Paulstich has been in the industry for decades, and what makes him unique is his dedicated staff, who have worked alongside Paulstich for up to 30 years! Paulstich started his culinary journey at 14 years old as a dishwasher in Queens, New York at the Queens Center Mall, where his parents owned a plant business. From there he got a job at Ocean Beach on Fire Island, where he decided it was time to get serious about his craft. Paulstich then made his way to Florida with friends where he worked at Deerfield Beach. It was here that Paulstich worked under a chef for the first time and was inspired to take his culinary journey to the next level. Back in New York, Paulstich worked at the Water Club in Manhattan where he practiced sauce work, butchering, and other skills. Once Paulstich began working under Chef Christian Delouvrier as the poissonnier, his career took off. “I owe a lot to Christian Delouvrier,” Paulstich says of the experience.
Paulstich was quickly promoted to saucier, then sous chef, and even had the opportunity to work with Ed Brown, the current Senior Vice President of Food and Beverage for Restaurant Associates. Paulstich’s first executive chef gig was at the Mark Hotel for five years, where he broke records for the restaurant’s monetary income. Now, Paulstich prepares food at the exclusive Knickerbocker Club in Manhattan, accompanied by many of the same people who were by his side at the Mark Hotel decades ago. “All the people who are in the kitchen with me now were with me in the Mark Hotel 20 years ago,” he says. “We all climbed the ladder quite nicely and were all hard workers coming out of that kitchen.”
The Knickerbocker Club is a members-only club in the heart of New York City that serves over 50 covers a night and caters for events of over 250 people. The club, which has been around since 1871, is regarded as the most exclusive club in the United States. In order to make the Knickerbocker Club as successful as the Mark Hotel, Paulstich needed help from other talented professionals. He worked alongside names like Philippe Boulot; professionals who have had successful endeavors of their own and have kept in touch with Paulstich throughout the years. Paulstich emphasizes that keeping connections is very important to him.
The menus Paulstich and his team create for the club are nothing short of works of art. The ever-changing menu is customized based on fresh and seasonal ingredients. Paulstich does not hesitate to fly in the best ingredients from around the world to please his guests’ taste buds. He praises his list of loyal vendors for helping him and his team supply their unique menus: D’Artagnan for game, Debragga & Spitler for aged beef and meats, Rozzo and Sons for seafood, Chef’s Warehouse for specialties and dry goods, and Sogno Toscano for Italian specialties.
As a leader in the kitchen, Paulstich knows that a good boss is one who encourages greatness in his team. He promotes creative freedom among his staff and constantly asks them, “What do you need from me to be successful?” With a staff that has become as close as family, success is not new to the Knickerbocker team. General Manager of the club, Jean-luc Deguines, believes the key to the team’s success is having respect for one another and having the same goal to serve the members. “Without the team, we have nothing here.”
Carlos Valverde, Executive Sous Chef of 28 years, and Jean DeSantiago, Sous Chef and Pastry Chef of 25 years, agree that a family-like atmosphere filled with respect has driven their team to the top, and each member of the family has their own role. Valverde is responsible for organizing the space, running and inspiring creativity. DeSantiago organizes, prepares the dessert, and creates the lunch menus. Both team members credit Paulstich with being “a day ahead and a dollar ahead” at all times. Paulstich agrees that being prepared is the best way to stay on top of his job. Menus are created at least three days in advance and meals are prepared with plenty of time to spare. If an event is at 6:00, everything is ready by 5:30 or earlier. Paulstich wants his team to have time to themselves, which strengthens the family dynamic. Of course, work comes first, and being prepared ahead of time frees up time for the team to bond. It also leaves time to fix any incidents that may occur.
Even as the captain of the ship, Chef Paulstich accredits his success in the culinary world to his long-standing team. Running the most exclusive club in the country would not be possible without their hard work and keen eyes for perfection. “I have two hands and two legs. I cannot run a place this big without them… I’m a lucky guy to have a staff like that!”
