In the kitchen with Chef Grace

One can only imagine that for professional chefs, holidays at home are just a further extension of worktrying new recipes, creating elaborate menus, exercising new techniques, and exploring exotic foods. But one might be surprised to learn that for Francis Grace, executive chef and owner of Franks Gourmet Grille in East Lyme, nothing could be further from the truth.

One year, after I had graduated from Johnson & Wales, I eagerly attempted the Thanksgiving Dinner a la Francis for my family. It was extravagant; I had successfully prepared a real gourmet dinner. Once everyone was seated around the table and the feasting began, there was no shortage of criticismwheres the canned cranberry? this [real] whipped cream is nice, but what about the Reddi-wip? that sort of thing. I remember the faces and no one was very happy. Thats when I realizedyou dont mess with tradition!

Its about waking early to put the turkey in and by eight oclock, you are already getting the first whiffs from the ovenon Thanksgiving its the Macys Day Paradeits all about what you did and how you ate when you were growing up, says Grace, thats the comfort piece and you just dont tamper with it.

For Grace, born in Brooklyn, growing up was done on Long Island, with his siblings. My mother is a self-proclaimed fabulous cook and she keeps me on my toes, even now. She says things like, This is delicious, Francis, but mine is better. Like many chefs, Grace spent some time in his family kitchen, My mothers mother lived with us and I was her assistant in the kitchen. She had one leg shorter than the other due to polio and she was not tall to begin with, so I was there to reach the ingredients on the shelves for her. In fact I am the keeper of her cream-sauce recipeI now make it for the family at holidays.

Graces food philosophy may have evolved from those beginningsIm not really looking to be cutting-edge; in so many restaurants there is an expectation that you are going to have an out of the ordinary experience, something abstract. But for me, I want people to experience the familiar. I want them to have comfort and consistency. If they enjoy a meal that hits all the marks for them, they will anticipate the flavors over and over. You know, I believe that food is supposed to bring out all of the emotionsI want my diners to experience overwhelming comfort so that the only thing missing is the sweat pants!

It was the Parochial-school system and an all-male high school that served as Graces educational foundation, and thats a lot of discipline to absorb. But kitchen savvy is not learned in the classroom. One day I was fishing with my buddies off a dock on Long Island. We fished there a lot and we often saw a burly, intimidating guy with a big beard come out of the back of one of the restaurants. One day he came out and shouted to usAny of you kids want a job? I need a pot washer. I was only 15, but I wanted to try, so I rode my bike home to ask my mom. Of course mom was not going to let this happen that easily, says Grace, and he suffered the teenage humiliation that comes when parents insist on becoming involved. I was so nervous, and, to make it worse, she drove me back over so that she could meet the people.

After mom delivered her thumbs-up on the environment and put a parental stamp of approval on the deal, Grace took his first shift, which proved to be an eye-opening look at the world of adult commerce. I remember that it was all so fast, and here were these adults insistent that I call them by their first names, says Grace. I put on my apron and tied it in front with a bow. A guy came over and said no, no and had me retie my apron with a couple of knots in the front.

The evening progressed as Grace washed pot after dirty potthey just kept coming until standing there at the sink he began to feel quite warm. Im sweating and my legs are getting really warm, recalls Grace. I look under the sink and realize that my apron is on fireand because of the knots I couldnt get it off! Right behind me is a guy with a full bucket of water and before I know it, I am drenched.

The shift was over and so was Graces initiation ritual. But it was just the beginning. His introduction to the excitement of the industry was further fueled by an after-shift gathering around the barwith guys and a womanin which Grace was offered a cold beer. It was almost too much for this insulated 15-year-old: I was hooked, in that minute, I was hooked.

A string of promotionsfry cook, line cook, another property, another opportunityand a hands-on education took him across the region and into the stainless kitchens of many a Long Island restaurant. When Grace landed at Steve Rubells Steak Loft in Bohemia his eyes really began to open. I never feared starting at the bottoma dishwasher in most placesI was always promoted quickly. And he learned. Everything. But despite his ability to understand the ways of the industry, Grace was young and his path was as yet undefined. I was enrolled at St. Josephs College, but dropped out and began to explore all branches

of the service. I went to the recruiters and signed up to take a placement exam for the Navy. I passed, signed on, and had 20 days to report to Fort Hamilton.

Graces parents were unhappy with the decision, but Grace knew that this was his chance to get out and see the world. He embarked on a four-year enlistment as a submarine sonar operator, and apart from occasional volunteer help, did not spend time in the submarines kitchens. His service included a couple of sub cruises before his discharge landed him in Groton in 1983. Old patterns die hard, and Grace, now looking for an opportunity on Southeastern Connecticut shores, found himself at the Steak Lofts restaurant in Mystic. The timing was incredibleI knew the menu already and could hop on the line immediately.

Ah, a man with experience that does not necessitate training! A natural fit, Grace says. At twenty-five years old, Grace was now sure that the industry was a good assignment for him, but longed for more challenge.

Enter culinary schoolJohnson & Wales. Now I knew that I could run a kitchen, but I wasnt sure that the roux that I learned to make from Joe was done the right way, says Grace. Grace enrolled in the weekend program and, after graduating, he bounced from Randalls Ordinary back to the Steak Loft and Dock & Dine before he accepted a position as executive chef for Electric Boats company canteen. Oh yeah, I learned all about corporate and institutional cookinglarge numbers, little money, and a high demand for something great.

A spin at the Mohegan Sun with a promise of opening a few of their higher-end restaurant properties came around not once, but twice for Grace but, disappointingly, resulted in one long shift after another. I will say that these situations provided great learning opportunities, even though I was sometimes working my tail off only to have the credit stripped away from me and given to my bosses.

When Grace left the second time he found himself with a much-renewed entrepreneurial spirit. He opened a tiny sandwich shopsix feet wideon Broad Street in New London. I borrowed $3,000 to get that place open, and to set up my accounts with food purveyors. I hired a friend and before long business was hopping. We moved to Hamilton Street and enjoyed the contacts and business from EB, L&M, and Pfizer.

As luck would have it, a purveyor mentioned a space in Flanders that might be available,

and with its potential went a new realization of his talent. I realized that what I was doing with the sandwiches was making full mealschicken cordon bleuin a roll. I realized that the step to serving dinner was not a big one.

Sometimes the road to success is not an easy one and Grace experienced a trail of setbacksdelays, indecisions, financial challengesbut Grace is nothing if not persistent. Soon the location was secured.

Business opened to an unexpected crowd and challenge. The sous-chef was a no-show but Grace has the ability to produce a great meal fast, on his own, and all went well. Yet even that culinary nimbleness has obstacles of its own. I was working 20 hours a day for two weeks and thenI couldnt open the following day! Grace found himself with an enviable situation: business was so good that We actually ran out of food. I had to put a sign on the front door that said, Closed, ran out of food.

He quickly found his rhythm, hired another sous-chef, and communicated with his customers at every mealsomething that he continues to do before, during and after service. I want to know how something worked out. I encourage people to tell me the truth. We dont change a lotI want my diners to have the same meal, each and every time. If we have a bad night now and againevery restaurant doesand something doesnt taste just right, I want to know. Were not perfect, but we are committed to fixing the problem. My favorite comment to hear is, Its always good here, says Grace. You know, I am a firm believer that you cant run a restaurant from the kitchen. You cant survive without good helpand I have the best. But Ive always got a plastic spoon in my pocket and if I taste the pomodoro sauce and it tastes burnt or not right well, I have to be able to throw it out without looking back.

Graces establishment has few apparent problems and one would have to acknowledge that his unflappable demeanor, his obviously successful career choice, and his determination to create the vision have been of benefit to all who dine at his namesake restaurant.

I have been here since 2002 and I am doing things my wayI make the dishes that people love to eat, and I am motivated by customer satisfaction, says Grace. What more could you want?