Notes From The City: An Abundant Life

Two years ago a friend was coming into town to celebrate a birthday and an anniversary, and he asked me if we could go to Antique Bar & Bakery because he'd been hearing so much about it and seeing my posts on Instagram. He's known me for so many years and he knew that something must be going on there that was worth a trip because he knows that I don't say anything is great unless it really is. On the night that we went there it was just before Pride weekend, and as we were waiting outside before going in to our table, a strikingly handsome man stopped by and handed us a postcard inviting us to the Pride party at Antique. I had never seen him before, but as time went on I began to see him there more often, and I found out that his name was Surface.

Since that night I have seen him at other events, at the restaurant and at the Antique Loft, and I've discovered he is a Chef and that his name is also Andre Montique. He made mozzarella to order at a station during an Art Event I curated at the Loft and has served and carved roasts and other delicacies on other occasions, and he regularly hosts at the restaurant on weekend nights. I realized that when I first met him I hadn't seen him before because I didn't usually go to the restaurant on the nights when he was working. The weekends are always so crowded and those are the busiest nights, but after I began to get to know him more, I'd stop in sometimes just to see him earlier in the evenings before it got too packed. And sometimes on a holiday or special occasion I'd sit at the bar where he always made me feel at home, or if a friend happened to really want to go on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, I'd look forward to saying hello to him.

Surface has worked at the highest levels of the fashion and culinary industries, as a go-to Chef for the department store Barney's special events team, as an Assistant Chef at the New Yorker Club, a Line Cook at New York City's Union Square Cafe, The Coffee Shop, and the China Grill, rising to the position of Executive Chef at Cafe Liebowitz and to managing all aspects of the kitchen and food preparation at Restaurant Istana at the New York Palace Hotel. He has worked alongside Chefs such as Todd English and James Staiano and as a restaurant consultant for corporate establishments to revise menus and revitalize audiences, using his charm and vast list of contacts as a Performance Artist to manage the room's ambiance. Recently he has been hired as a lifestyle consultant for luxury beauty brands such as skin-care Bionova and BG Tom Ford, Byredo and Serge Lutens, and he was also the personal Chef for the late John Richardson, famed British Art Historian and Biographer of Pablo Picasso. After exceeding expectations with the excellence of his home cooked meals and desserts for events and large group meetings at the Corporate office of Calvin Klein in New York City and the private residence of Raf Simons, the Chief Creative Officer, he was asked to provide personal Chef service for Mr. Simons. He's always dressed in a way that is striking, elegant and altogether fabulous, and he has a way about him that carries a room. He's inspiring in that way as well as in the way he thinks, and it's always an uplifting pleasure to see him.

There were times when I'd be walking by Antique Bar & Bakery when he'd be taking a quick break for a breath of fresh air outside and we'd have a chance to have a laugh together. On other times if I was lucky enough to catch him as he was arriving for the beginning of his shift, we could talk a bit longer. He has a wonderful way of looking at life and the world and a wonderful sense of humor, and on occasion I would see something funny and he'd see it at the same time and all we'd have to do is look at each other and we couldn't stop laughing. Laughter is a gift, and it's so healthy for us, and I'm realizing as I write this how much I miss laughing with Surface.

During these past months I have been missing him. Though we've been in touch pretty regularly through Instagram, I hadn't seen him personally in a while, and I thought I could write about him which in a way could bring him a bit closer to me at least for the time when I was writing. When I write about people I often write about my experiences of them first and add in other details they share with me, so writing about someone is a time when I am focusing on them and how I met them, the things I know about them and things I discover as I write and they share new things with me.

Surface is a visionary. He's someone who doesn't tell you he is, he just is. He's his own unique and beautiful creation, and one who inspires others. He's worked in some of the finest restaurants and with some of the greatest designers, and he's had experience working as a private Chef for celebrities and at the highest levels in the fashion world. His resume lists the top names of places to see and be seen, but more than that, he brings joy and life to every situation, to every moment, and makes us think and take time to explore. It's been too long since I've seen him and I'm going to have to do something about that soon because I miss his directness, his wit and his charm and the way he has of bringing everything to the Surface.

Andre Montique - Surface

At Antique Bar & Bakery

122 Willow Avenue

Hoboken, New Jersey

https://www.antiquebarbakery.com/