in her hand. He was one of the most famous food critics in the world: William Silver. Holy shit!
“Thank you, Claude,” she said, her voice calmer than she felt. “Make sure he gets whatever he wants.”
The rest of the staff was working, but they were on alert. She didn’t bother to tell them who it was. Her kitchen’s policy was to cook as if everyone was a critic. Even so, she knew William Silver’s review was going to be huge. He published in various leading newspapers now, given his stature.
All she wanted to do was text Kyle. That William Silver had come to Nanine’s was its own compliment, but when he ordered her kumquat special, she was swaying to a Latin beat in her head as she plated it and added the three accompanying warm mini-canelés.She sent Pierre a sly smile as she handed it to the server. He nodded crisply and took off with an all-business stride.
She did her best to block out the knowledge that Silver was eating her special. Her training at La Fleur in Miami had taught her to keep her mental focus when someone bigdropped in to eat. They didn’t have a Michelin star for nothing. This felt different, though. She was head chef now. Sure, they’d gotten a lot of praise so far, but if William Silver enjoyed her special, it would be like Clint Eastwood liking your movie.
When hermaître d’returned to her side, she leaned in. “Mr. Silver said the special was one of the most excellent dishes he’s ever had.”
She clenched her teeth to stop herself from shouting out,Yes!“Good to know.”
“He’s eager to enjoy the rest of the menu,” Claude informed her, making her fight the smile that wanted to break through. “And he sends his compliments to you. Personally.”
She would have to dance around and celebrate later. In the meantime, she retained her aloof air and said, “Please thank him for his regard.”
Claude gave his semi-formal bow and left the kitchen. She could feel the staff watching and decided to give them a boon. Turning around, she gave a thumbs-up. “Good job, Antoinette,” she made sure to call.
The woman’s mouth curved, but she got back to work. So did Madison. By the end of the evening, Claude had returned twice more with compliments from William Silver. By then, she was bursting with pride. She wanted to text Kyle so bad. Heck, she wanted to run up the stairs and tell Nanine. She…wanted to wrap her arms around herself for a moment and let it all sink in.
This confirmed it: her romance with Kyle was inspiring her to new heights. William Silver’s praise was all the validation she needed.
