Seasonal affair: Under executive chef Craig Koketsu, Park Avenue (the name changes with the season; it opened last year as Park Avenue Summer) has taken the loca-vore movement to new extremes. Koketsu designs four menus every year, with each one corresponding to the season. “We’re getting back to our roots,” he says. “Cooking with the seasons goes back to when cooking began.”
Paying dues: After starting as a dishwasher making minimum wage in California, Koketsu has worked his way to the top without going to culinary school. “One of the first things I tell my new cooks is, ‘You’re going to be working every day,’” says Koketsu. “People get into cooking for the wrong reasons. It’s not a glamorous industry.” As for celeb chefs? “I hope it’s a passing fad,” he says. “If you’re the chef and your name is on the restaurant, you need to be in the kitchen.”
Craig Koketsu wears a Bottega Veneta jacket, $2,170, and shirt, $280; John Varvatos scarf, $135, Juicy Couture for Men necklace, $125; Burberry London jeans, $295; Prada belt, $350; and Rolex Submariner watch, $5,525.
