Ci Siamo’s Hillary Sterling Is Always Thinking About the Next Generation of Restaurant Workers

Resy: How long have you been working in restaurants? Where did you first start out? 

Hillary Sterling: I got started when I was 14 years old, looking for a summer job. I was out in Montauk — a very different Montauk than the version we know today — and the closest business I could walk to was a spot called The Blue Marlin. I did everything from vacuuming in the morning and bussing tables during service to some very light prep work, and I just I fell in love with it all. My mom was also a bookkeeper for a catering company in Manhattan, so sometimes, after school, I would help her do her invoices, immersing myself in the back end of kitchen culture.

What people or restaurants inspired you when you were starting out? Are there institutions that you look to when you think of what you want to build? 

After graduating from Indiana University with a business degree, I got an entry-level job at a logistics firm in Chicago. Around the corner from my office was Le Cordon Bleu, and I started taking night classes, more as a hobby at first, until it became apparent that this was going to be my career.

Once I landed in New York, two early restaurant experiences were especially impactful: Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill and Lupa. At Mesa, working with Bobby, I learned about the important balance between spice, heat, and acid.

At Lupa, my obsession and love of Italian cooking really took hold. Cooking pasta professionally was something I never knew I needed in my life until I worked at Lupa — it brought me back to Rome every time I was there. Later on, I worked for Missy Robbins (Lilia, Misi) at A Voce, where I learned how to specialize in regional Italian cooking. All these experiences have contributed to my own personal culinary identity, which inspires Ci Siamo.

Did you have mentors who showed you what success could look like? What lessons have you taken that you feel are important to your own success?  

One important lesson I learned early on is that in order to be a great restaurateur, you need to know all the ins and outs of the restaurant you’re working for. When I was just getting started, I worked for a woman named Nancy Neff who owned O’Murphy’s Pub in Montauk, N.Y. I remember one day, I walked into the restaurant to find her cooking in the kitchen, flipping burgers and cooking fries, because another member of our team called out sick. That moment stuck with me over the years. I knew that if I were to open my own restaurant, I needed to know how to do everything in it.

What is important for you in crafting a menu and experience that people want to return for?

When creating the Ci Siamo menu, I knew I wanted to recreate that feeling of traveling to Italy within the four walls of a restaurant. I was imagining this menu during the pandemic, scrolling through my photos of past trips and I realized those dishes were what I wanted to recreate at Ci Siamo – and that feeling of culinary adventure and discovery.

Ci Siamo translates to “here we are” or “we’ve arrived,” which represents the sense of something transportive yet familiar. I wanted that feeling to be fluid throughout the entire concept and space. Every day, we aim to be an ever-evolving restaurant that you want to keep coming back to time and time again.

What keeps you inspired in the work and the food? How do you stay interested and keep your creativity?  

Travel is my biggest inspiration. Early on in my career, I traveled solo for about seven months and immediately fell in love with Rome. There’s something about it — the energy, people, and food are infectious. Meeting other people from all over the world and learning about their culture was a pivotal moment in my career. Since then, traveling and the friends I’ve made along the way keep my sense of adventure and creativity alive.

Now that I’m the parent of a three-year-old, I don’t have the opportunity to travel as much —and definitely not for seven months at a time — but I’ve been able to recreate that feeling of community at home, around my own dinner table.

How do you balance the idea of being a special occasion destination versus being a place that people feel they can come to for comfort?

At Ci Siamo, I’ve always prioritized the feeling of comfort, creating a space for everyone to enjoy. I think we’ve done a really good job of finding balance [between] the two extremes. Yes, you can come to Ci Siamo for a celebration and have a great time, but you can also come more regularly, sit at the bar and enjoy a bowl of pasta and a Negroni on a Tuesday.

Where do you go for a comforting meal? What’s your special occasion destination?

After long days at the restaurant, I tend to stay closer to home in Williamsburg with my family on the weekends. We love a nice lunch in the backyard at Misipasta; my son is something of a regular, and when my wife and I have time to grab dinner solo, we love The Four Horsemen. You still can’t beat aperitivi at Bar Pisellino while waiting for your table at Via Carota.

How does community, whether in the neighborhood, the industry, or otherwise, play into the success of a restaurant? How has community been a part of your experience?  

When I first started working on the Ci Siamo project, I was a bit nervous because I had never worked above 26th Street. Ci Siamo felt somewhat removed at the time, in an up-and-coming neighborhood, and it opened right after the pandemic during a time when people were still nervous to dine out. Ci Siamo was a huge force in helping create community in Manhattan West; we gave those in the area a place to come together with friends, family, or colleagues, and provide a transportive experience when people needed it most.

With so many challenges in the industry right now, many chefs are finding other career paths. What keeps you working in restaurants? What keeps you excited about it? 

I have always enjoyed working in this industry and in particular, the people who I work with. Teaching is a huge part of the job for me — I always say that I’m training my replacement. But since 2021, we’ve built a strong team at Ci Siamo that I’m proud to work with each day. Their ideas, dedication, and work ethic are my inspiration day in and day out.

What are you working on right now that has you excited? What are you focused on? 
I’m currently working on a cookbook, “Ammazza,” which I’m very excited about. It’s been a long process, and it’s hard to believe we’re finally at the finish line. It will be on bookshelves next summer.

Clay Williams is a Brooklyn-based photographer whose work takes him across the country and beyond, documenting stories of food, culture, and community. Follow him at @ultraclay.