Ricardo Zarate | Photo by Joshua Lurie
For dineLA.com
After several years of recession era stagnation, Los Angeles experienced its biggest culinary growth spurt in more than a decade. A number of chefs who are helping to drive this varied, often internationally inspired development reflect on 2011 and look ahead to 2012.
(More chefs in Part 2)
Photo by Joshua Lurie
What was your biggest challenge of 2011?
We were done with [Bäco Mercat] construction at the end of October, and it delayed me two weeks dealing with the updates to the fire alarm.
What was your biggest success of 2011?
I opened Bäco in two months with a full liquor license. I would say that’s pretty good timing. We started construction August 4th and we were done the second week of October. We had a complete build-out, it was basically a shell. We had to do plumbing, gas, electrical and we had the liquor license two weeks before we passed Health, so that’s pretty much record time…I just did my due diligence and got the permitting started with enough time to make sure I stayed on track. I worked with CalAsia, who built the restaurant, and they’re always on their game. We didn’t really have any hiccups except for the fire alarm...it’s a hundred-year-old building and it just needed to be updated.
What was your proudest moment of 2011?
My parents, who I haven’t seen in three years, being able to see the finished Bäco Mercat, which I’ve talked about for five years. They flew out for the opening.
What are you most looking forward to in 2012?
Just make Bäco as successful as I possibly can. I thought building it was a lot of work, because I did a lot of detail and design. I painted the restaurant, I polished the brass on the exterior and interior, strip sanded and stained all the chairs and tabletops, painted the floors, put the baseboards in, all to save money. It was a full time job for two months. Now the cooking part, I have to make sure people are happy with the food.
Any predictions for 2012?
I would say the poker table is going to make a comeback in the dining room. I’ve got one. It’s a hexagon round table. I’m so tired of the communal tables. I wanted to find something that could fit more people but wasn’t a communal table. It’s a six-sided table that’s taller than a regular table, a poker table, and fits in the dining room.
Photo by Joshua Lurie
What was your biggest success in 2011?
White truffle season. It’s been wonderful so far…We have a couple dishes at the restaurant right now that people respond to really well, so we’re selling lots and lots of white truffle, which I love to work with. It’s fun.
What was your biggest challenge of 2011?
Working on getting our new place open, Connie and Ted’s… Those are my maternal grandparents’ names, and the restaurant is inspired by all the time I spent up in their part of the world, which is Providence, Rhode Island.
What would you say your proudest moment has been so far in 2011?
Signing the lease on the new restaurant.
What’s your biggest goal for 2012?
To have a successful opening for Connie and Ted’s. Yeah, absolutely, and to bring Michelin back to LA, and to repeal the foie gras ban.
Photo by Joshua Lurie
What was your proudest moment of 2011?
I would say consulting on the Strand House in Manhattan Beach. It’s been a nice experience. It’s been interesting to work with a chef who I would say is on a similar level. It’s not like some line cook that I need to make into a chef. It’s the kind of guy who I mentor a bit, but he doesn’t necessarily need me around all the time. It’s been challenging, but it’s been fun.
What has the biggest challenge been in 2011?
Not signing the lease for Vibiana has been the biggest challenge. We’re still moving forward, so I would say it’s less of a challenge and more of a hindrance right now. It’s still going in a positive direction, I just don’t have a closing time.
What would you say your biggest success of 2011 has been?
Continuing to work in a struggling time in a struggling city for restaurants, and being able to have a job and cook good food.
What’s your top goal for 2012?
To open Vibiana is my top goal. To actually get it open.
Photo by William Norton
My biggest challenge is trying to figure out the elusive balance that one is supposed to have in life. Having 4 restaurants and 3 kids and making sure that everything and everyone is getting the attention deserved. I value both my businesses and my family and making one work without sacrificing the other is the test.
What was your biggest success for 2011?
The biggest success was raising over $400,000 for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. It was $100,000 more than our first year and we were terrified it would be a disaster because of the rain that weekend. But everyone rose to the occasion and it was an amazing thing to be a part of.
What was your proudest moment of 2011?
Absolutely cooking for President Obama at Tavern and having him meet and shake hands with our entire staff. It was an unbelievable evening for both Caroline and myself.
What are you most looking forward to in 2012?
That's an easy one. Some real quality time with my family and watching my children grow.
Do you have any predictions for 2012?
I think that Los Angeles will be getting more and more recognition as a fantastic restaurant city with wonderful chefs.
Photo by Joshua Lurie
What was the biggest challenge for you in 2011?
Dealing with more and more and more. It’s a fantastic thing. I guess that’s what I always planned on happening. If you build it, they will come. If you build more, then even more people are going to come. Actually, just keeping up with the so-called monster that you’ve created has been my biggest challenge, especially with this being my first project and not really knowing what to expect. Coming down, completely going for broke, making sure we’re staffed, we’d hired the talent, make sure we use the best product as possible and [that] we make the best product as possible. It’s just worked really effectively. Just kind of reining in the runaway train that’s happening has definitely been my biggest challenge.
What’s your proudest moment been for 2011?
The proudest moment so far this year would most likely be when GQ sponsored us to go out and cook at the James Beard dinner. Whereas most people have to pay to go do that, fly your whole kitchen out, fly all of your food out, pay for everything, GQ completely footed our bill to go do it because we were one of the Top 10 restaurants of the year. That was great. Being there, getting everything from all the guys at Eataly, doing a big dinner with all the cooks from Del Posto, and just spending a great weekend in New York on GQ’s dime...then us coming in and just having a blast, and them being really, really into what we did. I think they were happy that we had fun, and it made them have fun, because they do these all the time. So it was just nice, signing the chef coat that Jonathan Benno and José Andrés signed, and all those things, definitely it was a proud moment.
What would you say your biggest success has been of 2011?
Probably just month after month, this restaurant becoming a better restaurant. Every month, we’re all just happy. We know that what we did this month was better than last month, not only in the number of people, and the amount of food and drink we sold, but also in the actual level of the experience, and the level and quality of food, and the quality of the employee. I think we’re doing a really, really good job of working so hard that it’s better month after month after month.
What are you most looking forward to in 2012?
I’m looking forward to working harder. I’m looking forward to opening the new space, learning how to essentially run two locations at the same time and making sure the quality doesn’t fall off. I’m definitely excited about the new concept. The downtown location is going to be essentially my take on English food, like The Tasting Kitchen is my take on Italian, Southern French. It’s going to be a lot of fun to explore new territory and have a different concept, a different feel and different vibe and really not make The Tasting Kitchen get so frantic because I want to do a million things out of the same doors, but actually get the concept to put this part of my creativity to, and have The Tasting Kitchen hone in on what I want it to become...when it’s polished and finished.
What’s your goal for 2012?
Winning a James Beard Award. Being nominated is awesome. Winning I think would be fantastic because it’s a lot of your peers that vote. It’s not a silly award that a random mass crowd gets to vote on. It’s Nancy Silverton, it’s Paul Bertolli, it’s Mario Batali. These are the people with the votes that actually get you to where you want to be. It would be really, really nice as a young cook to know that all your work is paying off. You just want to keep pushing and you want to keep doing better, not because you ever aspire to be the best, but because the only important thing is being good enough to work with the best.
Photo by Joshua Lurie
What was your biggest challenge of 2011?
My Biggest Challenge in 2011 was managing the different stresses of getting Manhattan Beach Post open by our April 17th deadline. Balancing timelines and budgets while simultaneously allowing very talented people to do their best work can be a challenge. I would like to think that the people that were involved enjoyed our work together because I feel that it turned out beyond my expectations.
What was your biggest success of 2011?
That would definitely be putting together the crew that our GM Jerry Garbus and I have developed in the last six months. Because of their hard work and passion we have created opportunities for success and recognition, whether that be getting great reviews, doing James Beard dinners or being named Chef of the Year, the crew is the most important part and ours is really incredible.
What was your proudest moment of 2011?
I think my proudest moment was and still is whenever I hear people thanking us for opening in Manhattan Beach or complimenting us on the crew we have. Our guests are the best. Incredibly loyal, generous and appreciative of what we do.
What are your top goals, or what are you most looking forward to, in 2012?
What I am looking forward to in 2012 is letting the restaurant continue to evolve and to set higher standards for our crew continually. I am looking forward to seeing our crewmembers grow into leadership roles.
A.O.C.
8022 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, 323.653.6359
www.aocwinebar.com
Bäco Mercat
408 S. Main St., Downtown, 213.687.8808
www.bacomercat.com
BLD
7450 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 323.930.9744
www.bldrestaurant.com
The Larder at Maple Drive
345 N. Maple Dr., Beverly Hills, 310.248.3779
www.thelarderatmaple.com
Lucques
8474 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, 323.655.6277
www.lucques.com
M.B. Post
1142 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, 310.545.5405
www.eatmbpost.com
Providence
5955 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 323.460.4170
www.providencela.com
The Tasting Kitchen
1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 310.392.6644
www.thetastingkitchen.com
Tavern
11648 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood, 310.806.6464
www.tavernla.com
