Page 109 - Sharp: The Book For Men SS21

AFTER DINNER SERVICE ON MARCH 13 of last year, Le Bernardin closed its doors for what turned out to be the next year. This left the famed New York restaurant’s chef, Eric Ripert, with some unexpected time on his hands. Ripert has been at Le Bernardin for more than three decades, during which he has maintained three Michelin stars and the restaurant’s reputation as one of Manhattan’s temples of fine dining. A pandemic pivot to, say, takeout hamburgers was never in the cards.
Instead, Ripert spent most of the past year at home, trying to find focus. He meditated, which he’s been doing almost every morning, bright and early, for the past 20 years. “I had the luxury to be able to meditate much more than I thought,” he says. “And sometimes I was challenged, but for meditation, COVID has been good. That’s the only good thing.” >
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