This format provided a number of advantages. The most important was that it offered opportunities to cook with freedom and flexibility. They could afford to go wild and create food that is on the edge without worrying about a pre-set menu or the portion size. Whether the dish uses offal or mixes unique flavor profiles, guests can try them in small bites without being intimidated. That was especially true in their early days when Chef Brioza would have “a bunch of stuff, with no real intentions as to what direction it was going,” he says. “And I would just make things up as I went… so some of it was just totally in-the- moment cooking.” It also provides
focusing on these issues, they have created lots of great crossovers - like the much-talked about pancakes - where the pastry kitchen is heavily involved with
better scalability and efficiency. Imagine if a special was run in a traditional restaurant dishes had to be sold. When food is put out on trays and carts, however, there is no food waste. Once they are put on the cart, the job is done. When they work together in the kitchen, Chefs Brioza and Krasinski collaborate often. Since the restaurant’s wine program is so significant, they need to have menus that flow well throughout. As diners, they also with portions still remaining, those found that a lot of restaurants have disjointed experiences going from savory to sweet. By consciously
A few of their favorite Bay Area restaurants: Al’s place Liholiho Social Club Mr. Jiu’s Nopalito Rich Table Rintaro
savory projects. As their culinary footprint grew to include three
restaurants, they felt that their roles have evolved to one that help create chefs and inspire the younger generation. They strive to create a positive environment to help the incredible people grow in their career and personal lives. The events of the past year helped push that process along further. “(We had to decide) what's our first step to rebuilding the business - doing some to-go, doing some
packs of food,” says Chef Krasinski. “We brought back some of those key managers who wanted to come back and we wanted to retain. That was sort of the first wave. And then we worked through the summer and started doing some outdoor dining.”
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