Page 64 - December2018

NEW YORK FOOD SCENE
extra miles in fact. “When April comes around, I always want big, fat white aspar- agus from Europe,” he says, “So we call a producer in Europe, and he will put it on an airplane and y it over. Within 24 to 48 hours, I have it from the soil into my refrigerator.” There’s certainly nothing
By Chris Auman
What started out as an unassuming 32-seat bakery nearly 20 years ago has expanded into a full-service restaurant and a global operation, with locations in the international cities of Tokyo, Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore. Not too bad for
pb a cozy neighborhood brunch spot with a passion for pancakes, waf es, pastries and pies.
DeDe Lahman co-founded the Clinton Street Baking Company in 2001, along with husband and business partner Chef Neil Kleinberg. The two met as fellow patrons at a local restaurant. Kleinberg has enjoyed a long culinary career in the city, opening his rst restaurant, Simon’s, at the ripe old age of 22. He has appeared on numerous cooking shows and televi- sion programs and is the co-author, along with Lahman, of the Clinton St. Baking Co. Cookbook. His pancakes are just as famous, having been voted best in the city by New York Magazine.
storefront. Over the years, the Café has expanded twice into adjoining spaces and now seats up to 75 guests, all looking for Austrian comfort food and a pint of German beer.
One might say Schrottner’s entire life has been farm-to-table. As a boy growing up on the family farm in his native Austria, he was immersed in the agricultural life. He assisted in growing fruits and vegeta- bles, helped raise the livestock and started working in a restaurant kitchen at 15. Those early experiences with food led to a lifetime of sourcing ingredients and preparing and serving meals.
“What we serve is really homey, basic food ... what I grew up with,” says Schrottner of Café Katja’s lunch, dinner and brunch offerings. The menu includes his mother’s meatball recipe, and on a regular basis, the lunch menu features what he calls a “basic goulash you can nd in every joint in Austria.” Diners likely don’t believe there is anything on the menu that could be considered basic, or that restaurants such as Café Katja are commonplace throughout Austria. His customers may never know, and they probably don’t care, when they are diving into the fresh tomato or roasted beet salad.
The Café’s menu changes with the seasons, and Schrottner is very involved in serving customers and managing the kitchen. Both he and partner Chase worked in the kitchen at the Monkey Bar in the Hotel Elysée, and Schrottner was once the executive chef at the Mark Hotel. He is hands-on when overseeing the creation of new recipes and daily specials. His chef visits Union Square Greenmarket regularly to source fresh produce, such as baby beets, strawberries, radishes and whatever in-season commodities are avail- able. Schrottner is also willing to go that extra mile to get specialty items. Many
64 / DECEMBER 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESS
The crab cake sandwich at Clinton Street Bakery.
basic about that.
CLINTON STREET BAKING COMPANY
4 Clinton St.
New York, NY 10002
Tel: (646) 602-6263 www.clintonstreetbaking.com Hours: Mon-Fri
Breakfast: 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Lunch: 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Dinner: 5:30 p.m. - 11p.m. (closed sunday night)
Saturday Brunch: 9 a.m. - 4p.m. Sunday Brunch: 9 a.m. - 5p.m. Cuisine: Classic American
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CLINTON STREET BAKERY