WORK • Thursday Routine
JOSIAH CITRIN • chef and restaurateur • Citrin Hospitality
Neighborhood you live in: Venice
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
On Thursday mornings, we get our fish deliveries at Citrin and Mélisse from Japan and France, as well as seafood from Santa Barbara. All hands are on deck cleaning those and getting ready for the weekend. The chicken and veal bones are roasting. Aromatic vegetables are simmering in the golden chicken broth while the young chefs skim them to remove all the impurities. All these amazing stocks will be turned into sauces by the evening saucier.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Yesterday, like every Wednesday, I started my day at the Santa Monica Farmers Market to meet all my chefs. We talk about seasonal produce, what we need at the restaurants, and talk to purveyors about the current best products. Today, I had a meeting with our wine director to talk about some new dishes and sauces to go with a wine dinner we’re having on Friday night. In the afternoon, I go to my weekly manager meetings at Dear Jane’s. We review how the week went, discuss any positive or negative things that arise, and generally just check in, to see what we need to know. I stay through pre-shift to talk to the employees and see that everything’s running smoothly. After that, I’ll go back to Citrin and Mélisse for service, and stay there for the rest of the night.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I’m looking forward to going to Stella on Sunday night, the new hot Italian restaurant in West Hollywood. I’m really looking forward to trying their Ora King Salmon — it has a squid ink salt I find intriguing. I’ve heard great things about their fisherman seafood pasta, and of course, I’ll order the bistecca tagliata. I don’t get a lot of nights off, so I cherish being able to go out with my girlfriend and experience the up-and-coming restaurants constantly opening in LA.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I saw the Rolling Stones at SoFi Stadium. They’re my favorite band — I’ve seen them 12 times since 1981. I went with two close friends I don’t get to see a lot. We started our night off with an amazing dinner at Felix in Santa Monica, enjoying their pasta and summer salads per usual.
Any weekend getaways?
I recently went to Sonoma to meet some friends who just moved there. At Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, we tasted some excellent cheese on the terrace. I was fascinated by how they used ethane waste as energy to run their plant. We enjoyed a drink at the Montage Healdsburg — I’d definitely stay here in the future. We ended our night at SingleThread. All the courses were creative, flavorful, and prepared with attention to detail.
What was your last great vacation?
My girlfriend Samantha and I rented a villa in the South of France near where my cousin lives. We stayed for a few weeks and enjoyed spending time with my family. France is one of my favorite places to go — it feels like I’m going home, every time. Inevitably, I end up in Paris. Something about the city calls to me.
What store or service do you always recommend?
I always recommend E. Dehillerin in Paris, the best store to buy cooking equipment in the world. It is so inconspicuous, it could be easily mistaken for a hardware store. When you walk in, you’re surrounded by copper pots and pans hanging from the ceiling and aisles filled with any cooking accessory you could ever want. It’s been around since the 1820s and still has the best offerings.