“Freedom to Create” is the motto and goal of Ferran Adrià’s new elBulli
Foundation. The organization will take the place of the legendary chef’s famous
restaurant elBulli, near Barcelona,
Spain
after it closes its doors this summer. Chef Adrià spoke of his innovative plans
for the first time ever in the
United States
during a visit to The Culinary Institute of America (CIA)
in Hyde Park, NY
on March 21.
The Barcelona
native says he will turn the restaurant’s property into a park and “reserve”
for culinary brainstorming, opening in 2014. Each year, 20 collaborators from
around the world will be selected to work with the base team. Through the
Internet, chefs across the globe will then be able to access the thousands of
ideas the team creates, and use the ones that fit their restaurants.
Foundation. The organization will take the place of the legendary chef’s famous
restaurant elBulli, near Barcelona,
Spain
after it closes its doors this summer. Chef Adrià spoke of his innovative plans
for the first time ever in the
United States
during a visit to The Culinary Institute of America (CIA)
in Hyde Park, NY
on March 21.
The Barcelonanative says he will turn the restaurant’s property into a park and “reserve”
for culinary brainstorming, opening in 2014. Each year, 20 collaborators from
around the world will be selected to work with the base team. Through the
Internet, chefs across the globe will then be able to access the thousands of
ideas the team creates, and use the ones that fit their restaurants.
Chef Adrià pioneered molecular gastronomy, which he calls
“deconstructivist” or avant garde cooking. He has been chef of elBulli for 24 years. Over the past decade it has
been widely considered the best restaurant in the world, earning that official
title from
England’s Restaurant magazine an unprecedented
five times. On July 31, 2011,
elBulli will close for good. (so sad!)
Chef Adrià was at the CIA
for a panel discussion with Lisa Abend, author of The Sorcerer’s Apprentices, a new book about Adrià and elBulli; and
two former apprentices at the restaurant, including CIA
graduate George Mendes ’92. About 1,200 CIA
students attended the event.
