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Business Lessons From a Pastry Chef
We’re introducing a new component to Gains Pains & Capital: an editorial focus on successful business practices and entrepreneurialism. Too much economic commentary focuses strictly on the markets… which, as we all know, is not the same thing as the economy.
So once a week, we’re going to be focusing on entrepreneurs, businesspeople, and artists from all walks of life who are using their talents to create high quality products and services that sell, potentially create jobs, and ultimately put the economy back on track.
This week we’re talking to Mark Courseille, head pastry chef at Michel, the newest restaurant to be opened by food legend and all around culinary genius Michel Richard (you’ll hear more about him in a week or two) in Tyson’s Corner Virginia.
I first met Courseille after my wife and I enjoyed one of the best meals of our lives at Michel. The highlight of the night was the “chicken” we had for dessert, one of Courseille’s signature dishes.
See for yourself.
This is a meringue, shaped like a hen, filled with luscious ice cream and sitting atop a nest of brittle sugar “straw,” whipped cream, and a pool of caramel syrup.
The combination of textures and flavors was absolutely incredible. In each bite you had the sweet but brittle meringue combined with the soft, cold ice cream, as well as the caramel and sugar “nest” Add to these unbelievable flavors the sheer fun of having “chicken” for dessert and this was hands down the most memorable dessert my wife and I have ever shared.
However, this was more than just a dessert, it was almost a marketing tool for the restaurant as a whole: as soon as our order came out, every table around us ordered one too. By the time we’d left I counted six others being served… all based solely on the appearance of our initial order.
Needless to say, Courseille had created something that was not only delicious, but an additional revenue stream for his employer (the “chicken” sells for $12, and to be honest, I would have paid $20 for it, it’s that good). Whether the guy knows it or not, he’s a marketing genius (on top of a master pastry chef). I had to meet him.
We recently sat down for coffee and talked desserts, the restaurant industry and more. The first thing I asked him was what inspired the “chicken” dessert.
“When people eat desert, they do it for pleasure, not out of hunger. So I try to create something that will make them happy, not just something that tastes great. I want my desserts to be fun, desserts that remind them of their childhood, something they will remember after they’ve left the restaurant and will tell their friends about.”
How do you do this?
“For me pastry is about presentation as much as it is about taste. If you are just going to go for taste, people will enjoy it, but it will not stand out in their minds. So for my desserts, I really try to be very precise and meticulous in the presentation. I try to make something people enjoy seeing as well as eating.”
But your desserts aren’t simply interesting to look at; they’re almost funny or playful. You make everything from Christmas Trees to Clowns.
“That is something I learned from Michel (Richard, 2007 James Beard winner for outstanding chef and owner of Michel where Courseille works). He was also a pastry chef before he became a chef. And he’s one of the masters of creativity in the kitchen. For instance, he designed a crème-caramel cheesecake. Normally when you eat American cheesecake, it’s heavy and leaves you very full.
So Michel combined a crème-caramel, a light French dessert, with cheesecake, a heavy American dessert, to make something that was both familiar and yet completely new. So when people ordered it, they get something that surprised them and made them laugh. It was not only delicious, but it created a very strong reaction for people so they remembered it. That’s the same impact I want my desserts to have.”
It’s also a unique hybrid of French and American cuisine. You’re combining two traditions into making something new.
“Exactly. This is the future of pastry and the restaurant industry in general. People don’t want just traditional French or American pastry. They can get this anywhere. Instead, you have to merge those two cuisines or find some other unique approach to creating food that people cannot find anywhere else. You need to make yourself stand out in some way, not just in terms of quality, but in terms of perspective.
This is a big focus for us at Michel: giving people something delicious that they cannot get anywhere else so they will remember it and hopefully come back for more of.”
It sounds like you aren’t making desserts, you’re making experiences.
“Yes. I am trying to make something that will make people feel good. As I said earlier, it’s not just taste. That is a big part of French culture that I’ve kept with me. In France you don’t rush cooking or eating. You don’t mind spending a lot of time cooking something that is really good. Eating good food especially with family and friends is a big part of my culture.”
And now you’re sharing that with the US.
“Yes. The restaurant industry has changed a lot in the last ten years. Before then, restaurants served either traditional food at a moderate price or very fancy food that was very expensive. But today you find that food and cooking are more celebrated in the US. People no longer go out just to eat all the time. More and more they go out to have something good. So the spectrum has become much wider allowing for many new perspectives.”
Has the recession changed this at all?
“A little bit. In the last few years, people went out more to celebrate things like a birthday or an anniversary than just to eat dinner. But if you focus on quality and offer something unique and memorable, people will come to eat at your restaurant even if they eat out less.”
So the economy makes them more selective.
“Exactly. That’s why I try to be creative with my desserts at Michel. People are now more careful about how they spend their money. So I have to really create something great that they will remember and want more of. “
This is the future of restaurants as you put it.
“Yes. People will pay for quality. But you cannot just charge any price. If you charge like $40 for a dessert, even if it’s an amazing dessert, people think to themselves, “That was good, but was it $40 good?” Price is not that flexible. So you need to create something of quality, that is memorable, and doesn’t cost too much. You don’t want the person to feel anything other than good at the end of the meal.
That’s exactly what I thought when I ate the “chicken.” I only remember that it was amazing and how fun it looked. To be honest I didn’t even remember what it cost.
“Then I’ve done my job well.”
You know it’s interesting… without saying it explicitly, you’ve touched on three of the most important attributes of any businessman or entrepreneur. They are 1) to master a talent or skill. 2) Use that talent to create or offer something people value 3) Figure out the “sweet” spot for pricing.
“That is exactly how restaurants work, at least the ones that will succeed going forward. Chefs will have to be creative and original. They will have to create an experience that is memorable. That is what I try to do every day in the kitchen.”
Thanks for the thoughts Mark. We wish you and the rest of the folks at Michel great success.
“Thank you.”
My advice to readers and investors: do yourself a favor… consider what Mark is saying from the perspective of your own business or work. How can you do things in a way that will make people remember you and your work? What kind of experience are you making or selling with your product or service? And if you’re not selling an experience… why not? How could you create one for your clients?
Finally, to anyone who enjoys fine dining, I highly suggest swinging by Michel in Tyson’s Corner if you’re ever near the DC area. Anything you eat there will be amazing. Just make sure you save room for dessert. Who knows, you may find yourself whipping up a business idea of your own.
At the very least, you’ll have eaten one of the best meals of your life.
For more business insights, investment ideas, and market commentary, swing by http://www.gainspainscapital.com/
Graham Summers
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So was that 2 eggs or 3? And was it whole eggs or just whites? Thanks.
I wish you guys would just stop posting your tripe and STFU. You had better be a paid contributor or Tyler has done a Linda Blair and the oxygen flowing to his brain is gone and he is covered in slime. I mean seriously, Graham, you are in the same flogging newsletter business as the worst of them, like Weiss/Safe Money which 2 1/2 years ago when the SKF started to tank, they told their customers to hang in there without the simplest understanding of leveraged ETF's..
Can't you just give us a rest with your endless I'll give you this for free if you will tolerate 2000 emails a month for the latest and MOST IMPORTANT EVER PIECE OF INFORMATION YOU WILL EVER NEED???? I tested it on a fake email. You guys deliver. Sales pitch, after sales pitch (I'm talking ZH now) and you just won't even give us some time off since there are always newbies to cast your line and reel them in.
I hope you pay for this exposure. For ZH servers if nothing else. ArGH!
OT...
It may just be me..., but all the ZH articles seem to be at least 2 days old.
Where is everybody...., where did everybody go?
I feel like I just went one step beyond the outer limits of the twilight zone!
I'm starting to hyper-ventilate...
The Sugar Shack in Reedsport Oregon has lots of tempting treats with a unique unnaturally bright combination of colors and processed hydrogenated stuff that will fill you with a generous helping of oil and sugar; to wit: the Bigfoot.
It's Sunday afternoon. There is no hot breaking financial news. So, we get something mildly amusing instead.
OK.
If we are talking about food, give me a platter of ribs Kansas City style with a bowl of cole slaw, a basket of sourdough bread and a pitcher of beer and you will see a happy man.
Business lessons from a blogger state what would've been a personal (and intimate) celebration was transformed into and written off as a business expense. Brilliant.
Maybe he will invent a red necked goose pate for the trolls who love being ganderd by a chef whose true credential to gourmet status is that he understands the three essentials of commercial life 1° location 2° location 3° location.
Not that I find his food unimaginative. On the contrary. As for its taste and smell, as Dolly says so aptly above, I'm too far away to get a sniff or a lick. But that sounds erotic, so I'll say no more. Gourmet eating is epicurean, its eroticism stays silent as in some great movies...
Good article.
Now Truckstops in the USA have gone downhill by adding mcdonalds, subway or minimal self serve lines and eliminating booths, tables and benches as well as the counter. In essence it's more profitable to run a place and have the drivers do it themselves unable to stay long and relax with no staff.
So you throw in a Genset, provide and wire for house power. Turn one corner of the cab into a kitchen and fix, cook and eat the food yourself. It has been very useful in mountains storms where it might take a week for anyone to reach you by snow cat or weather to improve enough to move on.
I used to run for Darden, the supplier of Red Lobster. Without fail, the food coming off the trailer into the building are all top notch. I generally am allowed to stay and eat a good steak based meal and rest before the next delivery. The money was not a issue and the food provided the strength and endurance to move through the rest of the route.
I could not to think of indulging in such a life style today. What we do instead is make foods from nothing at home such as pizza. It takes alot of time in the kitchen. Unenmployment or part timing temp work allows for this time together making meals at home. You can store a month worth of basics of which a variety of meals can be built.
I absolutely admire the entrepeneurial spirit.
But it's a shame that anyone would think of that as interesting or good cooking!
The dish described is a marketing exercise for people used to eating at McDo's. (And indeed, with more money than sense.)
OK, sugar is sweet and people with no palette respond to it.
"His restaurant is just outside Washington, D.C."
Probably but I don't imagine anyone planning to open a French cuisine posh restaurant in Bumfuck, AL right? You land your business where there's money to be made.
And yeah Ithink this "creation" (ahem) would appeal to a genuine French cuisine customer. After looking at this thing ppl would probably go : "WTF is this!?"
There is a Seafood joint down there called Phillips I believe. You can have anything and everything seafood.
There is always ham for those unaccustomed to such delights.
One time long ago, I was served a meal that looked like a roadkill smashed into a field on my plate. I slid the plate aside and dug out the hershey bar that I saved just in case and reached for the coffee and ice cream dessert. I told that Chef I don't eat food that I recognize.
He took it back and brought it out again this time as chicken breast grilled on a bed of greens with some treats. At least I did not leave that place hungry.
Good for him that he is making a living for himself, but it doesn't look like anything I would want. My kids would like it, but looks for me in food is really boring, only taste and smell matter to me. A lot of people seem to care a lot about looks in so many things though. People even get plastic surgery for their dogs. They seem to like a fakey, perfect, Disneyland world.
Maybe you should only patronize restaurants which blend your meal to a puree, since only smell and taste are important to you!
One word for you: Gerber!
hahahaha. stupid fat americans love eating sugar crap. looks like someone got desert on the house. this bum should be given the rush like leo k. come on tyler. zh has outgrown clowns like this. this article made me think of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzPiONed6Iw
Graham why don't you just take pictures of your fecal matter and post it up here? It's more honest than the garbage you're peddling!
And are your leprechaun helpers too busy shitting out pastries when there's your "firms" $350/oz of gold specials to be had, for your subscribers -- you douchebag!
“That is exactly how bowel movements work, at least the ones that will succeed going forward. Poopers will have to be creative and original. They will have to create an experience that is memorable. That is what I try to do every day in the bathroom.”
Impacted bowels and flooded stomach is a bitch. Surgery is even worse.
So you shit and poop, therefore you live well. The failure of that ends your life slowly.
Is this the freakin' Twilight Zone? Cue the music.
Too funny...
That’s exactly what I thought when I ate the “chicken.” I only remember that it was amazing and how fun it looked. To be honest I didn’t even remember what it cost.
$12
creatively designed
tasty treat....
WTF how did I end up on the Martha Steward blog?
She out already? Ugh. I thought she is still slamming prison glop into trays.
Probably via the Oprah link....
Hey BOZO!
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12373724/q-and-a-w-slash-with-larry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51i_8_OAs90
This made my day! I needed this....with all the other CRAP going on.
I have been known to make things like this (including the spun sugar nests!). I am an amateur, but I find it such a rush to create food that looks like art and that puts smiles on people's faces! It's therapy, really...
After all, FOOD is one commodity that no one can live without for very long. Food, clothing, water, and shelter. Someone will always have to provide those.
I'm glad we still have our family farms.......and I will NOT sell them to George Soros!
What is your puppy's name? I would vote for her, unless she's against Ron Paul...and then I would have to flip a coin!
Great article. Great insight, and a much needed "brighter" perspective in these tough times.
My puppy will ONLY accept a VP nomination from RON PAUL!!! Go RON!!!
Side note: Apparently, RP's site was "cyber-attacked" during his birthday money bomb last night....
Please, everybody, donate if you can and will!
Monetary policy sanity=Ron Paul 2012
For gold gourmets, there is the Grand Opulence Sundae and other ways to consume gold. Yes, you can eat gold.
http://trifter.com/practical-travel/world-cuisine/nine-unlikely-ways-to-...
The french tried it routinely.
The dying is a bitch.
Give the chef a break. He's only catering for a group of people with a unique combination of IQ and income. Then again what he's doing is simply a much more simplified and benign version of what Wall street has done to the general populace by dressing up mutton as lamb.
+100
i would do disgusting things to that pastry...
I would do disgusting things to that pastry...twice
the fact that he knows he can wow such simple people into paying 12 dollars for less than 50 cents worth of labor and ingredients because they see value in a transitory eating experienceis is marketing genius because. i would never have thought such simple creativity would have such an effect upon creativeless people with too much money to spend.
So simple that no one has created such a desert before, and certainly you haven't.
so you include yourself among his marks.
my wife makes much more elaborate stuff several times per year for the kid's birthdays and the holidays. getting people like you to over pay for such simple work is genius.
50c worth of labour and ingredients? Hahahaha. You should have stopped at 'ingredients'.
do you really think kitchen help is paid anything?
His restraunt is just outside Washington, D.C. where his patrons are no doubt loaded with fiat from overpaid gov't jobs or fat gov't contracts. These people are far less concerned with cost than most.
That's our tax money he is getting for his sugar chicken.
Paging Tom Carvel ...
I'm glad someone else thinks those desserts look like something served up at a county fair by a fat hick mom. The photographs of grotesque looking, garish desserts with painfully un-natural colors seem strangely out of place with the arrogance of the interviewee.
Not desserts, but "experiences". I'll say. lol.
Tom Carvel actually does it better. But more importantly: Why does Graham continuously post drivel to ZH. Is this what subscribers to his shitty newsletter can expect more of?
These excesses will end once the oil runs out. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Those excesses will end when the market is done tanking. Much quicker than running out of oil!
So are these fine dining desserts for 6 year olds?
The attention to detail and just the overall level of technical cooking brillance are really apparent on that dessert cock.
Lemme guess the Petit fours were hershey kisses and reeses peanut butter cups. That would have made it the best meal ever!