Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2019-06-24)

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neofthebrighteststarsintheconstellationof

finediningis anidyllicfarmjustnorthofNew

YorkCity.ThekitchenmonksrunningBlueHill

atStoneBarnshavebeenknowntojuicemilk-

weed,pickleferns,orsmoketomatowater.

Lately,however,they’veshiftedtheirscientificapproach

tosomethingmoreprehistoric.Thesedays,theBlueHill

teamgrillsprettymucheverythingoveranopenfire.The

shiftwasn’t planned,orevenexpected,saysexecutive

chefandco-ownerDanBarber.It waslargelycatalyzedby

equipmenttherestaurantboughtfroma companycalled

Grillworks,specificallyan8-foot-longopen-hearthcontrap-

tionthatlookslikea medievaltorturerack.

Thegrillhasessentiallytakena staticendeavor—controlling

theheatofa burner—andaddedthreemoredimensions:dis-

tance,smoke,andthesubtlenuancesofburningdifferent

kindsofwood.“Themorevariablesyoucancontrol,theless

anxiousa chefbecomes,”Barberexplains.“Thisgrillgives

youa kindofubercontrol,whichI’dnever

experiencedbefore.”

It was,inshort,a majorupgradefrom

thelittleWebertherestauranthadbeen

using.Onanygivenday,theBlueHill

crewwillbecharringgreens,carameliz-

ingfruit,searingbeef,andslow-roastinglamb.Beetsget

burieddirectlyinthecoals.“Thisfall,we’llroastcorn

overburningcorncobs,”Barbersays.“It’sweird,man.”

Open-firecookinghasbeentakingthefoodworldby

storm,boostedbytheriseofchefcelebritiessuchasFrancis

Mallmann,who’vemadea fashionofaddinga touchofthe-

atertocooking.It turnsout,if onewantstohonorpre-

ciouslygrownlocalingredientsbynotchangingtheir

flavorstoomuch,burningwoodis a goodwaytodo

it.“Itjusthitthiszeitgeist,”saysfoodwriterAdam

Sachs,formereditor-in-chiefofSaveur. “There’sa

reasonthiskindofcookingresonateswithsomany

chefs.It’sveryelemental,verydirect,andhonest.”

Althoughthereareseveralcompaniesmaking

foodforges,Grillworksiscorneringthebudding

market.Walkintosomeofthemoston-point

restaurantsintheworld,andyou’lllikely

finda Grillworksapparatusfrontandcenterin

allitsshiny,steampunkglory:LiliainBrooklyn,

N.Y.;MarbleinJohannesburg;Bopp&Tone in

Sydney;theWeslodgeSalooninDubai;theHotel

SchweizerhofinZermatt,Switzerland.InToronto,

NerudaopenedinNovemberon

theshoreofLakeOntariowithwhat

it callstheworld’slargestopen-fire

grill:a GrillworksInfierno240,asin

240 incheslong,or 20 feet.Ona busynight,asmany

assevencookshustlearoundthe7,000-poundcaul-

dron like tattooed imps, raking the fires and cover-

ing the surface with octopus, greens, and dry-aged

to mahawk steaks.

Thisyear,Grillworkswillsellabout 350 grills, at prices

rangingfrom$4,000to$200,000. Half of those units will go

tocommercialkitchens;only a few years ago, most went

tohomes.ChefMissyRobbins had one installed when she

openedLilia,herItalianrestaurant in the Williamsburg neigh-

borhoodofBrooklyn.“Itwas the first piece of equipment I

knewI wanted,”shesays.The grill is very simple but “allows

forveryspecialcooking.”

Therig,thoughhecticand massive, has an aesthetic appeal

thatcomesfroma bitofclever engineering. The V-shaped rods

areslightlyinclinedsothey can funnel dripping juices down

intobastingpansatthechef ’s waist. The wheels that raise and

lowerthegrillarelinkedto a cog that gives a satisfying “clack”

ateachstep.Almosteverypart of the apparatus, including the

firebricksborderingthehearth,

canberemovedforeasyclean-

ingorreplacement.

Lookingatthethingincites

SUMMER FOOD SPECIAL Bloomberg Pursuits June 24, 2019

Thesignature

wheelcranks

adjustthesurface

heightofthegrill

Gutterlikegrates

helpavoid

flare-upsfrom

drippingjuices

A plancha for

crustaceans,

fruit, and

other small

or delicate

foods

Overhead resting and

suspension areas

GRILLWORKSINFIERNOX100

$91,000

O