Interview with Chef Diana Stavaridis of Bld – Los Angeles, CA

Antoinette Bruno: What inspired you to pursue cooking professionally?
Diana Stavaridis: Probably my grandpa. I’m from Boston and grew up with my grandparents cooking a lot. My grandma is British and my grandpa is British-Irish. They were always making pot roasts and Yankee bread pudding.

AB: Did you go to culinary school?
DS: I went to University of Massachusetts for business and started in software, but I would have dinner parties at my house every week. So I moved out here and went to Trade Tech downtown and got my degree and started working with Chef Neal [Fraser].

AB: Do you recommend culinary school to aspiring chefs?
DS: I would recommend it. It’s a good foundation. Personally I feel you learn more on the job, but for basic sanitation and knife skills you get hours of practice.

AB: Who have been your mentors? What did you learn from them?
DS: Neal. I'd say [he taught me] how to work as a team. The first day I came to stage with him he was so relaxed, friendly, and open. He'll share any ideas and teach you anything you want. I staged at other restaurants that were very intense and uncomfortable, but when I went to Grace everyone was happy so I went every day until he hired me. I took a lot of his demeanor, patience and team attitude with me on the line. We're a team top to bottom in my restaurant.

AB: What advice would you give to young chefs just getting started?
DS: Be patient with learning. I'll get really impatient and want to be where Neal is but he’s been cooking for twenty-two years and I've been cooking for eight. I have my whole lifetime to learn. New ideas will come and new doors will open. I want to learn to cook a particular region, all these specific things, and I can be hard on myself. Accept where you are, push yourself with learning new ideas, eating out, and eating in different cities, as long as you keep plugging along.

AB: How are you involved in your local culinary community?
DS: I'm very involved in the local farmers market, I’m friends with them, I order from them weekly. We do a lot of charity work. We're involved with Taste of The Nation and hospitals. We're doing Good Day LA tomorrow for the city promotion of Dine Out LA.

AB: What is your philosophy on food and dining?
DS: When I grew up there was always an open door to come in and eat together. So when someone comes into [the restaurant] I want there to be someone to greet them. I talk to the waiters every day [to encourage] them to convey to the guest that this is how I'm making the pastrami, this is what it gets rubbed with, I want the guests to know. Everything is made in house here and it takes a lot of time and effort to make it. I like the guests to know there’s a lot of love put into something and not just slapped on the plate.

AB: What goes into creating a dish?
DS: I usually start with something left in the walk-in that I have to use. A lot of it comes from particular inspirations. Seasons are really big with me. As soon as it gets hot I'm working with poblanos and all kinds of chilies. Or I eat somewhere and get an idea.

AB: Do you think of texture and acidity?
DS: I like texture. I like to have some kind of crunch. I've been smoking [foods] a lot so I try to balance smoky with spicy and sweet. I smoke tofu, pork chops, and trout. We just put together a smoked tofu bacon dish. I've been doing a lot of vegetarian and vegan stuff here because it sells, maybe 50% [of sales] on a night will be vegetarian and some vegan. I always have at least one vegan option, and things that can be made vegan.

AB: What’s the biggest challenge facing your restaurant?
DS: I would say the ability to maintain a feasible labor budget and do what we do with how many people we have doing it. I have two or three guys who are amazing, if I could just have four or five it would be even more amazing. We put in as much as we can.

AB: What’s the toughest thing you’ve had to do in your career?
DS: I guess get through culinary school, wait tables and cater. Getting started.

AB: What is your proudest accomplishment in your career to date?
DS: To be where I am today. Where I am right now I feel very thankful.

AB: Where will we find you in five years?
DS: You will find me running my own restaurant near a beach.