Clean Habits: Scott Reinhardt

To walk into Gramercy Tavern is to be reminded of the bounty of New York’s local foodshed. The ever-changing front table highlights a profusion of area flowers and vegetables. The commitment to local sourcing isn’t just decorative; it expands well into the menu—making it easy to see why this spot is also a Clean Plates favorite.

Assistant General Manager Scott Reinhardt, who’s worked at the restaurant for 17 years, is part of the glue that holds the gracious staff at Gramercy Tavern together. Here, he tells us how he keeps it together—from small meals to a dedicated daily exercise practice and why absolutely you need to know what “Dock to Dish” is.

What’s a typical day of eating like for you?

I eat many small meals. Breakfast is 1 egg/cured meat/aged cheddar/toast. Lunch is at 11 a.m. and our lunch cooks put together a great meal for us with lots of vegetables. I usually skip the carbs and go heavier on the protein and greens. We eat again at 4:30 p.m. and this time I eat very light: a half portion of protein, a small amount of vegetables and a starch. Then I eat again around 7:30 p.m., usually roasted fish or chicken and a vegetable. At 10:30 p.m. I always end the day with peanut butter and bananas.

How do you stay balanced and healthy while working in the restaurant industry?

Luckily I have a steady schedule, which makes that much easier. But other than that, I just say NO to all the temptations of breads and sweets.

How do you stay fit?

I do go to the gym every day. Each week I do two days of cardio, two days of light weight training, one day of heavy weight training (with a trainer) and one day of stretching and abs. Right now I am starting to run outside to get ready for two team-building functions that I am the team captain for: Tough Mudder in October and the God’s Love We Deliver run in November. We have had a team for many years and are one of the top fundraisers for it. Last year we raised over $33,000 and had about 40 people on our team.

Any suggestions for someone eating at Gramercy Tavern who wants to keep their meal light and local?

That is so easy—everything we feature is local, and our culinary team led by Executive Chef Michael Anthony also focuses on vegetables a lot, so it’s very easy to have a light, local and seasonal meal. I really love any of the fresh fish we get from “Dock to Dish.”

*CP Note: Dock to Dish is modeled on a community-supported-agriculture (CSA) system. Chefs prepay for seafood and receive deliveries of fish (complete with details about how the fish was harvested) within 24 hours of it being brought to shore.

Watch a short film about Gramercy Tavern