Aftertaste - Meredith Mileti [139]
“Mira, this is Marcus Drexler, head of the AEL Syndicate, and his partner, Jasper Hilliard. Marcus, Jasper, I’d like you to meet Mira Rinaldi,” Jake says, “my ex-wife.”
“Mira, what a pleasure. Thanks for coming,” Marcus says, extending his hand. His manner is easy, as if we were meeting at a cocktail party, which, given the fact we are all holding crystal champagne flutes at ten o’clock in the morning, we might as well be. Once the introductions are complete, Marcus ushers us into the living room where he gestures for me to have a seat.
“Welcome home, Mira. I trust you were comfortable last night?”
“Yes, of course,” I tell him. “Thank you.”
“Nice little spread we have here, isn’t it?” he asks, gesturing around me into the room. “Arthurs E. Lybrant has its accounting offices in the financial district, of course, but we actually prefer to meet with clients and potential investors here, where the atmosphere is more casual and intimate. We believe that food is a very personal issue and that each restaurant in our syndicate is a unique member of the AEL family.”
Marcus then gestures to Jasper, who dims the lights and flicks a switch, which triggers the release of an overhead screen behind me. Jasper hands me a slick brochure, along with a leather portfolio containing a pad and a pen, in case, he tells me, I want to take some notes during the video.
The presentation is an expensively produced, half-hour montage with a music overlay and beautiful panoramic shots of the syndicate’s various restaurant venues, only a few of which—Il Vinaio being one—are open yet. The theme, that our upscale restaurants will be successful in these exciting venues, is persuasive. I try not to sneak too many looks at Jake.
Once the video is over, Jasper appears behind me and flips through the brochure he has given me, pointing out the various restaurant “concepts,” complete with floor plans, chefs’ resumes, and proposed menus. It’s impressive. Clearly they have been getting advice from industry professionals, people who understand Grappa’s market—at least from the logistics end.
“Mira,” Marcus says, standing up. “Let’s sit and discuss some of the particulars over a little breakfast, shall we?” Suddenly, he is at my elbow. Jake walks ahead of him to the sideboard where he begins filling a plate.
“Please,” Marcus says. “Help yourself.”
“It’s rather intimidating feeding chefs, you know, but we’ve done our best,” Jasper says, with a self-deprecating smile.
And they have. Eggs Benedict, served in perfectly steamed artichoke hearts, with slices of thick-cut, grilled pancetta and a hollandaise sauce the color of a Cézanne sunrise; lush, tender strawberries with clotted cream and muscovado sugar; warm croissants; handcured smoked salmon; and coffee in heated mugs.
I’ve already eaten, but I fill a plate anyway, just to be polite. I take a seat across from Jake. I am instantly reminded of the last time I sat across from him at such a table—the day I lost Grappa. I push my plate away.
“We hope you’ll have a chance to stop into Il Vinaio while you are in the city. The pictures in the video really don’t do it justice,” Jasper says, balancing a forkful of eggs.
I can feel Jake’s eyes on me. “Great. I’ll be sure to drop by,” I tell him.
“Mira,” Marcus begins, “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how difficult it is to run a successful restaurant these days, particularly in this challenging economy. There is an operating side to it where you and Jake are the experts—and there is also a business and marketing side. What our group does is remove the burden of business and marketing, and minimize the risks. Part of our job—what we feel we do best—is to identify the talented operations people,