November 10, 2023 • 29 mins
Marcus Samuelsson Shares Insights on Tipping and Reviews in the Dining Experience + More
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
What's happics way up at Angela Yee. I'm Angela Yee
and I'm really excited today to have one of the
most renowned chefs literally in the world, Marcus Samuelson is here.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Thank you for having me. I am super excited to
be here on way up. I'm very excited.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Well, I'm excited because we got some amazing food just now,
so thank you so much. It's mac and cheese for
Cola Greens. It was some fried chicken had a honey flavor.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
It's some corn bread.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, no, I had to throw it from you know,
red Rooster. You know, we came down a little bit
food for you. But you know, my goal is for
you to study fish. That's my next goal.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I told Marcus, I've never had seafood in my life
except for cantuna fish. And I may have had like
some Gordon's frozen fish sticks at some point when I
was really really young, I know, but my mom doesn't
eat seafood, so it's just something that's a weird kind
of a taste to me.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
But what would I start with? Would you say, I.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Think catfish salmon is really good. Those two would be
really good because they have probably the media's flavor, the
kind of closest. You know, A nice seared salmon would
be good. A beautiful fried cat, which would be really nice. People,
not a sandwich.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
You know, I always ordered to lay in sea Bass.
I feel like because you go.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
With a fancy you're from Brooklyn, like you nob with
the pod and everything with the black mesa. Well, how
about a catchfish sandwich?
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Well, you know what, since I'm such a picky eater, Marcus,
what don't you eat?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Oh ah? As I said, yeah, like I'm actually I
have allergies. I'm allergic to buckwheat, so anything with buckweed
I just can't eat.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
But what have buckweet in it?
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
A lot of like breads or grains or like really
healthy stuff as buckwheat comes more from like Russia, poll
in that part of the world, and and it's I
think actually, as a chef ex actually in a weird way,
it's a blessing to have analogy because then you understand
when people come with a list, because it's not it's
not a complaint, it's not a preference.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Aleric, Yeah, sometimes I just lie and Sam alert to see.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
You because I know people are always like, wait, you
don't need.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
It, or I'm like I'm allergic because it's just easier.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, because people.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Think it's so weird. You know that I don't eat that,
But you came correct with them Red Rooster Food. I
actually went to Red Rooster in Harlem when it first opened.
I was with Michael Kaiser and that was like I
think it was the first week that it opened. And
since then, I mean, you know, you already wore explosive.
Everybody was like you got to get in. But it
has been NonStop. And first things first, I want to
(02:27):
talk about this Honeyland festival that is happening this weekend
that I am so excited to go to in Houston.
So tell us about how this even came about.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, I mean, i'mg came to us, come to my team.
It's like, we want to do this festival. They've been
watching what we've been doing with Hallowing it Up for years,
like Halling it Up is our food festival in Harlem
for eight years now, and so they came to us like,
we want to put something together that is very very
special that both honors black music. Therefore, you know Mary J. Blige,
(02:59):
mombe all all the amazing acts is going to be there.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
A lot of Houston acts too, Yes, a lot of
whole Houston All Stars performance.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
And then you know, asked us if we can be
partner and curate the food side. So we're like, yes,
this is amazing. And also to pick Houston as a city,
it's just such a it's such a special place.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
It is.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
First of all, it's the most diverse city in the country.
I don't think people even know.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
I didn't even realize that, Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
And where we put it in Sugarland, which is actually
the highest, the biggest population of West Africans. You have
a lot of Nigerians, Canaians, like, it's a lot of
African vibes in sugar Land. So I just feel really
proud ask an African to be able to put it.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
There, right because you were You're from Ethiopia but raised
in Sweden and then came over here. I want to
ask you about food. I remember one time I've been
to South Africa. I went to Johannesburg and the food
just tastes so different. And I think about the food
here that we have in the United States, and certain
things now that are getting banned that we should have
never been eating, and things that they don't eat in
other countries, know, and how we have to be really
(04:01):
conscious of what we're putting into our body. And I
remember going there and feeling like the food just tasted
so much fresher. You know, what's the difference that you
see from coming from Africa and then coming here to
the United States and the way that food may you know,
be prepared in certain ingredients.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Sure, I mean, I would say the biggest issues, especially
in for US, is that we have transfat in more
of a fast food, right.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
So.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
People eat road food or people are on the move
to go to work in all over the world, but
that is actually street food.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Street food is.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Is somebody's auntie's mom, dad cooking home bringing to the street.
That's fresh food. There's a difference between junk food and
street food. So what you eat very often when you're
on the go in other parts of the world is
home cooked food prepared on the street. What we or
we've traded sort of delicious nuts for convenience, right, So
(04:54):
trans fat, that's the biggest issue, that's one of our
biggest issues that we have in this country that the
majority of the world is not dealing with on the
same level.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah, because you're very slim, and then shaite, I gotta ask, like,
do you taste all your food while you're you know,
because it looks like you got to work out all
the time. I can imagine when I'm cooking, which I
don't do all that often, but I'm always eating while
I'm cooking, and then by the time the food's already
I'm full.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
No, I mean, you got you gotta work out. You
gotta work out, and I need to work it out
as a chef. Also, because being a chef is almost
like an athlete. You're tired. You got to prepare your
back for it, your stomach for it. So for me,
it's about working out, giving me peace of mind. It's
like the only time. Also I got two small kids,
it's the only time I'm by myself, right, But you
also have to prep for it in a sense of like,
(05:37):
you know, if I don't work out, my back is
not right. I got to stretched. It's almost like being
a being. It's like being an athlete, you know.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
And everybody recognizes you obviously from having you know, television,
from winning competitions and then judging competitions. And having your
own programming. I want to talk to you about how
it is when you're in your restaurants. Obviously, people are
going to keep on coming up to you. Everybody wants
to talk to you, even on the street.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Everybody. And I remember you said.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
People will come up to you and be like, I'm
adopted to and you know, have different things to say.
How do you balance being a personality, being you know,
an executive, being a business owner, having these different restaurants,
but also having to be the face of it and
people always talking to you. It kind of limits your privacy.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
It does, but it's also a blessing, you know. And
I came here with two hundred bucks in my pocket,
and but I knew I could add value. I knew
it could work. And you know, I think as a
true New Yorker, you got to go through all the
different steps. And I love when people come up to
me to talk to me about their food or recipe
because they're sharing, sharing their personality. The only time I don't.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Like it is when I'm with my kids, example.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
And people want pictures, but I'm like, you can take
a picture of me, but like my daughter is almost
two years old, Like she's she's a baby, like I
just don't want my son my pictures in any other
people's pictures. But other than that, it's it's also recognition
of the journey, you know what I mean. And people,
you know, chefs, people come to our restaurant and celebrate
(07:07):
the most intimate moment, maybe their first date, maybe they
got married, maybe they broke up, whatever it is. So
we're in people's lives. And when you have a restaurant
like Red Rooster, it's so public one to five. If
you don't like Tabadala with the public, don't put it
on one to five looks right, so you know. And
now we've evolved obviously with with Hamar and Metropolis, but
(07:30):
each restaurant is special, you know, ha Mar it's all
about women of color.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Right right.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
And you hit me up as soon as you were
opening that restaurant and said, your staff and the executives
and the head chef, everybody women of color.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, but you you're actually that restaurant. We really thought
about the restaurant during the pandemic, during the time where
we like, are we going to come back? This restaurants
still matters when people come back. So I had a
little bit of a pause to really rethink what can
I do in the industry. I love my industry, but
it also has a lot of problem right in terms
of for us, for black people, but also for women
(08:04):
of color particularly. So I'm a leader. I can't stand
on the sideline said there's nothing I can.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Do about it.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I actually have a say. I have a big say, right,
so let's do something. So and I looked at other industries,
so I thought about people like yourself, Like, like a
lot of other industries that I have had similar problems,
but then they got role models like yourself. So for me,
it's really that energy that you put it put out
here every day. People see that that might not communicate
(08:32):
with you right away, but like you inspired me. And
you know the team Francelli that you met at Fariel,
they're amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
And we're so happy to meet them. And like the
way everything was so smoothly, like it's a beautiful, beautiful space,
you know, and the food was amazing. I actually had
a dinner there. Thank you to Rashida Jones, the president
of MSNBC. She was like, I want to host a
dinner for you. I was like, let's do what I
have mar and I hit you up and you were like,
all right, set it up and it was all women
and it was just an amazing experience to have that
(09:01):
group of women in that space. And I want, I
always want everybody to keep on going back to.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
But I've also learned a lot, like how do we
problem solve? Like I think now as a leader, my
job is to set the table to the vision in
the direction, But then how do we evolve? How do
we how would you like to solve this? Like here's
an idea, but you guys got to drive this. So
it's I've learned a lot, And I think when you've arrived,
your whole point is like you have to open up
the door, kick up the door, and make the space
(09:28):
wider and normalize that. You know, we here, we're not
going anywhere, and you know what at all right, and
it's going to be more diverse. And this is an
example of that.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
What have been some of your challenges in the restaurant business.
We all know that's one of the hardest industries to
be in. So for you and for people listening, because
there's people that are like, oh, I want to open
a restaurant, I want to do this what have been
some of your biggest challenges that you've had to overcome.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Well, I would start with, you know, the blessings of
being black and an immigrant is that you start every day.
It's a hustle like no, you got to go yeah,
And it's honestly, it's been I there's a lot of challenges, right.
It was hard to raise money the first time. It
was hard to just to evolve to get to this point, right,
(10:12):
But I think I have no I'm not a position
to complain. I have a lot of gratitude and I
know that all I have to do is to work
and inspire and really have a solid idea. And you know,
I love I love the industry, I love my people.
It's not an easy business, but like what is easy,
(10:33):
Like nothing. I've been able to have a dialar with
the public in New York as a creative for over
you know, twenty five years. You can't complain if you
had that.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
That's an amazing journey.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
And you know, honestly, we had a whole conversation and
this was years ago, and I'll never forget you talking
about this. Just being able to retain great employees, because
that's a challenge that a lot of people do have
in this business. It's a challenge I've had with my
small businesses where you might get excited about someone, but
then you know they go off and they end up
(11:05):
going to work somewhere else and giving people incentives to
want to stay. So, what are some things that you
do that people really tend to want to long term.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Work with the Marcus Samuelson Group.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Well, the whole point that you got to build a
vision and a mission that is not about you. You
can set the table, but how do you bring smart, energetic,
passionate people along with the journey. So you got to
do exciting projects. Some of them they can share on this,
you know, whether it's a financial success or whether it's
something that they need on you know, on their resume
(11:37):
for example. So we do these festivals that I do
with my team. It's not my festival, it's the festivals
of the team. So those are things that people they
work hard, we work hard, but it's also fun stuff
that is in and of the community that they come from. Right,
Like Angela, she's from Houston. She worked me for a
long time. The festival is going to be in Houston, right, She.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Was ready to go to Houston.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Yeah, make it a yeah, but we do, and we
do these events where it's like hallowing it up. It's
completely in the community for the community. And so if
you grew up in Harlem or if you're in that
in that part of if you're uptown or from from
from the Bronx.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
This is your community.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
So you're excited about it. So you know, I'm a
chef a beautiful restaurant. That's one part. Everybody can participate
in that. But the other side of the content I can't.
You know, in the content side, if you want to
make books, we max books. Okay, what position do you
want to have? Okay, this is we're gonna here's the
vision of the past we have for that. So it's
a leader. You really got a multitask, except the vision
(12:35):
that other people can really take part of, both from
a monetary side but also from a creative side.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Right now, that is exciting for people to know that
they can come to uh, you know, executive leadership or
be executive leadership, but also come with ideas and then
see their ideas get implemented. And that's something that you
have under your belt, you know, because it does hurt,
like we've had. You know, we had an amazing manager
and then she ended up leaving. You know, it's just
really hard when those things happen. You become a family,
(13:00):
but you also wish people well.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
But she let her ago because she might come back.
She's not always greener over there all the time, you know,
and she's gonna she's gonna be your ambassador over there.
It's like, you know what, we started this and it
always looks greener right on the other side, right, but
then let them come back. That happens to a lot
of rooster. People want to leave and I'm like, oh yeah,
and some come back, some don't. But at least I
(13:22):
know if we provide the space, we only do the
best we can. And you know, like our restaurants also
not just about food and hospitality, it's also about music scene.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
It's a it's a vibe. When you go in there,
you're like, okay, I'm not leaving. But that's our too,
because then you're like, Okay, we got to give a
limit because we need to let more people come in.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
And I want to talk to you about this that
went viral.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Keith Lee, he's a food critic and he was in Atlanta,
and he was visiting different restaurants and he wants to
go to a restaurant, not as a celebrity or somebody
who's known, but just as a regular person and see
how he gets treated. But then when people see that
it's him, they're like, oh, we can't kind we can't
get you this table right away, we can't give you
this to go, And so he didn't like that about
(14:05):
so he won't go in there if he's not treated
that way from the beginning.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
But a lot of these restaurants.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
That are overly booked that are hard to get a reservation,
and they do make accommodations for people who are are
well known. What are your thoughts about that, because some
people think that that's the wrong thing to do. But
then I also understand as a restaurant owner, you want
to make sure that you are getting that type of
viral you know, where somebody might come in who has
a huge following and post it and that does help
(14:32):
the business.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
No, it's super layered and complex, right, But you know,
a VIP there's many reasons why someone is we sometimes
we call px VIP, but sometimes it's also pure about safety.
In all our restaurants, we have a side or who
we can let people in and out because it's about
safety when we've hosted from the President of the United
States to like, if you're major, major, major celebrity, you
(14:55):
have to create a safe space for that person, and
it's very hard for somebody else treating them differently. It's
all about safety, you know. And and it's it's it's
so that treatment is actually necessary for certain times, do
you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (15:08):
And I'd be like, why are that president of Barack
Obama say here?
Speaker 4 (15:11):
I was waiting, But so part of.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
It is that, and I know, I mean, it is
it is reviewing a restaurant. It's it's it's very important
because for that family, it's their only business most of
the time, so they need they want to get a
good review. Yes, training hospitality is super hard, right because
it's a daily thing. It's not a system that you
can just press play, and.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Sometimes you can't help how people act that.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Day to system of your customers.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
But you know, I think I also feel bad for
him because now he's getting I don't want anyone to
get death threats or anything like that, you know. I
think actually his intention was actually pure and right, and
then it got left. And you know, I love that
we are passionate and we get involved and we get
excited about that. But then also, no one should get
(15:59):
death threats. They should bet it's only you know, we
have to put a limit to it, because I do
think his intention was actually to share what these restaurants
are doing. I know we work really really hard on hospitality,
and I know the guys that Toast they work really
really hard on hospitality something and sometimes yeah, Virgil, of course,
(16:20):
and sometimes it can go wrong anyway, right, but I
know Virgils and the team, their intention is really really good.
And they got two beautiful restaurants in Atlanta. They're doing
brunch all day.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I go to Toast every time I'm in Atlanta. I
book my flight when i'm leaving purposely.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Oh that's why you don't call my spot in Atlanta
to b.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
And I'll be there in December.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Okay, cool, we're in the forest board no, But I
mean I can see it from both ways, right, But
I love that we get passionate about something, but then
we also have to stop because especially the world is
crazy right now, right, so he can go this thread,
it's not just it's not a joke.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
That's all you got it.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
You never know when it's really when it's not. You
can say it's just people saying something crazy online, but
you don't know.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
And another thing I want to.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Talk about is black owned businesses and black owned restaurants.
I saw this conversation on social media about how black
restaurants don't treat you good, Black owned businesses don't have
good service, And I think that's a terrible myth that
people put out there because it's already hard enough, when
you know, to get access to capital, to make sure
that people know about it, to have people come and support.
(17:22):
But then when you have people saying, oh, black owned businesses,
they don't do this, they don't do that.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
What are your thoughts about that?
Speaker 2 (17:28):
And I don't agree with that at all. I think
some of the most inspiring inspirational stories in the world
of black owned businesses and hospitality. You know, when my
mentor Rest in Peace, Miss Leah Chase Dukie Chase in
New Orleans, their restaurant will start in the forties. It's
the first integrated restaurant in America. They're still crushing it
eight years later. My neighbor is Silvia's the Woods family, right,
(17:51):
iconic sixty three years and sixty ten years, so they're
not going anywhere. So again, it's almost like the conversation
you have at the block party. And we are hard
on each other as a community sometime for fun, and
that's who we are. But you just brought up some
very important things. It is harder for black owned business
(18:11):
to get access to capital. So therefore hospitality is so
much about training and having access and and and we
got to give ourselves forgiveness because I know the intention
with the family that opens a restaurant, they do that
because they want to share their cusine or their culture.
Money is part of it, but it's probably one of.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
The last exactly years and years.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
If you ever see your profit, it's a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Yeah, so i'd also some of these missing you just
need to stop because it's not true. We have a
different sense. One of the things that I learned about,
you know, our restaurants, they're very similar to black church,
and I love that because everybody is invited to church,
and somebody from one neighborhood can sit next to another
person from a different neighborhood, but we all enchourch that's
(19:00):
how I look at Red Rooster. That's a look at
how Mark. It's it's true diversity. We're not monolithic in.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Our experiences at all.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
And listen, can we talk about the new restaurant Metropolis.
Yesolis So, because like you didn't even tell me about this.
I happen to read about it all right, because it's
been all over Like you know, every day I'm looking
at the news and watching what's happening. I'm like, oh,
markets are but a new restaurant, So can you tell
us about this?
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Because it's not just a restaurant, it's an experience.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
You know, life just sometimes come full circle. Right when
nine to eleven happened, I was a young chef.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
In New York I.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
A week before nine to eleven, I cooked in the
towers from my charity organization, SEECAP, and I knew a
lot of those chefs and hospitality work as that past. So,
you know, so twenty years later to be back on
the site, to be part of Metropolis and the program
Performing Arts Center, it's it's one of the most humbling
(19:58):
but also one of the most important thing I've ever
been part of. So our restaurant is inside the pack center.
It's called Metropolis, which kind of means mother city of Culture.
I wanted a big name.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yeah that's a big.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
And yeah we just started last week. Right now, we're
from dinner and then it's going to be dinner, breakfast,
and lunch. You can do your power breakfast down there.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
You know, you know, you know I will be because
my podcast is right around here too, So I feel
like that's.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Going to be my new spot.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
And it's so much fun because it's also around the arts.
Right now, bill Ty Jones is having his incredible performance
down there, but you know that's where Jada did a
book signing. So it's like it's a place where we
can come. If you launch something, you can do it
on that stage, you know what I mean. And so
it's I love New York and culture and to have
a restaurant and center of that, it's it's it's such
(20:48):
a blessing.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Feels like the one year Way Up anniversary party. Yeah
that Metropolis.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, can we.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Get back to Honeyland for a second because I want
you to. So they came to you to curate this event,
this festival, right, and so how did you so the
music part?
Speaker 3 (21:04):
They kind of handled, but you handled more.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
The food food experiences.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
I'll be there by the way, just for you guys.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Know, you're definitely you and one of the fro.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
I was excited and I'll be on stage with Tabitha Brown.
By the way. I've never met her in person.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
It's amazing, So I was.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
She's incredible, thrilled to be able to do that.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Yeah, it's definitely an honor for me to be able
to going to be there. Yeah, and Calise and people
always talk about like how amazing she is when it
comes to and.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
You know, she grew up in Indu.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Her mom was a caterer, a farm.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
She lives on a farm.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Yeah, she's going to be there, and so many some
of the best Houston you know, so many Texas chef's
going to be there. And that was important for us
to really have local chefs. You know, Don Barrell she's
an amazing chef from Houston. Shout out to Don Barrells.
She's like she was in the Olympics, right runner amazing.
Then her second career is you know, being being a
(21:59):
chef and she was on top chef and she's a
dear friend of mine and you know, She's just amazing.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
All right now, I want to ask you some etiquette questions.
M M, when do you send your food back?
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I don't never, I don't, I don't. I just it's
the chef in me. I don't.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
I know what that person goes through.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I don't.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
I'm not the right person to ash with it.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
My wife does know, she does, all right, because I
barely ever do that. It has to be like really really,
and I'm very apologetic, you know every time that I
do that.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
All right? Now?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Is it okay when people are ordering in a restaurant
and before the food even comes, uh, they ask for
all different kinds of sauces even though they haven't tasted
it yet, Like, can I get had?
Speaker 4 (22:39):
I think?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I think the whole point of going out is one
part you want to experience something different. But if you
if you're comfortable with that, have it.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Have the sauces come.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
In, but try the dish as the chef wanted do
to be tried. You can't just I'm going to eat
the dish the way I eat it at home.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
No, you're out just supposed to have that experience.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
You don't have to put ketchup on, you know, it's
not something that needs to happen.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
All right, what about to go orders?
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Okay, now I've heard chefs say that a certain restaurants say,
do not do to Go because it tastes so different
when it leaves a restaurant and goes home.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
What are your thoughts on to go?
Speaker 4 (23:15):
You know?
Speaker 2 (23:16):
The pandemic, right, it taught us we have to pivot.
I did not want to do to Go for a
long time and restore because when you you know, something
like chick can or lawfully needs to it can't get moist,
it's not crispy anymore. But we pivoted and people actually
then we open it to go side of Red Rooster, right,
So you know I I was wrong.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
It worked.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
I've definitely done some to Go.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
Yeah, yeah, we.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Have to change, you know. I mean we'd have mar
we have.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
We don't really do to Go yet.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
There's a lot of fish. But I think you know,
as a chef, you have to evolve to open because
end of the day, you have to meet the customer
where they're at right, customer's pains. You You can have
a vision and a mission, but then the customer is
going to tell you something. If you ignore that. Guess what,
You're not gonna have a customer and more you're in hospital, Tyler.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
You'd really see what the people want.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
And restaurant, the word restaurant mean to restore your spirit,
restore your community. Right, so you have to like roosters
on my restaurants, restaurants the community. You have to like
honestly listen, you know, and take part of that.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Okay, washing chicken, you don't have to do that.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
You know again, my wife does that. My wife does that.
You don't have to do that.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
You don't wash your chicken in all right, people are
gonna see why.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So I you know, sometimes I rinse and I cure
my chicken. I put water and salt in just for
it to get tightened up a little bit. That's different
than washing the chicken.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Okay, different, okay, microwave no no, no, I mean if
you need to eat something up really quickly, sure, But
like I don't cook.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
I would never like cook anything.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
But you're okay, we're heating stuff. I usually pay everything
in the oven when I hear yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Good, see it ten minutes.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
You know it's okay, you know, all right now, tipping
even though the service was bad, tip, yes, no matter what.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Yes, because that that server, that's what they live off.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
What if they were rude and they did not do
things that you needed then to do, they messed up
your order, you waited, they forgot.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
I know, But there is a way to tip, and
then there's a way to communicate that.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
She or he was rude. Right, and both are important.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Right, you can speak. That's what the manager is there for. Right, Okay, listen,
I'm going to do this because it's how we do things.
But this was unacceptable, and that's actually the house needs
to know that, right, because then they can address that
through you know, manager meeting or whatever. But you talk
about someone's livelihood, you know, you have to tip.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
It's part of.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
It, all, right. Reviews.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
When you leave a restaurant, how do you feel maybe
your experience wasn't great. Should you go and leave a
review or should you talk to the manager or both both?
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Both?
Speaker 2 (25:48):
I mean, we as chefs, we always think this is
where it's supposed to be. We don't have to listen.
We have to listen. I read every morning, we read
our reviews. We learn from the customers. And if because
we learn a ton, if we think the customer was
not waiting for the food, and every review says, hey,
I waited for the five minutes.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Guess what we were wrong.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
You have to you have to be on your business
and in your business, and being in your business it's
not as sexy sometimes as being on your business, right,
but that's if you're going to be successful. You have
to be both on and in.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Okay, you know, all right? Fair enough?
Speaker 1 (26:22):
And I want to encourage people to leave good reviews too,
because sometimes people only leave reviews when they're mad and
they want to go on there, and.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
We did it. But if it's great, you know, reviews
do mean a lot to.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Look yeah, and that's how we learned. That's the feedback
that we work up right, and we need that. And
when you are having a dialogue with the guests like that,
the restaurant can actually improve.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Right.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
If we don't have any dialogue, that's when the restaurant
what happened? And then it closes down?
Speaker 3 (26:47):
All right?
Speaker 1 (26:47):
And I want you to also address and talk about
your bahamas. I wanted to make it there this year
so bad, but we have Powerhouse to concert here. But
next year I'm definitely there. Sorry, Powerhouse. I don't know
if it's gonna be the same. We're going to figure this.
Can you talk about that in the restaurant.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
So our restaurant is a bambar, a beautiful restaurant, markets
restaurant on the water, and every year we host we
have a festival called Bahamas, a culinary arts festival, which
is arts, music, and food and it's all about local
food and chef. We do bring in some celebrity chef
from the state, but you will meet the most incredible
local artists, almost like an art basil, you know that
(27:24):
type of thing. So you have like from seven I
think it was seven Caribbean nations this year they have
their art displaying there. And then we had Shaggy and Sting,
which was cool.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Yeah, that's a huge, amazing hudline.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Two thousand people on the beach, the partying and and
just great food.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Man.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
So next year we got to get.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
You, all right, I'm going to make sure that happens. Well,
thank you so much for coming through. We got to
have you back, like you know more frequently.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Give you a big no, can I just give you
a big shadow. You inspiring so many people, not just women.
You made someone like me think about how can we
reshape our industry. So you know, I know your store
in Brooklyn and you're going to grow that.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
Marcus has been really great.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
We're giving me some direction behind the scenes and talking
to us about our coffee company. When we first lunched,
we sat down and had a meeting and as you
can see, everything you said, like, I definitely paid attention
and took it to her. And I'm glad that we
have the lines of communication where I can ask you,
you know, certain questions.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
I hate to bother that one question Mom coming to
Houston or what.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Oh yeah, you met my mom and Bermuda.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
We stayed at the Princess Hamilton and so she's went
there and my mom saw Marcus.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
I was like, oh my god, I have to get
a picture with him. And I was like, all right,
I'm going to ask him. You know, I don't like.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
To bother people while there, but so gracious, my mom
has six pictures on her Instagram. That's one of them,
Marcus Samuelson and that's it period. But you didn't have
the kids there, so I felt okay, all right, but again,
thank you so much. And for Honeyland Festival, how can
people get tickets because you can still come out and
I'll be there.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
So I'm excited to see everyone.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
On land dot com book it come through. It's going
to be the best of music in Texas and the
best of food, and we're going to be there.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
It's going to be a Yes, it is.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
It's gonna be a vibe and I'll be at Metropolis
in the next couple of weeks, so watch out for that,
all right, all right, Marcus Samuelson, It's way up with Angela.
And by the way, I just want to say, if
you have never read his memoir, please make sure you do.
It super inspiring and I remember when it first came
out and for me to I didn't even know your
whole backstory, but to read that and see the stories
of resilience and what made you who you are today,
(29:22):
you know, amazing read all right, Marcus Samielson
What's happics way up at Angela Yee. I'm Angela Yee
and I'm really excited today to have one of the
most renowned chefs literally in the world, Marcus Samuelson is here.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Thank you for having me. I am super excited to
be here on way up. I'm very excited.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Well, I'm excited because we got some amazing food just now,
so thank you so much. It's mac and cheese for
Cola Greens. It was some fried chicken had a honey flavor.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
It's some corn bread.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, no, I had to throw it from you know,
red Rooster. You know, we came down a little bit
food for you. But you know, my goal is for
you to study fish. That's my next goal.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I told Marcus, I've never had seafood in my life
except for cantuna fish. And I may have had like
some Gordon's frozen fish sticks at some point when I
was really really young, I know, but my mom doesn't
eat seafood, so it's just something that's a weird kind
of a taste to me.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
But what would I start with? Would you say, I.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Think catfish salmon is really good. Those two would be
really good because they have probably the media's flavor, the
kind of closest. You know, A nice seared salmon would
be good. A beautiful fried cat, which would be really nice. People,
not a sandwich.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
You know, I always ordered to lay in sea Bass.
I feel like because you go.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
With a fancy you're from Brooklyn, like you nob with
the pod and everything with the black mesa. Well, how
about a catchfish sandwich?
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Well, you know what, since I'm such a picky eater, Marcus,
what don't you eat?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Oh ah? As I said, yeah, like I'm actually I
have allergies. I'm allergic to buckwheat, so anything with buckweed
I just can't eat.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
But what have buckweet in it?
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
A lot of like breads or grains or like really
healthy stuff as buckwheat comes more from like Russia, poll
in that part of the world, and and it's I
think actually, as a chef ex actually in a weird way,
it's a blessing to have analogy because then you understand
when people come with a list, because it's not it's
not a complaint, it's not a preference.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Aleric, Yeah, sometimes I just lie and Sam alert to see.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
You because I know people are always like, wait, you
don't need.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
It, or I'm like I'm allergic because it's just easier.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, because people.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Think it's so weird. You know that I don't eat that,
But you came correct with them Red Rooster Food. I
actually went to Red Rooster in Harlem when it first opened.
I was with Michael Kaiser and that was like I
think it was the first week that it opened. And
since then, I mean, you know, you already wore explosive.
Everybody was like you got to get in. But it
has been NonStop. And first things first, I want to
(02:27):
talk about this Honeyland festival that is happening this weekend
that I am so excited to go to in Houston.
So tell us about how this even came about.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, I mean, i'mg came to us, come to my team.
It's like, we want to do this festival. They've been
watching what we've been doing with Hallowing it Up for years,
like Halling it Up is our food festival in Harlem
for eight years now, and so they came to us like,
we want to put something together that is very very
special that both honors black music. Therefore, you know Mary J. Blige,
(02:59):
mombe all all the amazing acts is going to be there.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
A lot of Houston acts too, Yes, a lot of
whole Houston All Stars performance.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
And then you know, asked us if we can be
partner and curate the food side. So we're like, yes,
this is amazing. And also to pick Houston as a city,
it's just such a it's such a special place.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
It is.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
First of all, it's the most diverse city in the country.
I don't think people even know.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
I didn't even realize that, Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
And where we put it in Sugarland, which is actually
the highest, the biggest population of West Africans. You have
a lot of Nigerians, Canaians, like, it's a lot of
African vibes in sugar Land. So I just feel really
proud ask an African to be able to put it.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
There, right because you were You're from Ethiopia but raised
in Sweden and then came over here. I want to
ask you about food. I remember one time I've been
to South Africa. I went to Johannesburg and the food
just tastes so different. And I think about the food
here that we have in the United States, and certain
things now that are getting banned that we should have
never been eating, and things that they don't eat in
other countries, know, and how we have to be really
(04:01):
conscious of what we're putting into our body. And I
remember going there and feeling like the food just tasted
so much fresher. You know, what's the difference that you
see from coming from Africa and then coming here to
the United States and the way that food may you know,
be prepared in certain ingredients.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Sure, I mean, I would say the biggest issues, especially
in for US, is that we have transfat in more
of a fast food, right.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
So.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
People eat road food or people are on the move
to go to work in all over the world, but
that is actually street food.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Street food is.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Is somebody's auntie's mom, dad cooking home bringing to the street.
That's fresh food. There's a difference between junk food and
street food. So what you eat very often when you're
on the go in other parts of the world is
home cooked food prepared on the street. What we or
we've traded sort of delicious nuts for convenience, right, So
(04:54):
trans fat, that's the biggest issue, that's one of our
biggest issues that we have in this country that the
majority of the world is not dealing with on the
same level.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah, because you're very slim, and then shaite, I gotta ask, like,
do you taste all your food while you're you know,
because it looks like you got to work out all
the time. I can imagine when I'm cooking, which I
don't do all that often, but I'm always eating while
I'm cooking, and then by the time the food's already
I'm full.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
No, I mean, you got you gotta work out. You
gotta work out, and I need to work it out
as a chef. Also, because being a chef is almost
like an athlete. You're tired. You got to prepare your
back for it, your stomach for it. So for me,
it's about working out, giving me peace of mind. It's
like the only time. Also I got two small kids,
it's the only time I'm by myself, right, But you
also have to prep for it in a sense of like,
(05:37):
you know, if I don't work out, my back is
not right. I got to stretched. It's almost like being
a being. It's like being an athlete, you know.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
And everybody recognizes you obviously from having you know, television,
from winning competitions and then judging competitions. And having your
own programming. I want to talk to you about how
it is when you're in your restaurants. Obviously, people are
going to keep on coming up to you. Everybody wants
to talk to you, even on the street.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Everybody. And I remember you said.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
People will come up to you and be like, I'm
adopted to and you know, have different things to say.
How do you balance being a personality, being you know,
an executive, being a business owner, having these different restaurants,
but also having to be the face of it and
people always talking to you. It kind of limits your privacy.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
It does, but it's also a blessing, you know. And
I came here with two hundred bucks in my pocket,
and but I knew I could add value. I knew
it could work. And you know, I think as a
true New Yorker, you got to go through all the
different steps. And I love when people come up to
me to talk to me about their food or recipe
because they're sharing, sharing their personality. The only time I don't.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Like it is when I'm with my kids, example.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
And people want pictures, but I'm like, you can take
a picture of me, but like my daughter is almost
two years old, Like she's she's a baby, like I
just don't want my son my pictures in any other
people's pictures. But other than that, it's it's also recognition
of the journey, you know what I mean. And people,
you know, chefs, people come to our restaurant and celebrate
(07:07):
the most intimate moment, maybe their first date, maybe they
got married, maybe they broke up, whatever it is. So
we're in people's lives. And when you have a restaurant
like Red Rooster, it's so public one to five. If
you don't like Tabadala with the public, don't put it
on one to five looks right, so you know. And
now we've evolved obviously with with Hamar and Metropolis, but
(07:30):
each restaurant is special, you know, ha Mar it's all
about women of color.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Right right.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
And you hit me up as soon as you were
opening that restaurant and said, your staff and the executives
and the head chef, everybody women of color.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, but you you're actually that restaurant. We really thought
about the restaurant during the pandemic, during the time where
we like, are we going to come back? This restaurants
still matters when people come back. So I had a
little bit of a pause to really rethink what can
I do in the industry. I love my industry, but
it also has a lot of problem right in terms
of for us, for black people, but also for women
(08:04):
of color particularly. So I'm a leader. I can't stand
on the sideline said there's nothing I can.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Do about it.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
I actually have a say. I have a big say, right,
so let's do something. So and I looked at other industries,
so I thought about people like yourself, Like, like a
lot of other industries that I have had similar problems,
but then they got role models like yourself. So for me,
it's really that energy that you put it put out
here every day. People see that that might not communicate
(08:32):
with you right away, but like you inspired me. And
you know the team Francelli that you met at Fariel,
they're amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
And we're so happy to meet them. And like the
way everything was so smoothly, like it's a beautiful, beautiful space,
you know, and the food was amazing. I actually had
a dinner there. Thank you to Rashida Jones, the president
of MSNBC. She was like, I want to host a
dinner for you. I was like, let's do what I
have mar and I hit you up and you were like,
all right, set it up and it was all women
and it was just an amazing experience to have that
(09:01):
group of women in that space. And I want, I
always want everybody to keep on going back to.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
But I've also learned a lot, like how do we
problem solve? Like I think now as a leader, my
job is to set the table to the vision in
the direction, But then how do we evolve? How do
we how would you like to solve this? Like here's
an idea, but you guys got to drive this. So
it's I've learned a lot, And I think when you've arrived,
your whole point is like you have to open up
the door, kick up the door, and make the space
(09:28):
wider and normalize that. You know, we here, we're not
going anywhere, and you know what at all right, and
it's going to be more diverse. And this is an
example of that.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
What have been some of your challenges in the restaurant business.
We all know that's one of the hardest industries to
be in. So for you and for people listening, because
there's people that are like, oh, I want to open
a restaurant, I want to do this what have been
some of your biggest challenges that you've had to overcome.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Well, I would start with, you know, the blessings of
being black and an immigrant is that you start every day.
It's a hustle like no, you got to go yeah,
And it's honestly, it's been I there's a lot of challenges, right.
It was hard to raise money the first time. It
was hard to just to evolve to get to this point, right,
(10:12):
But I think I have no I'm not a position
to complain. I have a lot of gratitude and I
know that all I have to do is to work
and inspire and really have a solid idea. And you know,
I love I love the industry, I love my people.
It's not an easy business, but like what is easy,
(10:33):
Like nothing. I've been able to have a dialar with
the public in New York as a creative for over
you know, twenty five years. You can't complain if you
had that.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
That's an amazing journey.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
And you know, honestly, we had a whole conversation and
this was years ago, and I'll never forget you talking
about this. Just being able to retain great employees, because
that's a challenge that a lot of people do have
in this business. It's a challenge I've had with my
small businesses where you might get excited about someone, but
then you know they go off and they end up
(11:05):
going to work somewhere else and giving people incentives to
want to stay. So, what are some things that you
do that people really tend to want to long term.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Work with the Marcus Samuelson Group.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Well, the whole point that you got to build a
vision and a mission that is not about you. You
can set the table, but how do you bring smart, energetic,
passionate people along with the journey. So you got to
do exciting projects. Some of them they can share on this,
you know, whether it's a financial success or whether it's
something that they need on you know, on their resume
(11:37):
for example. So we do these festivals that I do
with my team. It's not my festival, it's the festivals
of the team. So those are things that people they
work hard, we work hard, but it's also fun stuff
that is in and of the community that they come from. Right,
Like Angela, she's from Houston. She worked me for a
long time. The festival is going to be in Houston, right, She.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Was ready to go to Houston.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Yeah, make it a yeah, but we do, and we
do these events where it's like hallowing it up. It's
completely in the community for the community. And so if
you grew up in Harlem or if you're in that
in that part of if you're uptown or from from
from the Bronx.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
This is your community.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
So you're excited about it. So you know, I'm a
chef a beautiful restaurant. That's one part. Everybody can participate
in that. But the other side of the content I can't.
You know, in the content side, if you want to
make books, we max books. Okay, what position do you
want to have? Okay, this is we're gonna here's the
vision of the past we have for that. So it's
a leader. You really got a multitask, except the vision
(12:35):
that other people can really take part of, both from
a monetary side but also from a creative side.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Right now, that is exciting for people to know that
they can come to uh, you know, executive leadership or
be executive leadership, but also come with ideas and then
see their ideas get implemented. And that's something that you
have under your belt, you know, because it does hurt,
like we've had. You know, we had an amazing manager
and then she ended up leaving. You know, it's just
really hard when those things happen. You become a family,
(13:00):
but you also wish people well.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
But she let her ago because she might come back.
She's not always greener over there all the time, you know,
and she's gonna she's gonna be your ambassador over there.
It's like, you know what, we started this and it
always looks greener right on the other side, right, but
then let them come back. That happens to a lot
of rooster. People want to leave and I'm like, oh yeah,
and some come back, some don't. But at least I
(13:22):
know if we provide the space, we only do the
best we can. And you know, like our restaurants also
not just about food and hospitality, it's also about music scene.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
It's a it's a vibe. When you go in there,
you're like, okay, I'm not leaving. But that's our too,
because then you're like, Okay, we got to give a
limit because we need to let more people come in.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
And I want to talk to you about this that
went viral.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Keith Lee, he's a food critic and he was in Atlanta,
and he was visiting different restaurants and he wants to
go to a restaurant, not as a celebrity or somebody
who's known, but just as a regular person and see
how he gets treated. But then when people see that
it's him, they're like, oh, we can't kind we can't
get you this table right away, we can't give you
this to go, And so he didn't like that about
(14:05):
so he won't go in there if he's not treated
that way from the beginning.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
But a lot of these restaurants.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
That are overly booked that are hard to get a reservation,
and they do make accommodations for people who are are
well known. What are your thoughts about that, because some
people think that that's the wrong thing to do. But
then I also understand as a restaurant owner, you want
to make sure that you are getting that type of
viral you know, where somebody might come in who has
a huge following and post it and that does help
(14:32):
the business.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
No, it's super layered and complex, right, But you know,
a VIP there's many reasons why someone is we sometimes
we call px VIP, but sometimes it's also pure about safety.
In all our restaurants, we have a side or who
we can let people in and out because it's about
safety when we've hosted from the President of the United
States to like, if you're major, major, major celebrity, you
(14:55):
have to create a safe space for that person, and
it's very hard for somebody else treating them differently. It's
all about safety, you know. And and it's it's it's
so that treatment is actually necessary for certain times, do
you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (15:08):
And I'd be like, why are that president of Barack
Obama say here?
Speaker 4 (15:11):
I was waiting, But so part of.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
It is that, and I know, I mean, it is
it is reviewing a restaurant. It's it's it's very important
because for that family, it's their only business most of
the time, so they need they want to get a
good review. Yes, training hospitality is super hard, right because
it's a daily thing. It's not a system that you
can just press play, and.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Sometimes you can't help how people act that.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Day to system of your customers.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
But you know, I think I also feel bad for
him because now he's getting I don't want anyone to
get death threats or anything like that, you know. I
think actually his intention was actually pure and right, and
then it got left. And you know, I love that
we are passionate and we get involved and we get
excited about that. But then also, no one should get
(15:59):
death threats. They should bet it's only you know, we
have to put a limit to it, because I do
think his intention was actually to share what these restaurants
are doing. I know we work really really hard on hospitality,
and I know the guys that Toast they work really
really hard on hospitality something and sometimes yeah, Virgil, of course,
(16:20):
and sometimes it can go wrong anyway, right, but I
know Virgils and the team, their intention is really really good.
And they got two beautiful restaurants in Atlanta. They're doing
brunch all day.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I go to Toast every time I'm in Atlanta. I
book my flight when i'm leaving purposely.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Oh that's why you don't call my spot in Atlanta
to b.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
And I'll be there in December.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Okay, cool, we're in the forest board no, But I
mean I can see it from both ways, right, But
I love that we get passionate about something, but then
we also have to stop because especially the world is
crazy right now, right, so he can go this thread,
it's not just it's not a joke.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
That's all you got it.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
You never know when it's really when it's not. You
can say it's just people saying something crazy online, but
you don't know.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
And another thing I want to.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Talk about is black owned businesses and black owned restaurants.
I saw this conversation on social media about how black
restaurants don't treat you good, Black owned businesses don't have
good service, And I think that's a terrible myth that
people put out there because it's already hard enough, when
you know, to get access to capital, to make sure
that people know about it, to have people come and support.
(17:22):
But then when you have people saying, oh, black owned businesses,
they don't do this, they don't do that.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
What are your thoughts about that?
Speaker 2 (17:28):
And I don't agree with that at all. I think
some of the most inspiring inspirational stories in the world
of black owned businesses and hospitality. You know, when my
mentor Rest in Peace, Miss Leah Chase Dukie Chase in
New Orleans, their restaurant will start in the forties. It's
the first integrated restaurant in America. They're still crushing it
eight years later. My neighbor is Silvia's the Woods family, right,
(17:51):
iconic sixty three years and sixty ten years, so they're
not going anywhere. So again, it's almost like the conversation
you have at the block party. And we are hard
on each other as a community sometime for fun, and
that's who we are. But you just brought up some
very important things. It is harder for black owned business
(18:11):
to get access to capital. So therefore hospitality is so
much about training and having access and and and we
got to give ourselves forgiveness because I know the intention
with the family that opens a restaurant, they do that
because they want to share their cusine or their culture.
Money is part of it, but it's probably one of.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
The last exactly years and years.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
If you ever see your profit, it's a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Yeah, so i'd also some of these missing you just
need to stop because it's not true. We have a
different sense. One of the things that I learned about,
you know, our restaurants, they're very similar to black church,
and I love that because everybody is invited to church,
and somebody from one neighborhood can sit next to another
person from a different neighborhood, but we all enchourch that's
(19:00):
how I look at Red Rooster. That's a look at
how Mark. It's it's true diversity. We're not monolithic in.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Our experiences at all.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
And listen, can we talk about the new restaurant Metropolis.
Yesolis So, because like you didn't even tell me about this.
I happen to read about it all right, because it's
been all over Like you know, every day I'm looking
at the news and watching what's happening. I'm like, oh,
markets are but a new restaurant, So can you tell
us about this?
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Because it's not just a restaurant, it's an experience.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
You know, life just sometimes come full circle. Right when
nine to eleven happened, I was a young chef.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
In New York I.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
A week before nine to eleven, I cooked in the
towers from my charity organization, SEECAP, and I knew a
lot of those chefs and hospitality work as that past. So,
you know, so twenty years later to be back on
the site, to be part of Metropolis and the program
Performing Arts Center, it's it's one of the most humbling
(19:58):
but also one of the most important thing I've ever
been part of. So our restaurant is inside the pack center.
It's called Metropolis, which kind of means mother city of Culture.
I wanted a big name.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yeah that's a big.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
And yeah we just started last week. Right now, we're
from dinner and then it's going to be dinner, breakfast,
and lunch. You can do your power breakfast down there.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
You know, you know, you know I will be because
my podcast is right around here too, So I feel
like that's.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Going to be my new spot.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
And it's so much fun because it's also around the arts.
Right now, bill Ty Jones is having his incredible performance
down there, but you know that's where Jada did a
book signing. So it's like it's a place where we
can come. If you launch something, you can do it
on that stage, you know what I mean. And so
it's I love New York and culture and to have
a restaurant and center of that, it's it's it's such
(20:48):
a blessing.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Feels like the one year Way Up anniversary party. Yeah
that Metropolis.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, can we.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Get back to Honeyland for a second because I want
you to. So they came to you to curate this event,
this festival, right, and so how did you so the
music part?
Speaker 3 (21:04):
They kind of handled, but you handled more.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
The food food experiences.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
I'll be there by the way, just for you guys.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Know, you're definitely you and one of the fro.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
I was excited and I'll be on stage with Tabitha Brown.
By the way. I've never met her in person.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
It's amazing, So I was.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
She's incredible, thrilled to be able to do that.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Yeah, it's definitely an honor for me to be able
to going to be there. Yeah, and Calise and people
always talk about like how amazing she is when it
comes to and.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
You know, she grew up in Indu.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Her mom was a caterer, a farm.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
She lives on a farm.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Yeah, she's going to be there, and so many some
of the best Houston you know, so many Texas chef's
going to be there. And that was important for us
to really have local chefs. You know, Don Barrell she's
an amazing chef from Houston. Shout out to Don Barrells.
She's like she was in the Olympics, right runner amazing.
Then her second career is you know, being being a
(21:59):
chef and she was on top chef and she's a
dear friend of mine and you know, She's just amazing.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
All right now, I want to ask you some etiquette questions.
M M, when do you send your food back?
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I don't never, I don't, I don't. I just it's
the chef in me. I don't.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
I know what that person goes through.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I don't.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
I'm not the right person to ash with it.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
My wife does know, she does, all right, because I
barely ever do that. It has to be like really really,
and I'm very apologetic, you know every time that I
do that.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
All right? Now?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Is it okay when people are ordering in a restaurant
and before the food even comes, uh, they ask for
all different kinds of sauces even though they haven't tasted
it yet, Like, can I get had?
Speaker 4 (22:39):
I think?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I think the whole point of going out is one
part you want to experience something different. But if you
if you're comfortable with that, have it.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Have the sauces come.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
In, but try the dish as the chef wanted do
to be tried. You can't just I'm going to eat
the dish the way I eat it at home.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
No, you're out just supposed to have that experience.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
You don't have to put ketchup on, you know, it's
not something that needs to happen.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
All right, what about to go orders?
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Okay, now I've heard chefs say that a certain restaurants say,
do not do to Go because it tastes so different
when it leaves a restaurant and goes home.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
What are your thoughts on to go?
Speaker 4 (23:15):
You know?
Speaker 2 (23:16):
The pandemic, right, it taught us we have to pivot.
I did not want to do to Go for a
long time and restore because when you you know, something
like chick can or lawfully needs to it can't get moist,
it's not crispy anymore. But we pivoted and people actually
then we open it to go side of Red Rooster, right,
So you know I I was wrong.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
It worked.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
I've definitely done some to Go.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
Yeah, yeah, we.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Have to change, you know. I mean we'd have mar
we have.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
We don't really do to Go yet.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
There's a lot of fish. But I think you know,
as a chef, you have to evolve to open because
end of the day, you have to meet the customer
where they're at right, customer's pains. You You can have
a vision and a mission, but then the customer is
going to tell you something. If you ignore that. Guess what,
You're not gonna have a customer and more you're in hospital, Tyler.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
You'd really see what the people want.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
And restaurant, the word restaurant mean to restore your spirit,
restore your community. Right, so you have to like roosters
on my restaurants, restaurants the community. You have to like
honestly listen, you know, and take part of that.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
Okay, washing chicken, you don't have to do that.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
You know again, my wife does that. My wife does that.
You don't have to do that.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
You don't wash your chicken in all right, people are
gonna see why.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So I you know, sometimes I rinse and I cure
my chicken. I put water and salt in just for
it to get tightened up a little bit. That's different
than washing the chicken.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Okay, different, okay, microwave no no, no, I mean if
you need to eat something up really quickly, sure, But
like I don't cook.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
I would never like cook anything.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
But you're okay, we're heating stuff. I usually pay everything
in the oven when I hear yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Good, see it ten minutes.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
You know it's okay, you know, all right now, tipping
even though the service was bad, tip, yes, no matter what.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Yes, because that that server, that's what they live off.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
What if they were rude and they did not do
things that you needed then to do, they messed up
your order, you waited, they forgot.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
I know, But there is a way to tip, and
then there's a way to communicate that.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
She or he was rude. Right, and both are important.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Right, you can speak. That's what the manager is there for. Right, Okay, listen,
I'm going to do this because it's how we do things.
But this was unacceptable, and that's actually the house needs
to know that, right, because then they can address that
through you know, manager meeting or whatever. But you talk
about someone's livelihood, you know, you have to tip.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
It's part of.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
It, all, right. Reviews.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
When you leave a restaurant, how do you feel maybe
your experience wasn't great. Should you go and leave a
review or should you talk to the manager or both both?
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Both?
Speaker 2 (25:48):
I mean, we as chefs, we always think this is
where it's supposed to be. We don't have to listen.
We have to listen. I read every morning, we read
our reviews. We learn from the customers. And if because
we learn a ton, if we think the customer was
not waiting for the food, and every review says, hey,
I waited for the five minutes.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Guess what we were wrong.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
You have to you have to be on your business
and in your business, and being in your business it's
not as sexy sometimes as being on your business, right,
but that's if you're going to be successful. You have
to be both on and in.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Okay, you know, all right? Fair enough?
Speaker 1 (26:22):
And I want to encourage people to leave good reviews too,
because sometimes people only leave reviews when they're mad and
they want to go on there, and.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
We did it. But if it's great, you know, reviews
do mean a lot to.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Look yeah, and that's how we learned. That's the feedback
that we work up right, and we need that. And
when you are having a dialogue with the guests like that,
the restaurant can actually improve.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Right.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
If we don't have any dialogue, that's when the restaurant
what happened? And then it closes down?
Speaker 3 (26:47):
All right?
Speaker 1 (26:47):
And I want you to also address and talk about
your bahamas. I wanted to make it there this year
so bad, but we have Powerhouse to concert here. But
next year I'm definitely there. Sorry, Powerhouse. I don't know
if it's gonna be the same. We're going to figure this.
Can you talk about that in the restaurant.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
So our restaurant is a bambar, a beautiful restaurant, markets
restaurant on the water, and every year we host we
have a festival called Bahamas, a culinary arts festival, which
is arts, music, and food and it's all about local
food and chef. We do bring in some celebrity chef
from the state, but you will meet the most incredible
local artists, almost like an art basil, you know that
(27:24):
type of thing. So you have like from seven I
think it was seven Caribbean nations this year they have
their art displaying there. And then we had Shaggy and Sting,
which was cool.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Yeah, that's a huge, amazing hudline.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Two thousand people on the beach, the partying and and
just great food.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Man.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
So next year we got to get.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
You, all right, I'm going to make sure that happens. Well,
thank you so much for coming through. We got to
have you back, like you know more frequently.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Give you a big no, can I just give you
a big shadow. You inspiring so many people, not just women.
You made someone like me think about how can we
reshape our industry. So you know, I know your store
in Brooklyn and you're going to grow that.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
Marcus has been really great.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
We're giving me some direction behind the scenes and talking
to us about our coffee company. When we first lunched,
we sat down and had a meeting and as you
can see, everything you said, like, I definitely paid attention
and took it to her. And I'm glad that we
have the lines of communication where I can ask you,
you know, certain questions.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
I hate to bother that one question Mom coming to
Houston or what.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Oh yeah, you met my mom and Bermuda.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
We stayed at the Princess Hamilton and so she's went
there and my mom saw Marcus.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
I was like, oh my god, I have to get
a picture with him. And I was like, all right,
I'm going to ask him. You know, I don't like.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
To bother people while there, but so gracious, my mom
has six pictures on her Instagram. That's one of them,
Marcus Samuelson and that's it period. But you didn't have
the kids there, so I felt okay, all right, but again,
thank you so much. And for Honeyland Festival, how can
people get tickets because you can still come out and
I'll be there.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
So I'm excited to see everyone.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
On land dot com book it come through. It's going
to be the best of music in Texas and the
best of food, and we're going to be there.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
It's going to be a Yes, it is.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
It's gonna be a vibe and I'll be at Metropolis
in the next couple of weeks, so watch out for that,
all right, all right, Marcus Samuelson, It's way up with Angela.
And by the way, I just want to say, if
you have never read his memoir, please make sure you do.
It super inspiring and I remember when it first came
out and for me to I didn't even know your
whole backstory, but to read that and see the stories
of resilience and what made you who you are today,
(29:22):
you know, amazing read all right, Marcus Samielson
Way Up With Angela Yee News
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Angela Yee
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