A Glimpse Into the Future: 2015 Restaurant Resolutions

Katie Button of Cúrate in Asheville, NC

This year is going to be a big year for us. My husband and I are expecting our first child, due in February, which is very exciting, but with that my New Year’s resolution is to ignore the doubters and naysayers that project the assumption that women can't both run a successful business and have a family. When your life and your work are intertwined as one, as my husband’s and my life is, adding another family member just adds another dynamic dimension to the life/work mix, a dynamic we are extremely excited and happy about welcoming into the world. I'm also currently working on the Cúrate cookbook, so for now that's my big project for 2015!

Nancy Batista-Caswell of Caswell Restaurant Group in Newburyport, MA

Ceia Kitchen + Bar and Brine will wrap this year up with new chefs leading the tribe, so with 2015 just around the corner I am ecstatic to see the food at both restaurants continue to evolve. I have had a busy couple years, but 2015 is looking to be my biggest year yet. My resolution is continue to grow and inspire. I am looking forward to possibly completing my first book geared toward recipes for young entrepreneurs in the hospitality business. Our chefs are participating in several pop-ups in 2015, and I hope to continue our sense of community by collaborating on some philanthropic events.

Eric Francou of Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Brooklyn, NY

2015 looks like it will be a fantastic year. The owners of Radegast Hall & Biergarten and myself are in the process of opening a new venture around spring 2015. I am really excited and will be running both kitchens, so it seems that 2015 is going to be a pretty busy year for me. My New Year’s resolution as a chef is to try and balance my work life with my personal life.

Jason Bond of Bondir Cambridge in Cambridge, MA

We are really excited for Bondir to grow with an eye toward the future in the next year. We will turn 5 years old at the end of 2015, and we are looking for what to do long term. It will be about developing a vision for what we might be able to offer our neighborhoods. After an extremely tumultuous 2014, from opening a second restaurant, we are glad to get settled down again and back to the business of cooking and taking care of people. Our goal for 2015 is simply to focus, keep our heads down and have no distractions from offering our guests an exceptional experience while taking advantage of our garden.

I am setting personal goals for myself to start finally acting like a grown-up, to a certain extent. Goals like getting insurance, exercise, and taking better care of myself in order to be better able to take care of my Bondir family. I’d also really love to set time aside for creative thought and more technical cooking rather than just hours upon hours of less focused work. 

Mike Isabella of G by Mike Isabella in Washington, D.C.

At G by Mike Isabella, we are starting a guest chef competition. It will feature eight local chefs, and each chef would make a signature sandwich. Ultimately two chefs will go head-to-head tournament style each month and compete for their charity of their choice to see who can sell the most sandwiches. The tournament begins in February, and we’ll have a winner in August. For myself as a restaurateur, my New Year’s resolution is to continue to build the Mike Isabella Concepts brand. We have concepts in the Prudential Center in New Jersey, and we’ll open concepts in LAX and Pensacola airports as well.

Jeff Mahin of Stella Barra Pizzeria in Los Angeles, CA

My team and I have actively been thinking of how to portray simplicity on a plate and how to view the "simple" concept in the New Year. We want to take the ego away from cooking and showcase ingredients and food in their natural state as much as possible. Personally, I have been thinking about repositioning how I approach things, thinking about why I choose the ingredients I choose, taking away any unnecessary components. I also want to start adding healthier dishes to my menus without giving off a "health food" vibe. I'm not talking about just throwing quinoa on a plate for the sake of adding a healthy element. It's about preparing a full, square meal for a guest and not have them feel bogged down when leaving the restaurant. We want to make good food that leaves you feeling good.