restaurantgirl

Most pastry chefs tweak their menu once a year.  Richard Leach entirely dramatically reconceives his every three months.  At Park Avenue Spring, this seasonal American restaurant gets a full makeover every time the temperatures change.  But Richard has been embracing the seasons well before his position at PAS.  He spent time in pastry at Aureole and Lespinasse, which earned him the James Beard Award in 1997 for Pastry Chef of the Year. In 2001, Leach published his cookbook Sweet Seasons: Fabulous Restaurant Desserts Made Simple, which invited amateur bakers to create his delicate desserts at home.   

From the launch of Park Avenue Autumn this past fall 2007, then onto Winter and now into Park Avenue Spring, Leach has given guests an array of festive desserts to end on the perfect seasonal note.  Signature desserts of this season include the crème fraîche cheesecake in phyllo, raspberries & hibiscus flower milk and the chocolate brûlée and parfait, with malted milk, kinako & chocolate crumbs.

Status: Single/Married/Divorced
I am married with two boys.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I liked music and wanted to become a drummer.

What was your first job in food?
I started working around food as a dishwasher when I was fourteen. It was a small family-run Armenian restaurant. When there was nothing to be cleaned, I would help out with the food prep. So when the alcoholic chef got fired, the owner asked me if I wanted to give it a try. I was sixteen and would work after school as the night chef. The owner would cook at lunch and then I would come in do all the butchering, prep and service while he waited on the customers. We would do anywhere from 30 to 120 a night. Good fun.

You’ve worked in many prominent kitchens, including Lespinasse and La Cote Basque.  What was your most memorable experience?
The most memorable time was definitely when I first became the pastry chef at Aureole. I was 24 and figuring the whole thing out on my own. I created my own style there and really started to draw a lot of press towards it. I developed a strong reputation there, which launched my career in pastry.

Having worked in two decidedly French restaurants, do you think you take a French approach to pastries?
I always thought of Lespinasse as more global than French; Kunz has many influences from all over. My desserts are kind of mix of things too, so it worked. As for La Cote Basque, they were interested in doing something new.

You worked at Park Avenue Café before its dramatic transformation to a seasonal restaurant that literally changes both its décor and menu four times a year. What was that transition like for you, and how has it changed the desserts you create?
The Park Avenue project has been really interesting because the concept fits in so well with the style I have developed. Each season, there are so many great fruits to feature, it has been great to review my best ideas from over the years and highlight some great dishes. Also, I now make new breads every season which has been a welcomed change. In the past, menu changes have always been worked in gradually throughout a season, but now we do it all on the same day, which involves a great deal of training for both the cooks as well as the waitstaff.

You published a book entitled “Sweet Seasons,” long before the transformation of the restaurant. Tell us how you became so fascinated with designing according to the season even before it was fashionable?
Following the seasons is the way I learned to cook and is also the way I like to eat. I always associate certain foods with specific times of the year. It just makes sense; fruits and vegetables peak at different times of the year.

What’s your favorite dessert in the book?...