Geoffrey Zakarian

“I love hospitality, and I love cooking. The kitchen is where I feel most at ease and where I feel most like myself.”

“There's a point of no return when you're cooking tomatoes. A little too much heat, a little too long in the pot, and you lose that sense of fresh ripeness that makes tomatoes so great.”

“Determine who you are and what your brand is, and what you're not. The rest of it is just a lot of noise.”

“It's important to salt the tomatoes before draining them because that helps pull out the water. Fresh herbs, some garlic and pepper will also enhance the flavor.”

“The Lamb's Club is going to be a luxury bar and grill; we're not doing an overly fancy restaurant. We wanted to make a space that people will come to every day, almost like a very high-end bistro.”

“Days off are few and far between in the restaurant business. But on an hour off, I like to have a glass of wine with my wife.”

“I've been working in boutique hotels my whole life.”

“I still have the 'New York Post' delivered because it's so garrulous and nasty and wonderful when you read it in print. Some things just don't translate online.”

“I always request a king-size bed, and if I can't, I try to work that out right after I land. I unpack immediately so the clothes don't get wrinkled. I go the gym. I adjust the temperature; I like the room kind of warm. And then turn on CNBC.”

“I use the confit principle for chicken thighs. I season them with herbs and garlic, let them marinate, and then cook them in chicken fat.”

“I'm the culinary and creative consultant for The Water Club.”

“Everyone could use instructions on every aspect of cooking: pantry, storage, refrigeration, cooking, what to buy. Everyone that I come into contact with could use help.”

“I love hotel rooms, so I take pictures of the room and the way out and the lobby, the food and drink.”

“How you treat the quiet, shy types is the most important. If you leave them to sit in a corner, they will be noticed, and it will affect everyone's time. I instantly spring on them and treat them as royalty, showing them around and introducing them to everyone so they seem special.”

“Chestnuts are my favorite ingredient to use in the fall, especially for the holidays. I always find that they are meaty, hearty and have a mysterious refinement when cooked or roasted over sea salt.”

“Everybody these days wants to be a star, including myself. Don't get me wrong, I'm a chef but you want to market yourself and your projects.”

“When I step into the kitchen in the morning, I go for the scrambled eggs with pine nuts and minced lamb. When I finish at night, it is hard to resist the burger.”

“When I entertain, I want to have fun. But I'm also a control person. I don't go in for those everyone-in-the-kitchen cooking scenes. So if I want to be with my guests, I have to do everything - or nearly everything - in advance.”

“I like tuna when there's a definite streak of deep pink in the middle, medium rare so to speak, and it comes out best when it's not cut too thick.”

“If we have meetings, I try to schedule the meetings at different restaurants I want to try - so I always suggest the restaurants.”