PDR
Listening to: “A Case of You” — Joni Mitchell (Cover by Noah Reid)
Sipping on: 30 day aged egg nog
Back in August, a good friend and one of my best regulars at Rogue came to the bar I was working at. He told me his firm is moving him to Texas for a client and wanted me to cook his last meal in Richmond, in his home, with a group of friends. I enthusiastically said yes. Matteo was the kind of guest that would order a tasting menu and then ask for more courses. I’d happily oblige and put together 4 or 5 more courses off the cuff. He was the perfect guest. As I was writing the menu and putting things together, a couple friends (a server & a cook) from said bar asked what I was doing and said they’d be happy to help. I definitely needed the help so I brought them into the fold. Unbeknownst to me, this would be the beginning of something pretty great.
Five courses plus amuse. Wine pairings. Proper service. This is my kind of fun. I borrowed plates and glassware and silver. I spun ice cream at one restaurant and bought product through another. I put my head down and did what I do best. Everything clicked. Everything was perfect. I was cooking a six course tasting menu and running a proper service for a dozen people on my own terms. I had control of everything and didn’t have to worry about all the extra bullshit that comes with owning a restaurant. I was in my element and loving every minute of it. I had a team of pros that knew what they were doing and didn’t need me to babysit them. We just did what we do and it was glorious.
I tend to doubt myself a lot. At this point, I hadn’t cooked at this level since I sold Rogue almost a year prior. I knew deep down that I’m still a damn good cook, but the doubt always creeps in like clockwork. I freak out, get depressed, stress level goes through the roof and then service comes and everything is normal again. I forget that this is my element. This is where I’ve always belonged. The food is perfect. The service is perfect. The wine is perfect. The company is perfect. Everything was right.
After PDR1, we started to think that this is something that could actually go somewhere. I mean, someone had to fill this void, right? Clearly there was a niche that we could tap into. I could cook whatever I wanted, for who I wanted up to 10 people, and serve them how I wanted. Enter PDR the company. We bought our own plates, glassware, silver, serviettes, equipment, & tools. We added suppliments like foie gras, truffles, grand cru champagne, whiskey, & cigar service. This could be truly great. A fine dining Michelin-caliber service in your home with your closest friends.
We’re already discussing what PDR 2.0 looks like. This little project has given me so much joy over such a short amount of time. Surrounding myself with likeminded professionals who enjoy operating at this level continue to inspire me. I’m super proud of what we’ve started and cannot wait to see how far we can take this.
