I first heard about Chef Ingrid Wright when Chef Paul Gerard told me that she was the new Chef at Stern and Bow Restaurant in Closter, New Jersey. I've written about Stern and Bow and Chef Paul Gerard in these pages before, and anyone who knows me or has read my posts knows that I give them glowing reviews because I have the highest regard for the Chef and the restaurants he is a part of. The first time I went to Stern and Bow was for the opening for friends and family, and it was wonderful. I returned a few months later with a friend and wrote a blog post, and then returned again this past fall to do an update to talk about all of the wonderful things they are doing now, including their outdoor dining. I've been telling friends that I feel so blessed to live in New Jersey during this time, and it's places like Stern and Bow that make me feel that way. So many challenges are facing so many businesses, and restaurants that are the very heartbeat of communities have been given almost insurmountable odds to keep their doors open. To have places where we can go where we feel welcomed and safe and cared for and where the food and experience are special and out of the ordinary is a gift any day, and in these current times it's something that can encourage us to keep going and moving forward with hope for the future.
Chef Ingrid is a treasure. Her skill is exemplary and her years of hard work and discipline in practicing her craft show in every choice she makes in her kitchen. She also has that special something that a uniquely talented Chef has which makes it possible to create a dish that is memorable. She is also very warm and kind, and I'm sure that her sense of humor must be a lovely one as the joy that radiates from her made me smile the first time I met her in person. She told me a story that in a way I think defines her character. When the restaurants were first shut down for only takeout and delivery and she was discussing with the Russel Stern, the owner of Stern and Bow, what steps the restaurant could take to move forward, she said that they would do takeout and delivery, something the restaurant had not done before and that wasn't really done particularly often if ever in that area. She had just started working there as the Executive Chef, and if takeout and delivery was what she had to do, she would do it and not only do it, but make it work. There is something in that story that is so heartening to me, this woman who said it can be done when it would have been so much easier to say it can't. To see her now flourishing in her job and to see the creativity that comes out of her kitchen is inspiring to me in a way that helps me know that whatever it seems like and whatever is daunting now can be overcome and moved beyond, and we can be triumphant.
I've had two meals at Stern and Bow since Chef Ingrid has been there, and as I've written before I'd be there more often if I lived closer. The range in the menu and presentation of foods makes it possible to enjoy so many different things and have a taste treat with each one. I often say that great Chef's are Artists, and Chef Ingrid Wright is one. She is also an admirable spirit who makes wonderful things happen and encourages us all to keep our own spirits alive.
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