What Made Industry Luminaries Fall in Love With Restaurants?

All interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

What’s a moment during service you’ll never forget?

Matt Eckfeld, Executive Chef, Dimmi Dimmi: “When Ferran Adria ate at Next. It was the most nervous I had ever been!”

Bill Kim, Culinary Director, Cornerstone Restaurant Group: “I dropped two dozen brand new Bernardaud china during service at Charlie Trotter’s restaurant, right in front of Charlie Trotter.”

Chinchakriya Un, Chef-Owner, Bong: “My annual lobster pop-ups, 2020. It was a hot summer day. A kitchen crew of Khmer girls and my mom. We served lobster on the street for hundreds of guests. Diners riding their bikes from the beach laid their beach blankets on the sidewalk, neighborhood OGs screaming, “This is so Brooklyn!” and every walk of life eating lobster on the street. It was the perfect pop-up.”

Abigail Zielke, Chef, All Together Now: “When I was a pretty new line cook, I worked at a brasserie in Wisconsin. It was a small and intimate restaurant with a tiny two-station kitchen. The chef I was working with was 15 years older and very experienced. Halfway through a very busy dinner service, he had an emergency and had to leave the restaurant, tickets still hanging on the line. I had no back-up. With the encouragement of the waitstaff, I took the reins, finishing a service alone with dishes I was not fully trained in. After I got over the emotions, I felt proud and competent. It showed me that I can trust my instincts, as well as the importance of remaining calm under pressure. Plus, being part of an encouraging team is very powerful.”

Nikita Love Malhotra, Beverage Director and Partner, Smithereens: “Pouring Harrison Ford Lagavulin.”

Brandon Jew, Executive Chef and Owner, Mister Jiu’s: “There’s some good and some bad; the worst is when one of my sous chefs had a heart attack and we had to jump in and perform CPR — he was in a coma for over a week but recovered miraculously. The best service I can remember is when I got to cook for my grandpa before he passed away. He had a chance to see what I was working so hard to build and I was really glad he could experience it.”

What was your first hospitality job and what did it teach you?

Angelyne Teresa Tompkins, Tasting Room General Manager, Scribe Winery: “Starbucks was my first hospitality job. It was fast paced and demanding, but it taught me patience, humility, strong time management, and how to handle difficult interactions with empathy and grace.”

Abigail Zielke, Chef, All Together Now: “Cleaning hotel rooms has always been the job that stuck with me the most. It was hard work, unglamorous, and at times without a lot of appreciation. However, I was surrounded by a team of hardworking women that had high standards, knew how to work quickly, helped each other out and took pride in their work. At the time I didn’t realize it but I was building some foundational skills that I would take with me to so many jobs that followed.”

Isa Roske, General Manager and Beverage Director, Beethoven Market: “Working as a barista taught me that making something with both skill and love is fulfilling.”

Chinchakriya Un, Chef-Owner, Bong: “My first hospitality job was Dunkin’ Donuts, and it taught me that it matters when you make something for someone. This is their special thing they do for themselves every day and if you can make something for someone perfect and the way they like it, then that is an awesome way to contribute joy into someone’s day.”

Matt Eckfeld, Executive Chef, Dimmi Dimmi: “I was a dishwasher at a Greek diner when I was in middle school. It taught me that I really enjoyed working in restaurants and that I really like the people that worked there as well.”

Garrett Marks, Beverage Director, Mister Jiu’s: “My first hospitality job was as a dishwasher at a Creole restaurant back home. It taught me that the hospitality industry is going to be full of a variety of personalities and characters.”

Who is a person who taught you an invaluable lesson about this industry?

Alexander Chaparro, Owner and Operations, Bong: “Cha [chef and co-owner of Bong] taught me that there is something incredibly beautiful, lovely, and rewarding about being in service to others. It is very western to see service as a “sacrifice”; Cha taught me that to be in service can be a love language. It is an opportunity we have to make people feel something really special, and it is an honor to get a chance to do so. Every day I feel lucky that I am driven to cook, serve, and create experiences for others. It is a gift to be in this position.”

Jessica Burns, Server/Produce Buyer/Florist, Beethoven Market: “My general manager Isa [Roske] taught me that any situation — no matter how difficult — can be handled with grace and ease.”

Isa Roske, General Manager and Beverage Director, Beethoven Market: “Our owner Jeremy Adler, who taught me the difference between a customer and a guest; with a customer it’s transactional, but with a guest, it’s about hospitality and the relationship.”

Brandon Jew, Executive Chef and Owner, Mister Jiu’s: “Judy Rodgers, one of my mentors, taught me the persistence of tasting every day and taking time to analyze with the team. She was a master of her recipes, but still tasted them every day.”

Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Chef-Owner, Kalaya: “My parents. I always saw them treating workers, strangers, and neighbors with the utmost respect and hospitality, and I bring that into the everyday at our restaurant.”

Matt Eckfeld, Executive Chef, Dimmi Dimmi: “I have had many, but Bill Kim taught me that if you do things the right way, you will succeed and prosper.”

What’s your favorite part of your daily routine surrounding service?

Zachary Engel, Executive Chef and Co-owner, Galit: “For me, it’s the reset of the kitchen before service. Getting our areas and equipment organized and clean keeps the mind clear, so we can really focus on our guests without a feeling of unnecessary chaos.”

Nicholas Tamburo, Chef-Owner, Smithereens: “Pre-service is really important to us at Smithereens. We gather the whole team, FOH and BOH, and have a moment to talk about the night ahead. We’ll taste new dishes and new wines that are coming on to the menu and discuss the details of service. I really enjoy learning about our new wine offerings, and I think it’s important for the cooks to be exposed to that as well. It’s nice for everyone to see the big picture.”

Jessica Burns, Server/Produce Buyer/Florist, Beethoven Market: “Doing the floral arrangements for the restaurant to bring a little beauty into the space.”

Nikita Love Malhotra, Beverage Director and Partner, Smithereens: “I love family meal, catching up with the staff and ensuring that the people who are making sure guests are well taken care of and fed are treated with the same dignity.”

Bill Kim, Culinary Director, Cornerstone Restaurant Group: “That moment when tickets are flying, no one’s yelling, pans are hot, and everyone suddenly becomes psychic. Prep did its job, the line’s locked in, and chaos politely stays outside the kitchen.”

What would you tell your 20-year-old self about this industry?

Moe Aljaff, Owner and Founder, Schmuck: “Every gig will teach you something. Just don’t worry about if it’s gonna be the one.”

Erin Carlman Weber, Owner, All Together Now: “Buckle up, kid. This road is longer, bumpier, and more joyful than you could ever imagine. Also, this is the only time in your life that you’ll be able to stay out till the bars close and cheerfully open the brunch shift the next morning, so enjoy it while you can.”

Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Chef-Owner, Kalaya: “I still don’t have patience, but 20-year-old me could have used it. And kindness.”

Matt Eckfeld, Executive Chef, Dimmi Dimmi: “That it’s a tough road ahead. I would say take the hard road, because it pays off in the long run.”

Isa Roske, General Manager and Beverage Director, Beethoven Market: “The camaraderie and community you build is what holds it all together.”

Alexander Chaparro, Owner and Operations, Bong: “Keep going. The work of representing your culture is very important, and it will have an impact on the world that you are yet to understand.”

And finally, what do you love about hospitality?

Angelyne Teresa Tompkins, Tasting Room General Manager, Scribe Winery: “What I love most about hospitality is the connection. I love working alongside a team toward a shared goal and creating moments that guests carry with them long after they leave.”

Abigail Zielke, Chef, All Together Now: “I love creating spaces for people to enjoy time with the people they love. Delicious food and drink are intrinsic to what we do, but I think oftentimes what people take away from a dinner out is the experience they shared with their friends, their date, or their family. It’s such a treat to help people have those experiences.”

Nikita Love Malhotra, Beverage Director and Partner, Smithereens: “I think in our contemporary times, restaurants are a space where we can exist as we have for thousands of years. Hospitality professionals chase that moment when a guest has a memorable time, when magic happens and you know that you have created a lasting memory.”

Matt Eckfeld, Executive Chef, Dimmi Dimmi: “I love the people who are in the hospitality industry. For the most part, they are hardworking and good-hearted people. We are in the business of making people happy and feeling good, so you need to have the drive to do that to succeed in this industry.”

Nicholas Tamburo, Chef-Owner, Smithereens: “I think it is really easy to take this career for granted. I feel very fortunate to do what I love even if it’s literally painful sometimes (both physically and mentally). It feels really special to be part of this industry and connect with folks around the world that are doing similar things. It’s like being part of a secret club where we all have this shared passion.”