Chef Pierre Schaedelin makes his Benoit debut. (Photo: Sylvie Bigar)
Pierre Schaedelin went from seven years at Le Cirque working for Sirio Maccioni to a year and a half as Martha Stewart’s private chef. Following a September call from Alain Ducasse, for whom he previously worked in Monaco and London, Schaedelin has taken the reins at his midtown brasserie, Benoit. The day after Fiamma was shuttered, we sat down with this industry vet to learn about his recent experiences and new plans for Ducasse’s latest New York addition.
After working for Sirio, Martha and now Ducasse, what have you learned about working with big personalities?
They all share something, an absolute passion for what they do. For Sirio, it’s all-consuming. There’s no friends, no fuss, nothing but work. Same thing with Martha. We worked on her upcoming book [on entertaining] and had more than 50 parties. Everything had to be perfect. She taught me never to cut corners and to do what I love—kind of the opposite of working with Sirio! To be back with chef [Alain Ducasse] is heartwarming. I’m a part owner, too, and we speak the same language, literally.
What brought you back to a restaurant kitchen after working as a private chef for Martha?
I learned a lot working with Martha—learned about discipline, American cuisine, Maine seafood. But at Benoit, there’s a tradition, a heritage that resonates to me.
How will you make your mark on Benoit’s menu?
I want Benoit to become a more jovial eatery. We are, after all, a neighborhood brasserie. Since the beginning of the year, we have tweaked the menu considerably. We now have a pre- and posttheater $35 menu. I’ve introduced the semainier, a list of daily specials many of which speak of my Alsatian origins; coq au riesling with spaetzle, choucroute garnie. I’ve increased the size of the whole roasted chicken for two and lowered its price to $21 per person. We offer pig trotters and pig cheek salad but also a Chatham cod casserole and traditional skate wing meunière. We’ve left the egg mayonnaise but didn’t lower its price, it’s still $1.—Sylvie Bigar
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Ate at Benoit the other night. It’s a beautiful restaurant with wonderful service and spectacular food. No wonder Martha is always telling people to go there! When she said that the food was exceptional, she wasn’t kidding. Pierre is a terrific chef and the prices were very reasonable. I would definitely recommend it.