Behind The Swinging Doors: The Kitchen At Delicatessen

Chef Michael Ferraro of N.Y.'s Delicatessen has dubbed his cooks "adrenaline junkies." They'd need to be to handle the fast-pace of his kitchen. From serving the SoHo lunch crowd, to the SoHo nightlife crowd, the rush never stops.

At lunch, their Signature Burger flies off the line. For dinner, the tuna tartare, a dish that has been on the Delicatessen menu since its inception, is a favorite among diners. And New Yorkers will always flock to where the Herb Pan Roasted Chicken and Giorgio's Meatballs are. 

Chef Ferraro has created a diverse and indulgent menu of what they call "international comfort food."

"My menu is very diverse covering all bases from foie gras to fried chicken," chef Ferraro says.

We stopped by the kitchen at Delicatessen on a Friday at 7 p.m. The post-work crowd was mid-meal, and the partiers were just about to start on their first cocktail of many.

"Orders are steady starting at 5 o'clock  but we reach our busiest peak between eight and 10:30," chef Ferraro explained. "[But the craziest time is] the six-hour brunch rush that we get, starting right at 10:30 a.m. and usually holding a wait time at the host stand all the way until early dinner service."

Jane Bruce is the Photo Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @janeebruce.