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FOUNDER/CHEF OF URSULA
ERIC SEE
Chef Eric See not only makes a mean bowl of chili, but is also trained as a pastry chef. Prior to opening Ursula, he operated a small Bushwick bakery called The Awkward Scone. Beginning his career with baked goods like sopapillas and pastelitos, Chef Eric’s roots and influences are wholeheartedly New Mexican.
WATCH
THE NORMAL HEART
Ryan Murphy
"In the new COVID era, it's easy to forget about the impact of one of the last big epidemics that disproportionately affected racial & ethnic minorites, when AIDS and HIV were billed as ‘gay cancer’ and hundreds of thousands of queer people in US died due to negligence and discrimination.”
“This film is an important reminder of the liberties and freedoms that are afforded to this generation, because of those who died and fought before us for representation and health care."
LISTEN
SATURN by NAO
HEAUX TALES by Jazmine Sullivan
"They're sexy, sultry and unapologetic. They both embody a sense of confidence and vulnerability that can seem contradictory to each other, but in fact just present a much stronger sense of self than most of us are willing to grant ourselves. Cooking for people requires us to have the same ability to balance those emotions, sometimes we feel one and sometimes the other, and that's ok"
READ
FOR THE NAVAJO NATION, A FIGHT FOR BETTER FOOD GAINS NEW URGENCY
The New York Times
An important read to learn more about how the pandemic has impacted Indigenous communities like the Diné.
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FOUNDER/CHEF OF WOLDY KUSINA
WOLDY REYES
A first-generation Filipino-American, Chef Woldy Reyes’s boutique catering company, Woldy Kusina, offers modernized interpretations of his Filipino roots. Before beginning his career in cooking, Chef Woldy found himself working in fashion in New York in places like Nylon, Elle, and more.
WATCH
ULAM: MAIN DISH
Alexandra Cuerdo
ULAM: Main Dish is a 2018 documentary that follows the rise of Filipino cuisine in the United States.
LISTEN
TINA TURNER
“The Queen of Rock and Roll”
READ
ON EARTH WE’RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS
Ocean Vuong
This New York Times bestseller and debut novel by writer Ocean Vuong tells an earnest story about a Vietnamese-American son and her illiterate mother.
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CO-OWNER/CHEF OF THE ISLANDS
MARILYN REID
One thing is for sure, Chef Marilyn Reid knows how to feed a neighborhood. As one of two owners and head chefs at The Islands, Chef Marilyn has proven so time and time again since first opening The Islands in 2001. When she came to New York, she brought with her not only the culinary splendor of Jamaica, but all the charm, vibrancy, and energy that can be so hard to find here in the city.
This vitality is what often allows neighborhoods to thrive. After serving the Prospect Heights neighborhood for 16 long years, in 2017, Reid moved The Islands to a newer, larger space in Crown Heights. And business has only grown since, for both the restaurant and its neighboring businesses, so clearly it must be that Chef Marilyn is doing something exemplary.
WATCH
RESERVOIR DOGS
Quentin Tarantino
LISTEN
THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
Pink Floyd
“I was playing this album so much as a teenager that I wore out the grove. Mom thought a helicopter landed on the house.”
READ
GOD: A BIOGRAPHY
Jack Miles
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CHEF OF FARO
KEVIN ADEY
Whether in world-class establishments or cozy neighborhood spots, Chef Kevin’s vision and passion for carefully crafted meals remains the same. A New York native, Chef Kevin notably worked in the renowned kitchen of Le Bernardin before later taking over at Bushwick’s own Northeast Kingdom.
With a constant thread of local, sustainable sourcing and seasonal dishes, Kevin and his wife Debbie decided to open Faro to celebrate the bounties of wheat in all its varieties, which he procures from local farms and mills in the nearby region.
WATCH
STEP UP TO THE PLATE
Paul Lacoste
Step Up To The Plate, about famous French chef Michel Bras.
LISTEN
UTICA NY 3/21/73
The Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead…in lovely Utica, NY
READ
HEADS by Jesse Jarnow
EXTRATERRESTRIAL by Avi Loeb
Two nonfiction selections, one about America’s counterculture and another about alien life.
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CHEF OF ADDA
CHINTAN PANDYA
From picking up traditional Indian cuisine at hotels in Mumbai to gigs in Singapore, Cleveland, and Atlanta, and landing in New York as executive chef of Michelin-starred Junoon, Chef Chintan is both incredibly travelled and incredibly accomplished.
Through his wealth of experience, Chef Chintan shares the homeliness and comfort of Indian cuisine to new audiences with revered spots like Rahi in West Village, and now Adda in Long Island City.
WATCH
CHEF (2017)
Raja Krishna Menon
Chef (starring Saif Ali Khan) hits close to home.
LISTEN
BADSHAH
We have a very diverse staff so we love to listen to music from different languages, but Badshah is one of our favorite rappers.
READ
LIFE OF PI
Yann Martel
A classic read that has sold over 10 million copies worldwide
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CHEF OF LE SUCCULENT
MELANIE DELACOURT
Cameroon-born and Paris-trained chef Melanie Delacourt is known for blending both comfort and elegance to her cooking. Before beginning her career as a chef, she studied law in Paris.
WATCH
INTOUCHABLES
Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano
Starring François Culzet and Omar Sy, this French buddy drama from 2011 swept the world off their feet and won the César Award for Best Actor, thanks to Sy’s notable performance.
LISTEN
STRONGER THAN PRIDE
Sade
Going back to the 80s with the legendary Sade.
READ
LE CORDON BLEU AT HOME
Le Cordon Bleu
Nothing needs to be said about Le Cordon Bleu. But there is plenty to say about Chef Melanie’s innovative cuisine, and perhaps a good starting point would be with this book.
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FOR ALL THINGS GOOD TEAM
Matt Diaz and Carlos Macias are the masa masters behind the For All Things Good team. Prior to the opening of FATG, Matt previously worked in wine and Carlos is an architect by training.
WATCH
YA NO ESTOY AQUÍ
Fernando Frias
An excellent film on Netflix showing the power of music and how it helps a young man manage as he is forced to leave his hometown due to violence. It also can help show a side of the Mexican-American experience that many in New York are close to but rarely have any insight into.
LISTEN
CUMBIA SOBRE EL RIO
Celso Piña
Renowned for his role in shaping the evolution of cumbia, this song is the perfect tune to celebrate the spring snap we’ve had this week. A frequent cumbia on all of our playlists!
READ
COMO AGUA PARA CHOCOLATE
Laura Esquivel
A classic novel in Mexican culture that has also made its way to American culture including a film made in the ‘90s. It illustrates the inherent & intimate connection to food we all have in life.
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OWNER-CHEFS OF TANOREEN
RAWIA AND JUMANA BISHARA
Chef Rawia Bishara and her daughter, Jumana, are the heart and soul of Tanoreen. At their restaurant, visitors are made to feel like old friends. Chef Rawia’s experiences living around the world and her own mother’s cooking have inspired the simple dishes with unique twists that the pair serve up at Tanoreen. While they are also restauranteurs and even an author, Rawia and Jumana see themselves, above all, as home cooks passionate about fostering friendship and family through food.
WATCH
WEST BEIRUT (1998)
Ziad Doueiri
A Lebanese film about two young boys coming of age during the civil war.
LISTEN
THE NEWS
The news is always on in the background of the kitchen, a soundtrack to the cooking and a way to stay engaged.
READ
OLIVES, LEMONS & ZA’ATAR
Rawia Bishara
Olives, Lemons & Za’atar gives a glimpse into Chef Rawia’s past as well as to the cultural and culinary traditions of Tanoreen. She likes to return to these stories when she’s feeling nostalgic.
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MARLOW + SONS CULINARY DIRECTOR
CAROLINE FIDANZA
Caroline is committed to real food and sustainability, embracing these principles in her support of a network of farmers and producers that are responsible for creating the foundation of delicious food. Prior to taking the reins as Culinary Director, she was the founding chef of Diner (1998), Marlow & Sons (2004), Marlow & Daughters butcher shop (2008) and owner of Saltie (gone, but not forgotten).
Her elevated home cooking is comforting while also provoking deep consideration about our relationship to ingredients and food systems.
WATCH
SMITHEREENS (1982)
WHAT ABOUT ME (1992)
DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN (1985)
I watched all of these in a row one week, a few nights through punky, old New York with women filmmakers.
LISTEN
KISSING ROSY IN THE RAIN
MASON LINDAHL
Mason created the Chickpea Soup recipe
Or, listen to this playlist I made for my goddaughter for her 15th birthday so that she could listen to what I listened to at 15.
READ
MILLICENT SOURIS
Medium, Brooklyn Based, Diner Journal
KENNY SHOPSIN
Eat Me
ROBERT CARO
The Power Broker
For anyone who lives in New York City and is willing to crack a 1000+ page book, it explains pretty much everything about this place.
