Shop Talk: Chelsey Grygorcewicz of One Lucky Duck

Name: Chelsey Grygorcewicz
Age: 20
Location: Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn –- I’m one block away from Pratt so it seems like every neighborhood and no neighborhood!
Chosen occupation: Counter girl and juice maker at One Lucky Duck since summer 2008 (Pure Food and Wine's casual juice bar takeaway/café just around the block)
Unchosen occupation: Environmental lawyer. I’m working on that at the moment but sometimes I just want to run away and study brutal marine life -– like giant squids and stuff.
School: Environmental Studies major, Studio Art minor at New York University
Work "uniform": Anything goes as long as it follows health code: which obliges sleeves, close-toed shoes and having our heads covered. For me, it’s usually vintage dresses and thrift finds that won’t get cut off funnily by my apron, short lace-up boots and the scarf that’s usually around my neck gets tied around my head to keep my hair back. Flannels, cut-offs and random band shirts get mixed in there too.
Dress down "uniform": Pretty much the same thing except without any of the health code constraints.

How does the dining experience, dress code, and general atmosphere differ between Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck?
One Lucky Duck -– "the juice bar" –- is for people who want to eat raw and healthfully but don’t feel like dressing up fancy and going to sit down at a nice restaurant every day. It’s very laid back and the clientele is pretty diverse so you’ll see people wearing everything from workout wear and pajamas to pieces practically right off the runway.

You've been notably featured in several Japanese fashion magazines; who or what are your main style influencers?
The three years that I have been living in New York City and the people I come across on a day-to-day basis have been far more inspiring than any lookbook that I have ever seen. A lot of my friends are artists and being around their art has definitely given me a lot of ideas too. Experimenting with how colors and shapes can transform from a painting (or photograph of a landscape or whatever it may be) to your wardrobe can be pretty fun.

It's a rarity not to run into prominent models and celebrities at One Lucky Duck; what do you think attracts such well-known customers?
A place like the juice bar where you can order top-quality organic raw vegan food on the go is hard to come by -- even in New York. Obviously, the pressure from constant media speculation has encouraged many models and celebrities to eat in a way where they can maintain their appearance while still enjoying themselves. Our food is delicious, healthy and more simply, makes you feel good. The juice bar is also very cozy and intimate. So many of the customers know each other from their frequent visits and walk out together from conversations started on line. I think the same reasons why models and celebrities come in to the juice bar stand for why most people come in.

One Lucky Duck is well-known for its staff-DJ'd selections... which begs the question: what is your ideal work soundtrack as of late?
My ideal soundtrack usually doesn’t flow well with the customers or most of the other employees. I love noisy music since I grew up on punk; so in an ideal world, I’d listen to something like Screeching Weasel, Black Flag, Boris and Charles Bronson... but that would never happen. Lately I’ve been playing a lot of Sonic Youth, the Velvet Underground, the Clash, Violent Femmes, Weezer and Arcade Fire. No complaints yet!

What is the typical customer that walks into One Lucky Duck like? Do you have a mostly uptown or downtown clientele?
Uptown or downtown is a tough call. As I’ve come to know some of the customers better, I’ve learned that a lot of them don’t even live remotely nearby One Lucky Duck but rather stop by while they’re at work or come from Queens or New Jersey to have a nice raw meal. As for the typical customer, it’s hard to say since although many of our customers are regulars that we see every day, a lot of them are visiting while on vacation or are just curious about raw food in general. I guess if I had to narrow down one of the regulars, I would say they’re usually super enthusiastic, personable and they oftentimes know exactly what they want (trust me, you don’t want to be here on a day when we run out of coconut water). Oh, and they’re all radiant. It’s crazy.

What are collectively the most (currently) favored savory and sweet dishes of the staff?
Staff members usually go the add-on salad route. My roommates make fun of me because sometimes I’ll talk about how awesome a salad I “designed” was (I guess salads don’t generally have a great rep of being crazy unique or satisfying). Here, you can definitely make a salad that will keep you full for a good portion of the day if you try hard enough. The sushi rolls are also amazing -- the veggies are light and refreshing and the jicama/pine nut “rice” gives it a nice crunch. As for sweets, the Mallomar is definitely the one thing of which I’m sure everyone wishes they could sneak fifty.

...and for you personally?
My personal favorite is the Mango Passion Fruit Pudding -- I still do not understand how so much flavor can be permitted in that light little thing.

Any new seasonal entrées that you're particularly excited about?
The juice bar menu doesn’t change it up very often but we sneak in new items every once in a while. Last week we introduced the Nori “Tuna” Salad Plate with heirloom tomato, avocado and parsley... and it’s pretty amazing.

What would you recommend for an indecisive customer who...
has never previously been introduced to raw food: The lasagna is usually the biggest hit both at the juice bar and at the restaurant. It’s also always fun to hear the “if it’s not pasta, what is it?” question
seeks an energy boost an hour before yoga class but doesn't want to fill-up: A fresh Green Spice juice with a tiny bit of apple
is an 11-year old craving an after-school shake: the Cacao "Latte" or the Strawberry Blond shake. This one girl comes in every Monday with her mom for her Cacao Latte and tells me she’ll have “the usual.”
is looking to replenish post-pilates: A cup of coconut water. People usually just go for the whole quart, though!
is a starving artist craving something sweet: the Mallomar
wants something portable to picnic along Irving Place by Gramercy Park or nearby Rutherford Place on Stuyvesant Square: The Spicy Thai Lettuce Wraps or the Sushi Rolls
just got a promotion and is seeking a splurge: the Millionaire’s Milkshake!
is a lead singer shaking off a cold and looking to boost her/his immunity: A ginger shot with a little bit of lemon and cayenne. Maybe a little garlic if he/she is into it.
is health-minded and seeking a satisfying salad: An Add-on Salad with a bunch of farmers market add-ons, jicama, carrot, avocado, sweet pea shoots, whatever else might sound good, and argon lemon dressing
is looking for snacks to last during a humanitarian trip to Darfur: a bag of goji berries, Wild Golden Berries, Grawnola, Blond Macaroons, Rosemary Quackers and Cacao Nibs (for an instant energy boost!)
is a raw foodist looking to try an adventurous new dish: the Falafel with Tabouli or the new Nori Tuna Salad Plate

Are most of the customers health-conscious or otherwise aware of the organic raw vegan movement? Or do you ofttimes have a lot of explaining to do?
Most of the customers are definitely very health-conscious and of those, there is a good share of people that are very deeply in touch with the organic raw vegan movement. They follow Sarma’s blog, read the works of contemporary proponents like David Wolfe and oftentimes flip the information flow by teaching me a lot about raw food and about mental and physical health in general.

What do you most enjoy most about working in the Gramercy Park area?
To me, the perk of working in the area is that it has the peaceful aesthetic and vibe of the Upper East Side but it’s in a much more convenient location.

As an avid biker and an integral member of the Transportation Alternatives team... what would you most like to see change along your commute to work?
I love seeing the number of bikers on my commute increase by the week, but I really hope that more riders pick up on street code. It’s important that motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians all follow the rules of the road so that commuting in the city can be safer for everybody. Also, I think that there ought to be a bike rack installed in front of the One Lucky Duck. Nearly all of the employees ride a bike now and lately I’ve had to brainstorm even craftier ways to lock-up.

Of the body products carried at the shop, which have been most sought-after for summer?
Any of the Dr. Alkaitis products.

What summer organic raw vegan ice cream flavor does everyone need to run to Pure Juice and snatch up right now before it disappears?
I would say look out for our “special” flavors because they always sneak up and sell out. We had Cinnamon Cookie the other day and it was gone by the next shift I worked. I think the Strawberry right now has been the biggest hit.

One Lucky Duck–Pure Juice and Takeaway
126 E. 17th St.

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