Illustration: Margalit Cutler
When chef Jackie Carnesi was tasked with reopening the enduring Williamsburg restaurant Kellogg’s Diner, she knew it was going to be “a hell of an endeavor.” A yr later, she’s nonetheless navigating the very specific and seemingly endless challenges of operating a 24-hour diner. “However I imply, all challenges are good challenges in my thoughts,” she says. Her work has outlined most of her 14 years in New York — earlier than Kellogg’s, Carnesi labored in a special canonical kitchen of Brooklyn, Roberta’s, then as government chef at Greenpoint hotspot Nura; now, she’s tackling one other elusive challenge within the West Village. “I’ve been planning my escape so long as I’ve been right here,” she says, “however I simply can’t think about myself anyplace else at this level.” Prior to now week, Carnesi snuck away to the Rockaways for Rippers’ cheese fries and as much as Greenpoint for a several-course unfold at Bernie’s — not that she essentially must outsource her meals today. “If I don’t really feel full, I simply find yourself grabbing no matter’s closest,” she says. “And for me, that’s all the time tortilla chips and queso.”
Monday, August 18
Almost each Monday in the summertime, my boyfriend, Blake, my son, Hunter, and I ritualistically head to the Rockaways, and as we speak isn’t any totally different, regardless of its being 65 levels, overcast, and gloomy.
I don’t normally pack lunch — my go-to Rockaways meal is the salmon tiradito or the ceviche classico, or each, from La Cevicheria — however final night time we had been despatched residence from a barbecue with leftover macaroni salad and grilled rooster. I contemplate myself to be considerably of a chicken-salad grasp, and my specialty is using no matter resides within the fridge. Immediately that features super-sweet yellow corn my son determined he was not keen to strive a pair days in the past; minced jalapeño; celery; some ramps I’ve conservatively been utilizing since pickling them this previous spring; diced crimson onions I let sit in a bit of vinegar, sugar, and salt whereas I used to be reducing every little thing else up; gentle kewpie; tons of herbs (dill, mint, cilantro); lemon juice; white balsamic vinegar; and olive oil. I pack the dueling salads, and we head off.
Hunter is hungry and craving cheese fries, so we stroll all the way down to Rippers. I say I’m not hungry, and I’m not, however there’ll after all be a fry tax as quickly as these sizzling, super-seasoned dangerous boys hit the desk. I deal with myself to a Michelada as a result of why the hell not? We lower the day brief on account of the lower than stellar climate and end off the afternoon with a nap.
Blake and I are celebrating our first anniversary tonight, and he’s made a reservation at Crevette, so we get all dolled up and head into the town. We love Ed Szymanski’s meals, so we ordered rather a lot: chilled mussels, red-shrimp carpaccio, octopus skewers, crab agnolotti, Dover sole, and 4 extra dishes. Every thing was delicate however flavorful. I order the salted lemon martini and Blake orders the combinación, although we find yourself switching as a result of I like his drink higher and he loves me. We end off the meal with the rhum cake, and Ed kindly sends us the Basque chocolate cheesecake. The rhum cake is definitely the very best factor I’ve put in my mouth all yr, satisfyingly heat and gooey, with bursts of grilled pineapple and a delightfully unctuous butterscotch sauce.
We determine to mosey round Soho and discover a spot to get a drink earlier than calling it an evening. Blue Ribbon Brasserie’s bar is full, and Nook Retailer is unsurprisingly “absolutely dedicated for the night,” so we stroll over to Balthazar, have our respective vodka-slightly-dirty and gin-twist martinis and head residence.
Tuesday, August 19
Tuesday is the beginning of my workweek at Kellogg’s. It’s been a yr since we reopened, and each day brings a brand new set of emotions. A 24-hour diner is only a fully totally different animal, however it’s helped me develop and train a special set of chef muscle groups that I’ve by no means labored earlier than.
Fairly shortly after I present up, my expensive pal Jim Shack is available in for lunch. He has introduced with him some lovely ceramic bowls I commissioned him to make, all delicately packed into a large macaroni-yellow Louis Vuitton procuring bag as a result of, as he put it, he “can’t have me strolling round carrying a Costco bag.”
Mere minutes later, one in every of my good associates, LuEmma, is available in for lunch. It is a huge deal as a result of Luemma, alongside along with her spouse, Pia, moved again to Australia eight months in the past, and I’m elated to see her. As we’re catching up, who faucets me on the shoulder however Pia herself! Pia! Who is meant to be in Australia and never on this journey! I sob and snigger and cry some extra.
As soon as I compose myself, I sit down with Jim, Pia, and Lu whereas they eat lunch and I watch adoringly. I periodically choose at their flat nachos, Cubano, and wings, you understand, to verify for high quality.
Wednesday, August 20
It’s one other “three hard-boiled eggs with chile crisp” morning. Pia, Lu, and I’ve made plans to have dinner at Bernie’s tonight with their gaggle of Australian associates. I need to hold my meals gentle as we speak as a result of I do know we’re going to order heavy, as one is wont to do at Bernie’s.
The climate is a bit of chilly and grey for my liking, and it’s feeling like soup climate. At work, I head to the kitchen after answering a couple of emails, and warmth up some rooster soup, sub rice for noodles. I costume it up with our home salsa macha, lime, some shredded Jack cheese, cilantro, and a bit of avocado on the facet, as a result of sizzling avocado is gross. The soup hits each spot and will get me geared as much as work on some new dishes I’ve been desirous about including to the menu.
A lot of the meals at this iteration of Kellogg’s is Tex-Mex impressed. I used to be born and raised in South Texas, proper on the coast. My home is perhaps a five-minute drive from Mexico. My associates and I’d typically enterprise throughout the border for comfortable hour in our Catholic-school uniforms. The meals is simply unimaginable down there. There’s little or no range — it’s primarily Mexican meals, and principally mom-and-pop Mexican meals. For me, that’s nonetheless the style of residence.
I cruise over to Bernie’s with some goodies for the workers as a result of they’re all the time so gracious. Dinner is a celebration of the return of our prodigal associates, and we order accordingly: mozzarella sticks, baked clams, wedge salad, child again ribs, rooster parm, vinegar rooster, a burger, and a sundae, and so they throw in a lemon meringue on the home. There’s additionally a handful of martinis ordered among the many seven of us, however who’s counting?
Thursday, August 21
Round 9 a.m., Hunter, Blake, and I head out to the Rockaways to observe the waves made by Hurricane Erin. I seize an oat-milk cortado — sizzling, as a result of it’s a frigid 65 levels this morning — from La Cantine for the drive out.
Texas seashores get a nasty rap, however I miss the seaside in South Padre Island, round the place I grew up, fairly terribly. The primary couple of years I used to be in New York, I didn’t notice there have been simply accessible seashores; as soon as I did, I turned type of addicted. I purchased a automotive through the pandemic with the intent of utilizing it just about completely to get to the seaside. (It’s a 1983 Mercedes, and it’s diesel, so it doesn’t fare nicely within the winter.)
As soon as we arrive on the Rockaways 45 minutes later, I’m feeling like a second cortado wouldn’t harm, so we swing by Section Espresso on 96th. Usually, I’m a one-coffee-a-day-max type of woman, however one thing concerning the limits I pushed my physique to final night time, culinarily talking, name for a bit of extra caffeine. We watch the waves for some time after which I’ve to move in to work.
By the point I get to the diner, I’m ravenous and have what reads just like the story of the very hungry caterpillar: Eight tortilla chips, 4 fries, three bites of Hunter’s burger (cheese, pickles, particular sauce), six extra fries, and as a lot of his ice-cold Dr Pepper as is feasible earlier than he begins to protest.
An hour later, I’ve a photograph shoot with Carissa, our in-house photographer, of the aforementioned new dishes I’m placing on the menu: roast rooster and branzino units, basic Buffalo wings, a broccoli-rabe soften, a giant inexperienced salad, a fats slice of yellow cake with chocolate icing, and an upgraded mac ’n’ cheese. We determine among the photographs require a bit of motion, so I find yourself consuming a couple of bites of the rabe soften, mac ’n’ cheese, and a single chew of the cake (how demure).
I make ginger-cilantro chicken-bone broth in an try and stability out the final 24 hours, however when one in every of our regulars turned pal, Logan, is available in and insists (i.e., simply asks as soon as) that we go seize a chew to eat at JR & Son after my shift, I crumble.
We share shrimp cocktail, grilled octopus, branzino, and a symphony of completely cooked cannellini beans, crispy potatoes, and extra octopus. Your entire menu is nice, however apparently we’re within the temper for seafood. The kitchen additionally sends out a killer plate of lengthy beans, and we handle to graciously (perhaps stupidly) decline a complimentary baked Alaska. I throw again 6-to-8 soda-and-bitters all through the course of our dinner — accountable! — and the bone broth goes into my fridge at residence, untouched.
Friday, August 22
I begin the time without work with an enormous glass of water, my vitamin and probiotic routine (in case you can name “infrequently” a routine), and a glass of Tremendous Greens powder, protein powder, and a few Bloom collagen powder I used to be gifted and have by no means used earlier than. I really feel good.
I even go to the health club, and once I get residence, I crush half a carton of Good Tradition cottage cheese straight from the container. I’ve now ingested one-tenth of the amount of cottage cheese I at present have in my fridge. I’ve to stockpile as a result of I can discover it so sometimes. I believe it’s as a result of everybody loves it as deeply as I do. It’s creamy, wealthy, and high-protein. I’m as stunned as you’re at how passionate I’m about cottage cheese. Previous age will actually sneak up on you.
I hop on a Citi Bike and bike over to the McCarren Park Pool for a fast dip earlier than work. Summer time is waning, and I intend on squeezing each drop of aquatic day out of it earlier than the large S-A-D hits. The water is chilly after the previous few days of cooler climate, so I spend roughly 15 seconds within the water earlier than I get out and take a nap on the nice and cozy concrete, not in contrast to a lizard.
I clear up and stroll into Williamsburg to run a few errands on my means into work. I level myself within the route of Ten Ichi and seize one hijiki and one spicy tuna onigiri and a jasmine inexperienced tea, which I munch as I stroll down Metropolitan. The rice is rather less seasoned than normal however nonetheless good.
Proper earlier than I stroll into the diner, I notice I haven’t had a single recent fruit or vegetable as we speak, so I cease within the natural market throughout the road and choose up a nectarine. Stone fruit has been impeccable this summer season. Watermelon, take some notes; you actually let me down this season. I sneak onto the roof of the diner earlier than I take my first chew, so I can take pleasure in it whereas basking within the solar, as the nice Lord supposed. As anticipated, it’s excellent — juicy, tart, candy, each agency and smooth.
Within the kitchen, I order a plate of Tex-Mex enchiladas, this time to really verify for high quality. They arrive out trying like they had been fished out of a tacky swamp, blanketed in chile sauce and melted Monterey Jack and cheddar. In different phrases, excellent. I take a single beautiful chew and provide it to the road cooks, who devour it with haste.
Saturday, August 23
I change it up as we speak and eat solely two hard-boiled eggs, sans chile crisp — simply one thing so I’m not ravenous mid-workout — and make one other Tremendous Greens, protein, and collagen concoction earlier than heading out the door.
I’ve lunch plans with Pia at Okonomi. I’m shocked that neither of us have been right here earlier than. Pia orders the usual set, and I go for the bigger one on account of the greens my physique continues to yearn for. To name it “woman dinner” can be offensive and trite, as it’s so rather more than that, however I do love any type of consuming that features small quantities of many issues. My plate consists of sake salmon, very calmly pickled watermelon radish, steamed egg, yellow squash, broccoli rabe in some kind of wasabi sauce, and a bit of quenelle of potato salad. Each units include miso soup and sizzling tea. It’s precisely what I needed: wholesome, tasty, filling.
As tranquil as my morning was, my afternoon is the alternative of that. Now we have a 35-person wedding ceremony in our again room, which is happening concurrently with brunch service, palms down one in every of our busiest providers, and a shift change. Whereas all that is occurring, the walk-in fridge wherein we retailer all our prep is studying at a steamy 55 levels. As quickly as we get all the marriage entrées out, it’s all palms on deck to maneuver each little bit of prep downstairs into one in every of two of our different walk-ins, that are stuffed with produce and dairy and meat. A extremely shitty recreation of Jenga.
I’m then informed that not one however each of our ice machines are fully out of ice and have stopped working, so I ship somebody out to purchase ice — a variety of it. Then the porters let me know the temperature is dropping on our sizzling water. I am going downstairs and see that each heaters are working as they need to; we’re simply so busy that we’re shortly operating by way of all of our sizzling water, however that may self-correct within the impending lull earlier than dinner service. Restaurant work is admittedly only a recreation of “Is that this the correct temperature?”
Simply then, I look down at my wrist and see that the gold bracelet Blake received me for our anniversary has slipped off my wrist. If I had a canine, I really feel like this could be the second I’d get a telephone name notifying me that it received hit by a automotive.
At about 9 p.m., I order a honey-butter rooster biscuit for a top quality verify. I’m desirous about taking it off the menu. One chew in, I notice that was a very silly thought. Slather something in heat honey butter and it’ll be good, however this. That is actually, actually good.
EAT LIKE THE EXPERTS.
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