Mary George Transcript
Kerry Diamond:
Hi, everyone. You are listening to Radio Cherry Bombe and I'm your host, Kerry Diamond, coming to you from Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center in the heart of New York City.
Today's guest is Mary George, the executive pastry chef at one of the hottest spots in New York City, Le Café Louis Vuitton, the legendary French brand's new culinary experience. Mary is a rising star on the city's culinary scene. Born in Australia, she knew she wanted to be a pastry chef at the age of 13. She studied at Le Cordon Bleu, loves culinary competitions, and got her start here in New York with Daniel Boulud, one of the country's most respected chefs. Mary joins me in just a minute to talk about her career and her dedication to detail, deliciousness, and teamwork.
Today's show is presented by Alex Mill, our new neighbor here at Radio Cherry Bombe. The fashion brand's latest outpost is at the world-famous Rockefeller Center, literally right next door to where we record our show. From where I'm sitting, I can literally see that Alex Mill is having a major denim moment. In the early days, the brand's goal was to craft the perfect shirt. Now, Alex Mill has set its sights on making the perfect jeans, one that are vintage-inspired and that you will reach for over and over again. Of course, no great pair of jeans is complete without some perfect pieces to wear together. I've got my eye on Alex Mill's heather fleece gray sweatshirt. It's that just-worn-in-enough kind of cozy. And for layering, the oversized denim trucker jacket is something I will wear for years to come. I love wearing Alex Mill and know so many folks who feel the same. And then of course, there's everybody I see on Instagram rocking Alex Mill in their own distinct way. Alex Mill makes it easy to get dressed and look cool, classic, and effortless. If you're in the neighborhood, swing by the new Alex Mill shop at Rockefeller Center and tell them Cherry Bombe sent you. Who knows? You just might find the perfect pair of jeans. Denim dreams do come true.
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Now, let's check in with today's guest. Mary George, welcome to Radio Cherry Bombe.
Mary George:
Thank you very much for having me today, Kerry.
Kerry Diamond:
Let's jump right into this because you have one of the most interesting jobs in New York right now. What has it been like working on such a big, buzzy project?
Mary George:
I think what's so exciting is that you are working for Louis Vuitton. They've created such a culinary vision in this world. They're obviously known as one of the biggest luxury brands. And now that they've gone into the culinary space and have integrated with world-renowned chefs like Maxime Frédéric, Arnaud Donckele, and now have opened up the first-ever culinary experience in the United States and have chosen to take me on board as their executive pastry chef, as well as Christophe Bellanca who's our executive chef of the restaurant. It's been such an incredible experience being a part of this project surrounded by amazing people, such incredible talent, working for a brand that is all about quality and standards. And at Le Café, that's all we take pride in. This has been a dream role for me to take, and I think this has been something that without even realizing would happen one day. I think I'm so blessed to be in this opportunity. And I'm so excited for, I know it's just the beginning, but I'm so excited for what's to come.
Kerry Diamond:
Louis Vuitton also has cafes in Saint-Tropez, Paris, and Osaka, Japan, and I read that you spent a month working with the teams at the Paris and Saint-Tropez locations to learn about the spirit and culture. Tell me about that experience.
Mary George:
Yeah. So just before I actually came back to New York and we started evolving the menu and getting all that research and development happening, we did spend a month in Paris and Saint-Tropez. I was fortunate enough to be able to be with Maxime Frédéric. He is one of the best pastry chefs in the world at the moment. He's someone that I've been looking up to for a very long time. He's got a great social media platform and he promotes his brand so well as well as Louis Vuitton. Just to know that I had booked that trip, going to spend a month with him, go to Saint-Tropez, go work at their restaurant for a little while, learn the essence of what is Louis Vuitton and why they are who they are and why everyone in the world is in awe of what they're doing right now.
I think it was nice to go to Saint-Tropez. I love Saint-Tropez. I think it was very close to home for me in terms of the atmosphere there. It's a beautiful space, beautiful land, beaches, the weather. It was such an incredible thing to be going there, especially leaving the summer here and going to Saint-Tropez. It was perfect. And then coming from the restaurant world, this actually was one of their restaurant locations, so it was great to see how they have used the brand into a more of a Michelin space and more fine dining and how they've created this atmosphere in that. So it was great to spend time there, and then I ended up going straight to Paris at LV Dream and I spent the-
Kerry Diamond:
What is LV Dream?
Mary George:
I would say that they're almost like a flagship location. It's like a art gallery of all Louis Vuitton when you enter the space. And then on the top floor, there's a cafe which is similar to how we are doing it at the moment. They have a full showcase of different desserts. That's where Maxime showcases all of his creations. He has such a wonderful and talented team behind him who are spending every day creating these things. I was fortunate enough to spend time with them every day, really learn the ins and outs of what his creations are, why they are as great as they are, and try and learn that and really acknowledge everything that he does over there and take it all in and bring that back with me.
So I had the best experience ever there. Me and Maxime created a great relationship. He actually took me around Paris. We got to see the-
Kerry Diamond:
Oh my gosh, I was just about to ask.
Mary George:
Yes.
Kerry Diamond:
Okay, so you saw some of the sites.
Mary George:
Yeah, he spent a whole day with me. We went around. We went to Eiffel Tower. We went to some other landmarks. We-
Kerry Diamond:
Was this your first time in Paris?
Mary George:
Yes, yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
Aw. Oh my God.
Mary George:
So first time to Paris.
Kerry Diamond:
What a great way to see Paris.
Mary George:
I know, and then with one of my biggest role models as well, just the fact that he was taking me around, he was showing to me the different chocolate shops, he was taking me inside of those. We spent the whole day really taking in Paris. It was great to develop that relationship and the trust as well because everything that he's created behind this brand and then taking it into my footsteps and taking it with me to New York, I think was a great relationship to create with him. It was an incredible experience. I would love to do it again and again and again. I've already told them I can't wait to come back and spend time with them. I'm very close with the team over there in LV Dream and Maxime, and we keep in touch all the time.
Kerry Diamond:
I have to talk about Paris a little bit more, highlights in terms of the chocolate shops you went to, the different pizzerias.
Mary George:
I did a lot of my own exploring at that time because it was a very solo trip. The rest of my team actually ended up going back to New York and I stayed a little bit longer. In between that, I was just trying out a lot of different restaurants. I was really in my little Paris moment, going to the little cafes and the bistros on the sidewalk and having wine and just really just taking it all in. LV Dream is on the river, so it was just beautiful. And it was during Olympics time as well, so it was, I think, probably the best time to go there as well because when is that ever going to happen again? Seeing the Eiffel Tower lighting up, seeing the rings on the Eiffel Tower, seeing how many tourists there were around that, the buzz and the energy and people freaking out and cheering when they had broadcasted the games on big screens on the street. It was just an incredible energy to be there during that time period.
Kerry Diamond:
So fun. We did a Paris issue last summer to coincide with the Olympics, and Dominique Crenn is on the cover.
Mary George:
Yes, yeah.
Kerry Diamond:
We have a Paris list online of all the female-fueled and owned places in Paris, and it's really remarkable to see what women are doing over there.
Mary George:
Absolutely. I think there's been a very big movement in culinary with women in this space. I love that there's so many more female bosses out there. It's only growing as time goes on, and that's a big part of it for me as well, is just showing that it has always been very male-orientated for so many years, and I think it's nice to see that females are jumping in and that, taking full ownership of what they're doing, acting like a boss. And it's nice to also be implementing that and something that I've been doing for quite a long time as well. I love it.
Kerry Diamond:
We'll be right back with today's guest.
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Some quick housekeeping. Cherry Bombe is going to be back on the road very soon. We'll be in Raleigh, North Carolina for our next Sit With Us dinner with Open Table on March 10th. And we'll be in Las Vegas right before that on March 7th and 8th for series of special events. For tickets and more information, visit cherrybombe.com.
Let's talk about your responsibilities as executive pastry chef.
Mary George:
Yep. So at Le Café, we follow a very strict procedure in the way that we carry out our responsibilities throughout the day. I do manage a team of about nine pastry members.
Kerry Diamond:
All our restaurant friends just gasped because some places don't even have a pastry chef.
Mary George:
I know that's very true. And that some-
Kerry Diamond:
Let alone a pastry team that's just-
Mary George:
It breaks my heart. So many pastry programs don't really have pastry chefs, and I just think that there's such a pivotal role in really taking your restaurants to the next level because pastry is such an art and it takes so long to craft. And yes, you can do pastries and then you can do pastries extremely well. I just think it's such an investment to really try and bring someone. And they're always very passionate people. I find because it's such an artsy role to have, it's just very much like you're in your own world, you're there creating, and I think that's what's so special about it.
And I'm so fortunate to have with my team that I currently have nine very, very eager and amazing cooks with me. I recruited each one of them into this role in the lead up to the opening, so they've been with me on board of this every day. They're so excited. They come in full of energy. They're like, "Chef, can you teach me this? Chef, how did you do this? Chef, how did you make that? Chef, can I try this?" It's constant evolving.
And my biggest passion in everything that I do, which I would say is my biggest responsibility as a chef in this role, is teaching. And that's something I'm very passionate about is teaching the next generation of cooks and implementing that love for what you do. It's not just a job, because hospitality can be hard and it's not an easy industry to be in. I'm very honest with whoever works with me and I always tell them, "Come in. You're going to come in. It's going to be challenging. This program is never easy, but it's rewarding. You're going to learn a lot. And I'm going to do the best I possibly can to make you the best chef you can ever be. I want you to leave me, whenever that is, being better than when you came in and having these skill sets and having these tools to achieve in your career." And I think that's something I always wanted chefs to do with me.
I learned that along the way that that's how I want to be as a chef, so I think that would be my biggest responsibility, is really just mothering my team a little bit. I feel like their mother and I'm taking care of them like, "Come on, guys. We have this goal." My goal with this program is to make this the best pastry program in the city and I implement that every single day, so I have my little warriors with me and we push through every single day.
Kerry Diamond:
Mother Mary, I love it. What do you look for in a pastry cook?
Mary George:
Something I always say is I can teach you how to cook, but I can't teach you how to love what you do. That's the biggest thing for me. I actually love taking people who are not always at the top of the game, who are super well-rounded in everything. But if they're like, "Chef, I love what I do. I really enjoy this. I'm going to dedicate my time to this and I'm going to commit and I'm going to learn," that's what I love. It's such a rewarding experience for myself because I've watched this person grow. And I can say that for all of the cooks that I've brought on board. They've come from all different areas of the industry. I've watched them grow into such amazing pastry cooks in this team, and it feels very incredible.
Kerry Diamond:
Let's go through some of the menu highlights. I did not eat lunch yet. That was probably a mistake before hearing you talk about all of these amazing desserts that you're creating there. There are three different entremets, vanilla, chocolate, and hazelnut. What is an entremet? For those who don't know.
Mary George:
An entremet is a layered cake essentially, a mousse cake with multiple different layers of textures and flavors essentially. It's just a French way of instead of saying mousse cake, we like to bring it back to the word entremet.
Kerry Diamond:
Walk us through components of each.
Mary George:
Yes. With the three entremets, the vanilla, chocolate, and hazelnut, they are all associated with a single ingredient, which is of course vanilla, chocolate, and hazelnut. I hold a lot of pride with using the best quality ingredients around the city, importing the best chocolates from France.
So say with our chocolate entremet that is focused 100% around single origin cocoa beans, so I source single origin beans from around the world. And what's so special about that is that they actually grow the beans right next to, say, a banana tree or something like a fruit tree of some sort, and it actually takes the flavor from that. And then when you actually use the chocolate, it has fruity notes in it. So I think that's what creates such a very different characteristic in this entremet, and it's all 100% textures of chocolate.
Essentially the same for the hazelnut. This one holds notes of caramel, of sugar. I always tell my guests it's like eating a bag of roasted hazelnuts. It's just all hazelnut. It's a very much a crowd favorite. I would say. Your Nutella lovers out there-
Kerry Diamond:
I was just going to say the same thing. All you folks who love your Nutella.
Mary George:
Yeah. I find you don't like dessert, you do like dessert, as long as you like a jar of Nutella, you'll try that and you'll be very much happy.
Our vanilla is something that I personally really love because it's so delicate. It's so light. We use a variety of Tahitian and Madagascan vanilla beans. We create multiple textures. We make a biscuit, a cremeux, a whipped ganache, gels, crunches, and we spray it in white chocolate and vanilla as well. So it's all made up of vanilla. And then we make a very slow-cooked milk jam out of vanilla beans too, so it's 100% vanilla. You go straight through it, you're taken back. It's actually almost gray because of how much vanilla is in it.
It's definitely very expensive, but it's beautiful to make. I love watching how people eat it and they are like, "Wow." You're really taken back, and that's with all the entremets, I would say, is that they are so focused around that single ingredient that when you try it, and I just watch from the side the guests when they're eating it, and they're just smiling and happy. And it just really shows how instead of trying to use so many different other ingredients and taking it away from the original source, that's a big philosophy for me, is focusing on that one ingredient, using great quality milk. We locally source our milk, our dairy, our eggs, everything so that it is as New York as possible, as well as combining French refinement and French techniques such as the actual base of the recipes, I think, is a nice little collaboration between the two.
Kerry Diamond:
It's so nice to hear how much you care about sourcing.
Mary George:
Absolutely. That's a very big part of our concept behind Le Café, and that's been something that we've been embedding since we started, is sustainability, helping out our local farmers, really showcasing New York or New York state itself. I find bringing up local farmers saying, "Let's try your eggs, let's try this milk." We still have the cream line on the top. We are trying to really showcase this collaboration between French refinement and New York flair.
And that's a really big thing for me is that yes, every patisserie product is always based around French classical techniques, like you're making a cremeux, you're making anglaises, mise en place, these are all classical French. But then you can make your own twist and use what your country and what you guys are known for. Even now, when I have people try it, because I've obviously tried the things in Paris, it does taste different, and that's because of the ingredients that we use. Our milk tastes different. Our cream tastes different. So I think that's what is so special about the uniqueness of our desserts at Le Café.
Kerry Diamond:
You mentioned French refinement. I'm really struck by how precise each of these desserts turn out.
Mary George:
Yeah, absolutely. So each entremet does take three days. We make very small batches of everything so that everything is as fresh as possible, which is also a very unique thing in the patisserie world because everything is in silicon molds, things like that people can try and do in advance. It does take longer. You can taste the difference. We really like to do very, very small batches. That way, everything is fresh as best. And yes, it does take a really long time.
Kerry Diamond:
Three days. That's impressive.
Mary George:
The molds have to be absolutely perfect. If there's an air bubble in anything, if there's a little dent, I'll tell my cook, "Sorry, we can't use this," if the spraying is not done correctly. It has to look as perfect as possible. We don't go below that. I'll never change that dynamic that we have in place, and it's important that people know when they come to the cafe that they are getting the best of the best quality in both ingredients in technique and execution.
Kerry Diamond:
You did a lot of competitions over the years.
Mary George:
Yes.
Kerry Diamond:
And I'm guessing that part of your brain that loves precision and detail was attracted to that. Why were you interested in them?
Mary George:
So I'm naturally a very competitive person.
Kerry Diamond:
Are you?
Mary George:
I am, Yeah. So I actually-
Kerry Diamond:
Did you play sports?
Mary George:
I did. I played competitive tennis for 12 years.
Kerry Diamond:
Australian Open's going on right now.
Mary George:
Yeah, that was the other direction I was veering off into. Once I found pastry, I was like, "Well, opposite end. Complete opposite end." But I'm-
Kerry Diamond:
Do you play in New York still?
Mary George:
Not so much. I should, but I always do when I go back home to Australia. I think New York has been such a... It's still too cold. It's a lot of fun. I think it's always great to have a game or two out there. But yeah, so pretty much I've always been extremely competitive. My whole family is actually very, very competitive in terms of sports and everything like that. So when I went to Le Cordon Bleu culinary school at 18 years old, I met the headteacher, which was Andre Sanderson, and I knew he was the headteacher and I was very excited to just go to Le Cordon Bleu just to be in his presence basically. He was a big role model to me as well. He competed in the Coupe du Monde, which was one of the biggest pastry competitions in the world. He was world recognized for that.
When I knew he was the headteacher, I really wanted to make sure that I really showed myself to him, really wanted to perform every day. I was definitely that kid that was always staying back after class, asking them questions, nagging them like, "Hey, chef, do you have something I can help you with?" It was constant. And he scouted me into the WorldSkills competition in Australia. Through that, we trained for the regional level. We won gold in that, and that was for Sydney. Then we went to Melbourne to represent the state and we won that as well. And then I went to the international level. I placed number one in Australia and top seven in the world.
I think that really created the essence of who I am as a person, especially between the ages of 18 to 21, doing all of these competition experiences and representing your country on a world stage. And having that responsibility at that age in your truly honestly was the beginning of my career and starting it off in that way, very not traditional to do something like that. Usually you start very small and you work your way up, but to start off in a competition experience, building chocolate showpieces, sugar work, traveling to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to do competitions, going to France and working in Michelin restaurants and training over there. My second mentor was an MOF, which is the biggest accolade you could have as a chef in the culinary world.
Kerry Diamond:
Do you know what that stands for?
Mary George:
Master of France.
Kerry Diamond:
Master of France. Wow.
Mary George:
Yes.
Kerry Diamond:
Wow. You are in it to win it, Mary George.
Mary George:
Yeah. Having this support behind me between Andre and Hervé, which was the MOF champion, having their support at that prime age and learning these things, it really just excelled me as a chef and really pushed me to embed this competitiveness in me. I was so strict in timelines and workflow that till this day, I'm so on point with timing. It's so structured and you follow everything to a tee. You stay with such a drive in life and determined. They always call it like the Olympics of Pastry because that's how it felt. You were representing your country on a world stage, showcasing who you are, training for four years to do these kinds of things, committing yourself 12 hours a day just to do that completely. It's like an athlete. It's very, very rewarding.
Kerry Diamond:
How did chocolate become your specialty?
Mary George:
I actually trained as a chocolatier for five years, and that was for one of Australia's most renowned chocolate companies. That was an incredible experience. And that also did come from my competition experience because I-
Kerry Diamond:
What's the name of the company? I don't know any of the Australian chocolate brands.
Mary George:
Adora Handmade Chocolates. She's located in Sydney and has an incredible company in place. She has, from my memory, about eight locations. And then I worked in the center of it. We pretty much distributed to all the locations. But I really did find the love from my competition experience because I was building chocolate showpieces, then I knew that that was my little niche that I really wanted to grow in. And then I reached out, got the job there, spent five years doing that. And then once I realized that was my thing and I loved everything chocolate associated, once I started entering the restaurant world and people saw my chocolate skill and technique, they were like, "Okay, this is your thing. So you are going to take care of this program. You are going to keep evolving from there." So it's become my little thing wherever I've been now is that, "You are the chocolate person."
Kerry Diamond:
We're going to come back to some New York culinary scene things, but first I want to know, where did you grow up in Australia?
Mary George:
I grew up in Sydney, Australia. I was actually in the western suburbs of Sydney.
Kerry Diamond:
Who cooked at home?
Mary George:
My mom actually cooked. So my family, we don't actually have any chefs in the family or anything like that. There's no one really in the hospitality industry. But my mom was definitely the cook at home and she was very protective of that. Once I found my love for baking, I definitely took over the kitchen. But in the meantime, she was always still the cook.
Kerry Diamond:
What do you remember her making any specialties?
Mary George:
I'm a Syrian, so she was always making Syrian food. But are very Australianized. My mom actually has been in Australia pretty much her whole life. We love Australian food, but I think probably her signature is always Italian food. I think that that was the one thing that I love, which was very surprising, but she was so good at it and I, till this day, I reminisce on my mom's cooking.
Kerry Diamond:
Italian food has such a hold-
Mary George:
Absolutely.
Kerry Diamond:
... on the whole planet.
Mary George:
Especially in New York. The Italian scene here is insane.
Kerry Diamond:
You've said that you knew at a young age you would become a pastry chef. How did you know that?
Mary George:
At 13 years old, I actually found out that I wanted to be a pastry chef. I was actually reading a magazine from “MasterChef.” It actually really launched quite big in Australia, and that's my-
Kerry Diamond:
Oh yeah, “MasterChef” is huge in Australia.
Mary George:
Yeah, it's huge. So in 2012, it actually went really, really big at that time period. And I started watching the TV show and I just saw these chefs. They look like rock stars and I was like, "What is this?" It's crazy just seeing how they made chefs look. They were always behind closed doors at some point. And then now they're on TV and it's made to look like such an exciting thing, and I was so intrigued by that. I was constantly reading these magazines and then I found an advertisement for a Le Cordon Bleu promotion. And I ripped it out, stuck it on my wall. I circled it and I wrote, "I'm going there." I told my mom, I said, "I'm going there," and she's like, "You have to wait till you are 18. Finish school."
I made this little tart for my family. I bought a pre-made tart shell. I just filled it up with ice cream and put berries on top and I gave it to my family and they're like, "You should be a chef," and I was like, "Okay." That was pretty much essentially it for me. I just saw the smile on my family's face, and I'm very family orientated. Just seeing the pure smile that came from them and how happy they were and I was like, "I did that." It was just a very, very simple thing for me. Honestly, ever since then, I feel like I've just had my head down and been so focused from that point on. Even after school, I would be baking. On the weekends, I would be volunteering at some of the best renowned chefs around the city and would be working at their patisseries every single weekend on my Saturdays and Sundays. Started my own little business from there.
Kerry Diamond:
I read that. You had your own cupcake business at the age of 13.
Mary George:
Yes. So it wasn't obviously too serious of a business, but it was definitely something that was my little hobby that really pulled that energy and drive out of me. And it started with my family just being like, "Hey, we have a christening coming up. You should do this." And it just branched off from there. I really spent my time just really focusing on cupcakes because I think that was cake decorating was a very big thing in that time period and learning how to do fondant work and things like that. Once I started doing that, it became a really quick passion of mine and it just kept branching out from there.
Kerry Diamond:
Were you a fan of Donna Hay's?
Mary George:
Yes. Yes, absolutely.
Kerry Diamond:
She doesn't get enough credit in America for her influence.
Mary George:
Absolutely. I didn't even realize she's reached to here.
Kerry Diamond:
I think she had a huge influence on aesthetics and food media here in America.
Mary George:
Yeah, absolutely.
Kerry Diamond:
I think there was a lot of copying of the Donna Hay aesthetic.
Mary George:
Absolutely. She was like our Nigella at that time.
Kerry Diamond:
And Martha all rolled up into one.
Mary George:
Yeah. And she brought out her own cookware line. People till this day, if you go to our department stores, you'll find Donna Hay utensils, things like that. I used to buy her magazines every week. I used to always make some recipe out of there, try it out. I think I probably still have photos of it on somewhere. I was very inspired. I would buy the magazines for everything and cookbooks. My cookbook collection was insane at that time. My mom still rings me up till today and she's like, "Mary, you still have so many cookbooks in these boxes. What do you want me to do with them?"
Kerry Diamond:
Why did you decide to pursue fine dining and the luxury side of the business?
Mary George:
I always had a very structured process to the way I wanted to go about everything. I really wanted to be different to everyone else in the restaurant world in the sense that I wanted to be so knowledgeable by this point that I was already going to be, not to sound ego-ish, but be at the top straight away. I started off in working in these patisseries at a very young age. I entered the industry officially at 15. And then working towards that, working at the best patisseries in Australia, like Adriano Zumbo, all of these people working for three-headed restaurants. But really spending my time focusing on boutique work because that's really where you do learn the essence of patisserie and you do big production scale. I've worked at hotels, working at all of these kinds of places. I really wanted to learn everything that there is about patisserie and working as a chocolatier and doing that solidly for a long duration of time.
Once I knew that I had these tools underneath me, I was very well-rounded as a chef, I entered straight into the restaurant world, which is when I actually became a sous chef at a private winery estate in the southern highlands in New South Wales in Australia. That really opened it up for me because I boomed so quickly. And I found that because I knew all these skills already, I excelled very fast. I just had so much passion for it and I realized all the things that I learned, I do a little bit of them every day. I do a little bit of chocolate work, I do a little bit of sugar work, baking everything. So I was like, "Wow, this is so exciting." And then as soon as I realized that, I haven't stopped and I have been joining the restaurant industry, just been really loving it. And I think that's how I found my way to New York.
Kerry Diamond:
What made you decide to leave Australia and your family? You said you're so family-oriented.
Mary George:
Yeah, so that was very, very tough for me to obviously leave Australia, and it still is always very tough for me to leave my family because we are so close. But I think everyone always knew that I was never meant to stay in Australia. Being in this industry, you have to see the world. It's not made for you to stay in one spot forever. You have to see the world. You have to experience different cultures, different cuisines, the way that that country does it. And I think because I traveled so much in these competitions at such a young age, it made me have a taste for traveling and realizing that I felt very independent as a person.
So pretty much when I was a sous chef at the winery, I already had it in my mind that I wanted to go to New York. I hadn't been to the United States. I still haven't traveled the United States. I've only been to New York, but there was such an energy around New York. And I used to see it on TV and it was the city of lights, the city that never sleeps. The culinary scene was incredible here, the Michelin scene, and it was so food orientated and that's what I loved is that scene. I'd watched videos, and people are just obsessed with food here. There's such an incredible vibe behind it.
Kerry Diamond:
So all those TV shows we sent out into the universe worked magically.
Mary George:
Yeah. I used to watch Carlo's Bakery, “Cake Boss,” and I used to hear his accent. I'm like, "What is that accent?" And they're like, "It's..." I actually was fortunate enough to meet him and do an episode with him while he was here as well when I was working at my job. And it was so incredible just hearing these things when I was younger and I was like, "I can't wait to go there and I can't wait to go to a city that doesn't stop." And I noticed-
Kerry Diamond:
Well, I hope we haven't let you down, Mary.
Mary George:
Oh, for sure.
Kerry Diamond:
And that you're still enjoying your time here, true to what you want to achieve. You get a job at one of the top establishments. You start working for Daniel Boulud. How did you get that job?
Mary George:
When I came here, I came in December 2022 during the Christmastime period, best time to come as a tourist, I actually spent some time at multiple different Michelin restaurants. I really wanted to get a grasp of what I really wanted to grow on as a chef and what I felt was me. When I went to Daniel and I met the executive chef there and I saw what they were doing and I saw the program that they created, it was amazing. It stood out to me instantly. I just knew that this place was for me. And as soon as I spent some time with them, they offered me the position same day. And went straight back to Australia, told my family, "Hey guys, got a job. I got to leave in a couple of months." Packed up my bags, came back straight to New York, and it hasn't stopped since.
Kerry Diamond:
Daniel is beloved. What did you learn from him?
Mary George:
What I learned the most from my experience with Daniel Boulud being at Daniel is refinement and finesse, really French culture because the atmosphere was very French-orientated while I was there. I really got to create a love for that and learn. And something that was very big in Daniel's restaurant is that we're not trying to take away from the classics or the classic refinement like French classical techniques but make it contemporary and make it modern. And I think that's what was so exciting to me. And because I loved everything about France and Paris, I think it just really stood out to me. And I think till this day, it's created a sense of polish in everything that I do and that refinement and that little... I've always been a little bit of a perfectionist and I think that really just brought more out of me and it really made sure that my technique was flawless at that point. That was the biggest part of it that I learned from Daniel.
Kerry Diamond:
It's clear you work really hard. You're very creative. You are very goal-oriented and competitive as you told us. How do you stay inspired?
Mary George:
Honestly, by my cooks. I think seeing how what I've learned over my time and learning mistakes along the way and learning how my environment was growing up in this industry and the challenges behind it, I think that really pushes me every day to be better.
Being a female in this industry, it's not easy. And I think that's always something that I like to stay strong with and I like to really never break that guard, really make sure that I have a certain presence wherever I am. I think that's my biggest influence. And I would say really doing that with my team and making sure that they see a certain type of person out of me, making sure that the industry should only be getting better every single day. We should be learning from past things and moving on and trying to make it a better world, a better atmosphere, and still get the best products. And we are really getting better as time goes on in terms of our product. So we should get better as chefs. That's something that I'm very strong in my beliefs about implementing every single day, and I think that's what keeps me inspired to do what I do.
Kerry Diamond:
Let's talk a little bit more about the menu while we have you here. Anything else you want to call out on the dessert menu?
Mary George:
I would say probably one of my favorites at the moment. So excluding the entremets, we have our new pear dessert, and this is very New York for me and very true to my abstract ways in the way I plate things because I'm very art-orientated. So this one is very seasonal. I really like to focus on seasonality, which goes back to sustainability in New York, making sure that we are showcasing the best ingredients at the time that they are available.
So I am using pears at the moment because they are definitely at peak right now. We create a beautiful pear tart or reinvented pear tart, so it's like a caramelized feuilletine pastry with burnt honey cremeux, a pear gel, a brown butter biscuit, and then a Williams pear brandy foam on the top. And for me, this is so delicate. It really does feel so reminiscent of what we are experiencing in New York at the moment using the ingredients that are available. And it really truly is so delicate and I find it's very much on the pathway of classical French desserts as well because we are using French techniques but also using that contemporary abstract way of doing everything too.
Kerry Diamond:
What should I order from the savory menu?
Mary George:
So it's funny. I would say to honestly order the scallop souffle. It does look like a dessert, so maybe that's why it's definitely one of my favorites, because it is molded in a beautiful Louis Vuitton monogram-shaped mold. It's very classical. So it's a very delicate scallop souffle and it's got a fresh scallop on the inside, caviar on the top, and a beurre blanc sauce. This for me is enjoyable at any time of the day. And I think that's what I love about Le Café is that we are an approachable restaurant and that yes, we do French refinement, but we want it to feel that anyone could come at any point in the day because we are an all-day restaurant and feel that we can accommodate that. So all of our dishes really are inspired that anyone could come in at any point in the day. It doesn't feel too heavy. You feel comfortable, but you're getting good quality. And I think that's definitely one of my favorites from the savory menu.
Kerry Diamond:
Oh, scallop souffle sounds so good. Oh my gosh. Who would you love to cook for one day? A lot of interesting people have come through Le Café.
Mary George:
Yeah, I would say probably one of my biggest mentors since I was 13 would be Christophe Michalak. He is definitely the OG of french patisserie. He's still killing it in this game and constantly in awe of everything that he does. So if I definitely met him, I think I would freak out a little bit. We've had some really great celebrities and high profile people coming through in our space, so I've definitely had my fan girl moments a couple of times since being in the kitchen at Le Cafe. But it's been so exciting, just presenting these desserts, even seeing how much they love it as well. I can't wait to meet more and more people.
Kerry Diamond:
Do you have a motto or a mantra that gets you through the day?
Mary George:
It's a little bit cheesy. I've always said since I was a kid, "Be the best." This goes back to my tennis days as well. I actually used to write on my hand, "Be the best," even in my competitions, and I did that also in my patisserie competitions. I actually got a wristband my family made of it and said, "Be the best." Such a simple word, but it meant so much to me about what my goals were in life and that no matter what, even in my day, it doesn't have to be the best in what you're doing, could just be the best person that day, be the best version of yourself every single day, and I think that's something that I live by.
Kerry Diamond:
When you're getting your be the best tattoo.
Mary George:
I actually already have one.
Kerry Diamond:
I knew it.
Mary George:
That was-
Kerry Diamond:
Does your mother know?
Mary George:
I was going to say, that-
Kerry Diamond:
Sorry. Sorry if we just-
Mary George:
I'm sorry, mom.
Kerry Diamond:
... announced this to everybody.
Mary George:
Yeah, I actually got it in French because I thought at the prime age of 18, that was very cool to do. I had just come back from France actually, and I was so in my element and I was like, "Why don't I just get the words just in case I forget them?"
Kerry Diamond:
Are you good at trusting your gut?
Mary George:
I think so. I feel like I have a good understanding of people. I think even with the current people that I'm associated with now in my team, I've always trusted my gut just based off their presence and how I read them. And I've been around so many people and learned so much along the way, and I think now I make good judgment calls on things. But I've also learned with new opportunities, it's important to take them because they are only going to help you grow if something is very challenging. And I always say being in the industry is challenging, but it's so rewarding at the same time. And I think trusting your gut, taking opportunities, taking those risks are always going to make you better. You're never going to lose anything out of it. Being a little bit uncomfortable in those situations is okay because it's only going to make you better, help you be a better person.
Kerry Diamond:
Do you take enough time to decompress?
Mary George:
Probably not. I would say that's something that I definitely do try to work on as much as possible. As I've been learning as a chef and growing up, I think I've gotten much better at it at this age. But I think it's really important to take a step back from everything that you do, especially because it can get crazy in the kitchen sometimes. Being so focused in the attention to detail can take you away from everything else, so I think it's so important to just continue to take a step back, really enjoy where you are. And sometimes I do take a step back and I'm like, "I'm on the other side of the world from Australia to New York, living my dream, doing it with the people that are just as passionate as I am. This is something that 13-year-old Mary dreamed about." Sometimes you just have to really just take a step back and think about those moments because you can get so absorbed into your everyday life that I think it's really important to take those 20 seconds out of the day just to think about it.
Kerry Diamond:
Mary George, let's do a speed round. What beverage do you start the day with?
Mary George:
Coffee.
Kerry Diamond:
How do you take it?
Mary George:
I usually do iced coffee always, iced lattes.
Kerry Diamond:
Even if it's zero degrees outside?
Mary George:
Yeah, I'm one of those people. You'll see me with my hand shaking, but I'm like, I don't do hot coffee. It's just the taste of... I don't like the taste of coffee, and the coffee here is very different. I love coffee in Australia. I find we take it so seriously in Australia. Coffee art is huge. I even studied coffee in high school. It's like a part of studying. Here, it's very, very different.
Kerry Diamond:
Tell me a favorite cookbook of yours.
Mary George:
I would say recently “Pleincoeur” by Maxime Frédéric. I think that's a great new cookbook that's out.
Kerry Diamond:
What's always in your fridge at home?
Mary George:
In my fridge at home?
Kerry Diamond:
Anything?
Mary George:
Fruit. There's always a lot of fruit. I love fruit. And I think that's also going back to Australian culture, things like that. You go to our supermarkets, it's very flooded with organics and fruit and things like that, so I think that's always something I like to have.
Kerry Diamond:
What's your most used kitchen tool or implement?
Mary George:
I actually would say my rubber spatula. I don't know why I have so many rubber spatulas. I will cook everything with it. And it's very strange because it's not a common utensil to have in an everyday household, but I'll cook eggs with it. I'll cook everything with it.
Kerry Diamond:
What's your favorite snack food?
Mary George:
My favorite snack food would probably be popcorn.
Kerry Diamond:
Favorite food as a child?
Mary George:
Anything sweet. Ice cream.
Kerry Diamond:
Favorite food smell?
Mary George:
Chocolate.
Kerry Diamond:
I know you don't have a lot... It sounds like you don't have a lot of time on your hands, but what are you streaming right now?
Mary George:
I actually am not streaming anything as of now. I was going to watch the new “XO, Kitty” on Netflix, the Korean drama, which is not something that I usually watch but I've been seeing it all over TikTok and everyone's been talking about it. I like a good rom-com or something like that, so I think that'd be cool to watch.
Kerry Diamond:
What's your favorite food film?
Mary George:
“Burnt,” and I actually met Bradley Cooper recently. He came to the cafe and I just kept telling him, I was like, "I loved “Burnt.” Best movie I've ever seen." And he is like, "Really?" I was like, "Best movie of all time." I love... I could watch that movie on repeat. It's just so much fun and I love seeing the chaotic energy in there. People are like, "Is that real?" I'm like, "Can be." Yeah, love that movie.
Kerry Diamond:
What's on your travel bucket list?
Mary George:
I would love to go to Switzerland. I really want to go to the chocolate world and I really experience that. And I know I say that being someone who hates the cold, so it's very strange that I am wanting to go there, but I just really want to see everything chocolate, so Switzerland for sure.
Kerry Diamond:
All right. We ask everybody this question, Mary. If you had to be trapped on a desert with one food celebrity, who would it be and why?
Mary George:
Probably Gordon Ramsay. I reckon he'd just be fun. I just feel like he would be cursing out everything and making the most of that experience. I feel like I'd be laughing at everything, hopefully. So Australians and Brits, we get on pretty well, so I feel like he'd probably someone I'd probably have with me over there.
Kerry Diamond:
Well, Mary George, this has been a delight getting to know you.
Mary George:
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it, and thank you for having me on this podcast. It's incredibly special to be able to be a part of things like this and share my story and what I'm doing, so thank you very much for that, Kerry. I appreciate it.
Kerry Diamond:
That's it for today's show. I would love for you to subscribe to Radio Cherry Bombe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating and a review. Anyone you want to hear on an upcoming episode? Let me know. Our theme song is by the band Tralala. Joseph Hazan is a studio engineer for Newsstand Studios. Our producers are Catherine Baker and Jenna Sadhu, and our editorial coordinator is Sophie Kies. Thanks for listening, everybody. You are the Bombe.