Back in the early 2000’s I was living in Brooklyn and looking for a part-time job while I was auditioning for shows. At the library, I remember searching Craigslist's part-time gigs page. There was an ad for a bakery retail position. The hourly was a great rate for that time in history and I figured it sounded good! Something about pizzas was mentioned as well. So I took the 1 train down to Soho and walked over to Sullivan Street right below Spring Street. Into the doors I went and met a lovely manager, who offered me a coffee and a slice of pizza. The little rectangular, thin crisp pizzas were an incredible vision. One pizza had shredded zucchini and breadcrumbs mixed with Gruyere cheese, another with simple Pomodoro, and the one I chose, which had thinly sliced potato, rosemary and sea salt. At this point, I was seduced and really wanted this job. Fortunately, I was hired and started working at Sullivan Street Bakery right away! It was not so much a job, rather an education that I had no idea I needed. Working in that environment made it easy to learn and observe, and devour! The experience opened up my eyes to the world of breadmaking and the passion which goes into creating masterful baked goods! As a very young and inexperienced worker, and human, I had a many, many faults. This was the first of several influential food jobs that deeply affected my life. To this day, one of my favorite foods is a loaf of the Sésamo and extremely delicious French butter! I’d be happy to share with folks all about why a loaf of bread can cost between six to $17 in another story! If you ever happen to be around Hell's Kitchen and are able to stop in the Sullivan Street Bakery location there, grab a slice of the zucchini and also the Pizza Patate! And it is something exquisite! I think the reason why I love thinking about this and writing about this is because it reminds me of being a child and learning from my father to count my daily blessings. We would occasionally count our blessings out loud, and it’s such an interesting thing to do and a very personal thing to do as well. One of the greatest blessings from that time in my life is the experience and exposure I received from those who loved to make bread and those who brought their passion into fruition = Into a living breathing existence. Whatever your blessings are for you. I hope they are well-cherished and honored. And on a Sunday morning, a blessing can be as simple as a slice of bread and a smear of butter!
We look forward to seeing you soon! Joey G & The JGNT Family
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