Q & A With Josh Eden
Chef/owner Josh Eden has fully embraced the nickname given to him when he worked at upscale French eatery, Jojo. After twelve years of diligent service in Jean-Georges' artillery of kitchens, Eden ambitiously launched his first restaurant in SoHo. Though his training may be in fine French cuisine, his menu is packed with inventive spins on comfort food fare. He douses codfish and caramelized onions with a rich, gruyere broth, evoking a "French onion soup" twist. There's also an outstanding roast chicken with garlicky green beans and mashed potatoes.
Status:
Single/Married/Divorced
Single
Fireman
My mother was
phys-ed teacher, and she worked three jobs to support us, so she used to fill
the freezer at home. I used to come home
from school and defrost everything I could find, including pork and lamb chops,
and that is when I started to love to cook.
I was a dishwasher
at the Side Walk cafe on the Lower East Side
when I was 16 years-old.
Do anything for your
customer, no matter what they ask, I'll do it!
What inspired you to
go off on your own and open Shorty’s.32?
I have wanted to
open my own restaurant for years, but restaurants are a lot like girlfriends;
they come around when you least expect it...
People like
accessible food, so I wanted to take a simple idea and clean it up. Classic French training taught me techniques
that I apply in my restaurant every day.
People label my food
as comfort food? I don't care what they
call it; so long as they like it!
Were you ever
reluctant to take on a space with a bad luck stigma attached to it?
Even the Red Sox won a World Series.
Yes.
It's true, we've
opened for lunch and we're doing a shortened menu. We're working on building out a larger menu
and prix fixe in March.
The bass with
pickled beets and quinoa.
The skate.
Bacon lardons. If
they could package them, I'd eat them every day.
Salt, around the corner
from my restaurant and WD-50.
Minimalism.
Yuzu.
I have no other
projects on the burner; my hands are full enough.
Address:
199 Prince St. btwn Sullivan & MacDougal Sts.
Phone: (212)212-375-8275
Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
**Don't forget to subscribe for Restaurant Girl's Weekly Newsletter**
Comments