Stable Work

The author at her internship at the historic Saratoga Springs restaurant Jerry’s.

What my dead-end internship at a mediocre Saratoga Springs restaurant taught me about horse racing—and the food-service industry

By Brigid Washington

Sixteen years ago, for students at the Culinary Institute of America, a core requirement was to complete an 18-week internship at an approved industry site. Multi-Michelin-starred restaurants and glossy legacy publications often topped the list for many. I’d blessedly received an offer from the prestigious Rome Sustainable Food Project in Italy—a victory that was short-lived, as bureaucratic red tape around my work permit ultimately prevented me from going. As a result, I was forced to take a very last-minute internship in upstate New York at one of the oldest restaurants in Saratoga Springs: Jerry’s.

My time there spanned “track READ ON