A Thanksgiving Day of rest for the city chef? Not so fast.

Gavin Kaysen | Café Boulud

What are you thankful for this year?
There are many things for me to be thankful for this year being that it is my first year in New York City. Winning the James Beard award during my first year here is something that I will never forget and will always be thankful for. I am most thankful for my wonderful team of cooks and front-of-the-house staff that have kindly embraced my style of cooking and management. It is never easy to take over any kitchen, and this one is no different.

Where will you be and what will you be doing this Thanksgiving?
This will be my second Thanksgiving off in seven years, so I plan on being with friends and my wife eating and drinking.  Most important, I will only be in charge of bringing truffles and cheese to the dinner. 

What is your go-to Thanksgiving side dish?
To me, I always think of sweet potatoes with Thanksgiving. So, last year I made a roasted sweet potato fricassee with wild mushrooms, pumpkin seeds and brioche croutons. I roasted the potatoes, then sautéed the mushrooms, added them with the potatoes and the pumpkin seeds, then topped it off with brioche and a little cheese, and put it under the broiler. It was almost like a "laxy gratin," but it tasted so good!