The Line – Details, episodes & analysis

On today's episode, I am excited to share the audio recording of a live event I recently emceed for HRN. Lessons Learned: Tales from Small Business Owners features captivating stories from four storytellers who opened up about their trials and tribulations in the restaurant business. Sponsored by TD Bank, the event took place at the Tilit NYC Showroom. In addition to introducing our fabulous guests, I sprinkled some of my own stories throughout the night.

The first small business storyteller was Eric Huang of Pecking House, Brooklyn. An Eleven Madison Park alum, the pandemic caused Eric to reexamine his career and business. He found that fried chicken made him rethink everything.

Johnny Spero of Bar Spero in Washington D.C. told the story of finding success with his Georgetown restaurant, Reverie, but then being met with catastrophe when it burned down. He emphasized not giving up on your passion and being sure to stop and feel your feelings.

Yajaira Gonzalez of Pop and Pour in Washington Heights spoke about her business surviving the pandemic. Yajaira said her strength came from her ability to find positives even in the face of challenges. She advised that people should do their research before making decisions, be flexible, understand sacrifices, and use professionals when needed.

Buddy the Bar's Claire Sprouse, owner of the now-closed Hunky Dory in Crown Heights, Brooklyn closed out the evening. She told the crowd that believed that her location and community kept her going while she was in business. The timing of the pandemic and the need to prioritize her personal life helped her make the decision to permanently close the restaurant, however. She said she thinks anyone considering the restaurant industry should take a deep look at what they really want before jumping in.

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On today’s episode, I'm joined by Steven Satterfield, the executive chef and co-owner of Miller Union, a celebrated ingredient-driven restaurant located in Atlanta's West Side neighborhood. The restaurant, which opened in 2009, has become an institution and has been recognized as a top restaurant in America by Eater, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, and Esquire. 

Together we talk about opening his restaurant and how he has kept it running smoothly after all these years of operation; growing up in Savannah; seasonal Georgia cooking; and the many local ingredients he works with, including peanuts and okra.

Photo Courtesy of Heidi Geldhauser.

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This episode features Darren and Charlene Lopez Young, the owners of The Fattened Caf, based in St. Louis. When The Fattened Caf started as a once-a-month popup Charlene and Darren were exploring the dream of so many food entrepreneurs with the goal of opening a restaurant. The COVID shutdown led them to pivot their popups into a company selling Longganisa-style sausages. With the focus now on growing the sausage company, they have big hopes of expansion and growth. sausage that is commonly served for breakfast with fried rice and a fried egg. On today’s episode we talk about incubators and business accelerators, when to make the decision to leave your traditional job behind to start your own business or run it full time, the St. Louis food community and the difficulties faced as a minority-owned business.

Photo Courtesy of Rolf Ringwald 

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A native Philadelphian, and classically trained in Bergamo, Italy, Marc Vetri is known the world over for bringing a bold, contemporary sensibility to classic Italian cooking. He is the chef/founder of Philadelphia’s Vetri Family of Restaurants, which operates a collection of the country’s most critically acclaimed Italian restaurants.

Outside of his restaurants, Marc is deeply passionate about giving back to the community, in particular his hometown of Philadelphia. In 2009, he and Jeff Benjamin created the Vetri Community Partnership. The organization’s signature initiative, “Eatiquette,” is a school lunch improvement program currently serving the Philadelphia and Austin areas. Culinary classroom and after-school cooking programs overseen by Vetri Community Partnership further help reinforce lessons learned in the lunchroom. Marc and his business partner Jeff Benjamin are the founders of the “Great Chefs Event,” which brings together scores of the country’s greatest chefs to raise money and awareness for the pediatric cancer charity, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

Claire Welle was born outside of Baltimore and attended the Culinary Institute of America. After culinary school, Welle cooked in San Francisco and Washington D.C. She dutifully studied baking, pastry, and bread making under a Tartine alum. Welle also spent time farming at a small organic produce farm outside Saratoga Springs in upstate New York.

Since moving to new York City, Welle cooked at Mas (farmhouse), Gwynnett St, Blenheim, and Rebelle. Currently, Welle is proud to lead an exceedingly talented group of people at her humble Brooklyn restaurant, Otway.

When she is not in the kitchen at Otway, you can likely find Welle at the Four Horseman or La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels drinking wine.

Ajay Walia is the owner of two, culinary-driven Indian restaurants in San Francisco, Saffron and the Michelin-starred Rasa. With over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry, Walia strives to change the perception of Indian food in Western culture.

While living in the U.S., Walia realized the misconception Americans had about Indian food and looked to change it in by following his passion for food and dream of becoming a restaurateur. Walia opened Saffron in San Carlos in 2002 with the intention to serve North Indian cuisine, celebrating India’s rich culinary traditions and flavors. The menu is a reflection of Walia’s interpretation of dishes curated from recipes and techniques based on his childhood, family and experiences.

A native of Saigon, Vietnam and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Chef Ryan McCaskey discovered his passion for cooking at an early age. As a youngster, he would watch his grandmother recreate handed-down recipes, helping her out as he could, and his interest was piqued. He began experimenting and by age 14, McCaskey was the family cook.

Fast forward to 2010: McCaskey began plans for Acadia, fulfilling a lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant. Acadia opened in late 2011 and has since garnered accolades from both local and national sources. The most noteworthy accolades in the five years since opening have been a two-star rating by Michelin in 2016, a one-star rating by Michelin after nine months (retained in 2013, 2014, 2015), 2015 5-Star AAA rating, Best New Restaurant - Jean Banchet Awards 2013, and three Semi-Finalist nominations for Best Chef Great Lakes by James Beard Foundation.

Brian Loiacono grew up in Long Island in a large Italian family where boisterous cooking and eating together were integral practices. Work in local Long Island kitchens during high school spurred him to push his limits, and at age 19, Loiacono began a stage at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, chef Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin-starred restaurant in Oxfordshire, England. Loiacono credits this experience with “the ass kicking he needed” as a base for his career, one that spurred him to pursue his craft.

Back in New York City, an evening assisting chef Kirk Avondoglio at a City Harvest event led to a career-shifting encounter. Post event Avondoglio and Loiacono went to Daniel Boulud’s three Michelin-starred flagship, DANIEL, where Loiacono was introduced to chef Boulud himself, who would soon be his employer. In 2007, at age 19, Loiacono began working as a cook at DANIEL. In 2008, when Boulud opened Bar Boulud, Loiacono joined the opening team under executive chef Damian Sansonetti, and remained there for the restaurant’s first two and a half years. In 2011, at age 23, Loiacono returned to DANIEL and soon became sous chef.

In 2013, Loiacono once again wanted a change and landed in Verona, Italy at Ristorante Perbellini, the new restaurant by two-Michelin star recipient Giancarlo Perbellini, for a short stage. Within a week of his return to the US, Brian joined The Smile team as executive chef at Ruschmeyer’s for its first summer. Word of Loiacono’s return stateside got back to his former boss and mentor, chef Boulud, who asked him to come back to the DB family. At age 25, Loiacono became db Bistro Moderne’s executive chef and remained there until July 2015, a time during which Brian was recognized a New York City culinary leader in Zagat’s “30 Under 30” ranking.

In late 2015, Loiacono teamed up with ACME’s owners Jean-Marc Houmard, Jon Neidich and Huy Chi Le to re-introducing ACME as a contemporary bistro, Loiacono combines his Italian-American upbringing with his classic French training to create a seasonal restaurant that showcases a variety of flavors and techniques, yet is quintessentially New York.

Chef Abram Bissell became Executive Chef of The Modern in 2014. Most recently, Abram opened The NoMad as Chef de Cuisine in 2012, directly following his role as Executive Sous Chef at Eleven Madison Park, during which time the restaurant earned three Michelin Stars, four New York Times stars, and membership in the Relais & Chateau association.

Earlier in his career, Abram worked in the kitchens of Post Ranch Inn’s Sierra Mar Restaurant in Big Sur, and L’Espalier in Boston. Abram attended the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. He was born into a half Jewish, half Italian family and raised in a fishing community in the Florida Keys, and that is deeply reflected in his cooking. The first dish he learned to make was conch fritters, and that still finds its way onto his menu in present day (but with lobster), and there are elements on various dishes that show his love of Jewish delis.

On this week's episode of The Line, Eli is joined in studio by chef Gunnar Gíslason. Born in Iceland, Gunnar has garnered international acclaim for his creative cooking, and his curious nature, love for reviving traditions, and eye for finding pristine products have been applauded by guests and media alike. Gunnar Gíslason and his family have relocated to New York City where he is the Executive Chef of Agern, located in Grand Central Terminal. Gíslason has teamed up with Danish restauranteur and culinary entrepreneur Claus Meyer to introduce New Yorkers to New Nordic cuisine while using New York’s best available and local produce. Gíslason applies ancient techniques commonly used in Scandinavian cooking, such as salting, fermenting, pickling and smoking, across its menu.