Notes From The City: An Abundant Life

I've had a love affair with beautiful kitchens and design for as long as I can remember. As I've written in these pages before, I'm a foodie who loves to cook, and over the years I've found myself in many kitchens, sometimes cooking, sometimes watching and learning from a Chef, sometimes just enjoying the experience of being in and around a place and things that I love. In the nutrition and wellness workshops I've facilitated over the years, I've met and collaborated with some of the finest Chefs and staff who share their skills and love of fine food with the community kitchens all over New York City and the boroughs, and from time to time when I walk into a kitchen I'll see the name Wolf on a sleek and beautifully crafted stove or recognize the signature look of a Sub-Zero refrigeration system and I'll know that the people I'm meeting with are creating a culinary experience at the highest level.

At a class I attended last fall at the Cesar NYC Kitchen Design Showroom, I met Yadira Hernandez of Sub-Zero Group East when she taught a product knowledge segment on cooking with the Wolf Convection Steam Oven. I was fascinated - I'd never seen a stove that operated that way before, and I asked her if it might be possible to meet with her at the showroom to talk more about the innovative products that were available for Chefs and home cooks from these remarkable lines. The day that I met her, the showroom looked glorious, with Dale Chihuly's sculptures augmenting the already graceful and well appointed designs that gave life to the products on display and helped show just how beautifully the Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances could be integrated into a comfortable and lovely home. When I walked in, there was a delicious scent of freshly cooked food in the air, and Yadira introduced me to Chef Coleman who had just completed a lunchtime demonstration on product usage. She also introduced me to Bradford Devens, the Manhattan Showroom Manager, who graciously invited me to come to one of their upcoming monthly evening Product Demonstrations in November.

That night was a memorable one in so many ways - the menu that Chef Coleman prepared was truly varied and delightful, with so many different flavors and tastes and textures and such a variety of vegetables and meats and fish. And as he prepared everything, he was showing how to do it using the Wolf ranges, and discussing the qualities of the Sub-Zero refrigeration systems and the Wolf ovens and stoves that made not only cooking but storing the food that was being prepared something of the highest order. I saw that night and understood more fully just how much of a perfect science goes into creating kitchen storage and food preparation systems that are functional as well as beautiful, and why it is that I've always been drawn to the Sub-Zero and Wolf line of products. They are visually beautiful and functional in a way that helps make food preparation a joy, and the combination of sharing a dinner together with a group of people who were all learning about the different combinations of available products from someone with the knowledge and expertise of Chef Coleman was a gift. Builder and Account Manager Joseph Farina was there also, and the combination of his knowledge of installation and product specifications added to the overall experience that showed why the products of Sub-Zero and Wolf are a superior choice. In addition to all of the knowledge shared that evening, Chef Coleman offered to follow up with any questions we might have regarding meal preparation or storage, including an offer of sharing his informational newsletter with tips and recipes for creating the perfect Thanksgiving Dinner. There are other showrooms that offer use and care classes as well, in Roslyn Heights, New York and Pine Brook, New Jersey, and the staff are so well trained and passionate about insuring the full enjoyment of the line of products that each of them has a wealth of knowledge to share. Throughout every conversation and demonstration, there was a continued theme of a wonderful story - the appliances created and designed by Sub-Zero and Wolf are consistently innovative, beautiful, and high performing, building on a history that is based in form, functionality and excellence, and made proudly in the United States for generations.

A few nights ago I attended the Architect Newspaper's celebration honoring AN's Top 50 Interior Architects at the A&D Building, and though there were many lovely showrooms who opened their doors and were welcoming, when I visited Sub-Zero and Wolf, that was where the real life of the party was. As welcoming and friendly as on the night of the Product Demonstration dinner I attended, the staff at the showroom made everyone in this much larger group of attendees feel right at home. You could smell the delicious scents of Chef Coleman's cooking from the elevator, and the menu was simply marvelous. Although I don't have nearly the skill of a Chef like Chef Coleman, or the product knowledge of the rest of the wonderful staff, at Sub-Zero and Wolf I can dream of my perfect kitchen, and in one of their kitchens, create my own masterpiece.

In The Sub-Zero And Wolf Appliance Showroom
With Chef Coleman
At The A&D Building
150 East 58th Street
New York City
http://www.subzero-wolf.com