60 days

It's funny what can happen in 60 days. Sixty days ago was my last post. It was a little bit of closure for me with Auriga. Well the time has come to speed up that process. I have another 60 days because I signed a purchase agreement today for the next restaurant. Impround to announce Piccolo. It will be on the corner of 43rd and Bryant Ave. South. And I hope to open in 60 days.

willingnes to fail

the decision to close auriga was an easy decision. doing it was the hardest thing that i have ever done. i spent the better part of two months tearing apart and removing things with my hands that took me ten years to build. i listened to cat power's "i dont blame you" over and over again as a walked, hands full of junk, from the restaurant, through the parking lot and to the dumpster over and over and over again. that was the start of a transformation away from "doug from auriga" as i said on a million different night line orders that i place over that ten year period. two and a half years. eight anniversarys (signed the lease on june 23rd, opened on september 11th and closed on january 27th) have been morned in silence.

i've spent all this time moving forward but now the time has come to move on. another restaurant awaits me. my biggest fear is failure. failure to live up to "doug from auriga" or the myth that has become auriga. but i've decieded that what made auriga great was a willingness to fail. and it did on many occasions. but at the end, on saturday night, january 27th 2007 at 2:00am when my wife amy and i closed the door on what was my auriga's last night...that willingness to fail rewarded me with great joy

the importance of self

as cooks...i think we often see ourselves as less then we are. i think we doubt ourselves to often. but then one of those days come along when there is clarity in our work. our movements on the line  and our vision.  today was a very clear day. harmonic with the world of food. past and present.