How A Youngest Sibling Became An AGM Without Losing Her Voice Or Her Joy

A microphone, a full dining room, and a leader who learned the craft the hard way. Adriana Rincon joins us to share how an 18-year-old host from Corona grew into the AGM at Dell anima, navigating wine lineups, door drama, and the pressure of managing with her brother without letting family blur the work. This isn’t a highlight reel it’s real talk about courage, culture, and the moments that teach you to stand tall at the front.

We trace her path through Tabla’s formative hallways, the elevated expectations at Untitled where captains and weekly wine tests pushed her growth, and the deep community at Union Square Café that felt like coming home. Adriana opens up about jumping to the family bakery during the pandemic, then returning to Gotham West Market with a mission: bring white-tablecloth care to a casual counter, make guests forget the chaos, and keep the service honest. Along the way, we unpack leadership lessons why empathy beats bravado, how to protect your team’s confidence, and when a clear no is the kindest answer.

Between stories of entitlement at the door and heartfelt mentorship, you’ll hear how running sharpened her focus, how baking shows up on our brunch menu, and how reading 100 books in a year mirrors the steady work it takes to lead a room. If you care about hospitality culture, restaurant management, NYC dining, or building a team that teaches one another, this conversation will stick. Subscribe, share with a friend who works service, and leave a review with your most unforgettable guest moment we might read it on the next show.

Transcript

Warm Welcome And Guest Intro

SPEAKER_04 0:14

Bueno, bueno, bueno, mi gente. Estamos de vuelta. Uh, I am very excited about this episode. Uh, today we have a very special guest. She is uh huge, huge fan of the podcast, been support, been supporting us since day one. And it is she is on the mic today, gonna chat with us.

SPEAKER_07 0:34

Hello, hello, hello.

SPEAKER_04 0:35

My sister, Adriana Rincone.

SPEAKER_07 0:39

Hey, hey hey y'all.

SPEAKER_03 0:42

Thank you, thank you, Adriana, for joining us tonight. Thank you for having us at this uh with this episode. Uh it's very special because it's gonna be an episode where we are going to uh know a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_04 0:55

Okay, yeah, just have a conversation. Have a conversation. Like we mentioned before, we're bringing on guests, and you are the second guest.

SPEAKER_03 1:02

It was a uh it was a great episode, but I also feel like you know, it it leads us to this. That's right. And I think that this is gonna be another another banger, another hit.

SPEAKER_04 1:13

Yeah, this is gonna be uh a good one. I think I think we're yeah, we're both excited to have you. First and foremost, thank you for supporting the podcast from day one. You've always uh shown a lot of love, which we really appreciate.

SPEAKER_03 1:24

And how's the uh how how's it feel to like be listening to us uh through the journey and now actually being a guest?

SPEAKER_07 1:32

You know what? I'm a little nervous. Yeah, I'm a little nervous because I see what y'all written here, yeah, and it's in in-depth. Um, but I love listening to you guys. I feel like you've found your rhythm. Your millennial episode is still my favorite episode.

SPEAKER_04 1:49

Oh, thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_07 1:50

And the one with Andrew was really, really good. I'm excited. Yeah, awesome.

SPEAKER_03 1:54

I mean, don't let this like paperwork in front of you like get you all nervous. This is just kind of like a guideline. You're right, you're right. So we know we're just trying to be organized, right? That's right. So at least, at least we're trying.

SPEAKER_04 2:04

You know, but we're doing a good job now.

SPEAKER_05 2:05

Yeah, you are awesome.

SPEAKER_04 2:07

Uh, for those of you that don't know, uh, my sister Adriana, she has been working in the hospitality industry for a very long time. Yeah, she is now our AGM here at Delanimo, which uh thank you very much again. No, thank you.

SPEAKER_07 2:20

Thank you. I love it.

SPEAKER_04 2:21

Helping us helping us get through this uh the six-month opening of the new space. Well, thank you very much. Fantastic job.

SPEAKER_07 2:28

Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 2:28

Well, this is my third restaurant that I open.

SPEAKER_07 2:34

Really? Yes. I have two under my my belt.

SPEAKER_04 2:38

Uh-huh. So what were the first two?

SPEAKER_07 2:41

Um, I opened up Untitled at the Whitney Museum. Okay, which will get up. Yes. And I opened up Union Square Cafe in its new location as well.

SPEAKER_04 2:51

Awesome. Which we'll get into that a little bit later in the details.

SPEAKER_03 2:54

What I want to know is, you know, you you told us that you opened three restaurants, right? Now that you're working at the Lanima, you know, you opened Dell, you know, there was a lot of transitions, a lot of things going on. But I want to know how is it working

Working With Family Without Drama

SPEAKER_03 3:10

with your brother? And your brother being like your boss. Right.

SPEAKER_04 3:15

Be honest.

SPEAKER_07 3:16

No, no, yeah. I mean, I think when we come to work, we put the brother and sister to the side. I think we both secretly, naturally do that. We don't we haven't crossed that path where we'll nicker at each other because we're siblings. So we don't even have to say it. And I've worked with him in the past.

SPEAKER_03 3:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 3:36

So it it works, it works well.

SPEAKER_03 3:39

I see that. Yeah. I see your professionalism. And we like even with me.

SPEAKER_07 3:42

Yeah, and we and we take um, if he has something to say, I'll listen to him, vice versa. Yeah. And then we'll find a happy middle.

SPEAKER_04 3:50

So I'm awesome.

SPEAKER_07 3:52

I'll say it without saying.

SPEAKER_03 3:54

But with that being said, like I have a couple of questions that I want to ask you. Like, like, what is like the hardest part of mixing like family and business? Like when it comes to like high pressure. Yeah. Because the lanema is all about you know, we gotta keep on moving.

SPEAKER_07 4:06

I've worked with my family since I was 13.

SPEAKER_03 4:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 4:09

I started with my oldest brother.

SPEAKER_03 4:11

Oh, yeah, really.

SPEAKER_07 4:12

Um, and then I worked with my sister. So I've always worked with them. So I think that has helped me a lot. And how we manage things and how we talk to one another, the professionalism of it all.

SPEAKER_04 4:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 4:24

And obviously having some fun in the way, but that that's a big one.

SPEAKER_04 4:28

Yeah, I agree. Um, um, I remember when she started, we was working with my sister, and then I think I saw her work more with my brother uh when he was when he opened up a bakery. Big shout out to your brother. Yes, doing big things also. Um shout out to Primo's Bakery. Yes, Primo's White Stone.

SPEAKER_03 4:44

In Whitestone, yeah. They um if you guys haven't tried their bread, please do.

SPEAKER_07 4:49

Rosca season's coming soon. Roska. Check out all Food Bazaars.

SPEAKER_03 4:53

As a matter of fact, I don't know his information, guys, but be like later today. I mean later.

SPEAKER_04 4:58

We'll tag them. That's right. Uh they're all over Food Bazaar. So and much more. Yeah. Uh but yeah, I saw I saw her working with with him. And uh a little bit after she you paused on from the hospitality industry for a bit and to help my brother open up the bakery. Uh so and she's always worked well with with us. She's never been like combative or she's never uh um said anything like you know, she she she's a she's she's just good very good to work with. She's very easy to work with, and yeah, she takes directions well, and we help each other. Okay. Um and she helped my brother, my sister all um throughout the years, uh, you know. Uh and we learn from each other, honestly. Like if there's something that I don't know, I'll go to her, and or she'll go to my brother, my other sister, et cetera, et cetera.

SPEAKER_03 5:48

So you guys kind of you know, you guys help each other out, yeah you know, and and I see that you know, you got a good commodity going on. Um, and I see the professionalism to both of you. So, you know, kudos to that. Um, did you guys ever imagine working together in the hospitality? I mean, you did that before I know like if we're going back, yeah, we did that a long time ago. Three of us. But now, as like you know, being the uh managers and having a big responsibility.

SPEAKER_04 6:13

That's true. We did work together.

SPEAKER_02 6:17

Yep.

SPEAKER_07 6:18

No, I did not see myself working here. Okay. I thought I was gonna end up where I was previously.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 6:27

So I saw my future there somehow somehow, whether it be management or you know, maybe being a Psalm somewhere, but I did not think I would work here.

SPEAKER_03 6:39

Did you did you really well the question is when I'm pretty sure Nanny came up to you and said, hey, you know he did. Uh we wanna like you know, wanna have you jump on board. Um, were you at first hesitant to do it? Or it was more like you. I was hesitant. Really? Why?

SPEAKER_07 7:00

Because it was one, I didn't want to be like a failure, especially to my brother, you know. So that was a big risk that I was gonna take on. And he almost put it out there, like, you're not gonna do it. You're not gonna be a failure, you're just gonna do it.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 7:16

So he pretty much just gave it to me without he wasn't gonna take no for an answer.

SPEAKER_04 7:20

Yeah. And you know, yeah, exactly. And we get that. I think I feel like we get that from my mom. Um because when I got promoted at Tabla, I knew like right from the job, I'm like, damn, I'm like, I'm I'm just gonna do it. Yeah, amazing, amazing.

SPEAKER_03 7:34

Yeah, I I see that, you know, while you're working, you know, when we are busy, when we put that when Delanimus, you know, is at his uh prime. Yeah, you guys work really well together. It's like you sync at the same time. You like you really know each other's like pros and cons.

SPEAKER_07 7:51

And there's always good pressure. Of course. There's always good pressure. Yeah, yeah. You have to grow. And it it was time. I knew it was time. I had been known it was time. It was just like, okay, now that gentle push, you need to exactly you need to do it.

SPEAKER_03 8:06

Yeah. Has has your brother ever been like really pushy? Not pushy, but like really encouraging you to be better at a young age, or was something where it's just like came naturally?

SPEAKER_07 8:16

That's a good question. Yes. All of my siblings. Um, I think it comes with being me being the youngest, and I think they always saw me, they wanted the best for me, whether it be school, life, anything, they they wanted that in me. So I think yes, they've always wanted the best for me.

SPEAKER_04 8:40

Yeah. We've always we I mean, again, we've always pushed each other to the as best as possible, you know, and to kind of guide each other on especially her. Because she was she's the baby of the family. So we always like, you know, she's the smartest of the family. Um and we always kind of try to guide her as best as possible. Uh and I'm I honestly I'm really grateful that she uh jumped into the hospitality world because we kind of jumped into it at the same time.

Early Days At Tabla

SPEAKER_04 9:10

I was probably ahead a little bit You are maybe like a year or so, and then she turned she turned 18, which leads us to the next topic. Well, let's talk about that.

SPEAKER_03 9:17

Yeah, you know, let's talk about your early uh your early days in in the in the hospitality. Is it something that you wanted to do? It was more like, hey, you know what? I just want to get here, get some quick money.

SPEAKER_07 9:27

Same thing. The way he threw Delanima at me is the same way he threw this host position. So I started at Tabla when I was 18. I was working as a cashier at a supermarket. And I liked it. It was, I was making some money, I was graduating high school, and Danny was like, hey, there's this position. Do you wanna, do you want it? And what do you mean, do I want it? They're not just gonna give it to me. But I think we pyre within because it's it's better that way, you know, it's more trustworthy that way, and they're more reliable that way. So I was like, I guess, okay.

SPEAKER_04 10:05

Yeah, I you know, I remember asking uh the GM at the time, I think it was Terry, no? Or was it Terry? Yeah, it was Terry. It was Terry, but Kevin Richer was the one that was the one that will interviewed me. Yeah. Okay, and and I had a good connection with him. Yeah. Um, like, you know, I I was good at my job, not to pump my own tires, but and I told him, hey, my sister might be looking for a job, and and he's like, Yeah, bring her in.

unknown 10:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:32

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you had a great uh credibility. So, you know, they trust you.

SPEAKER_04 10:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:37

So when you came to Tabla, is it what you expected, or it was something where you had to like uh kind of learn to love the industry, or it was just like you grasp it right away and you're like, yeah, this is a good idea.

SPEAKER_07 10:48

It was definitely learn to love.

SPEAKER_03 10:50

Learn to love?

SPEAKER_07 10:51

It was so intimidating. Yes, I think is the amount of I was in um I'm from Corona. You see your kind, your people, your Latino people. And I came to this restaurant with just, you know, higher educated people. I wasn't even at their level or age, you know, I was intimidated. I didn't know how that was my first interview. I'd never been interviewed, I'd just been given a a job. So it was I was overwhelmed. Yes, very you know what?

SPEAKER_04 11:24

But at the time, uh, I feel like Tabla was really good with like easy bringing you in, right? Bringing people in. Like it was super easy. It was uh it was intimidating, yeah. But they also they knew how to like they did um guide you.

SPEAKER_07 11:39

Yes, and it's taught me throughout life, and I will forever hold that to my heart how to manage those things.

SPEAKER_04 11:46

Yeah, I feel like us three should have a full-on like Tablo episode.

SPEAKER_07 11:50

Oh, yeah, absolutely like the way we had our reunion in the summer.

SPEAKER_04 11:54

Yeah, yeah, that was crazy. Crazy because it's I mean, I think I speak and I think I speak in behalf of all three of us that Tablo definitely has a an impact, a special place in our hearts. Um, from chef um rest in peace and all of management that were there, plus the plus the team.

SPEAKER_07 12:10

I can still talk about it to this day, and it's a memory, it's a core memory that I will never ever forget. Yeah, it lives in my heart. I remember their names and I remember their faces.

SPEAKER_03 12:21

Yeah, yes. Well, what was your um first position like in Tabla? I was a host. You were a host? I was a host.

SPEAKER_07 12:27

Oh, and reservationists.

SPEAKER_03 12:28

And reservationists and how how is that? Because I you know why I asked this question? Because I'm really intimidated in that front door.

SPEAKER_05 12:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:36

Out of all the positions that I work in this industry, the Matre D is like, for me, it's like scary. So how how did you deal with that? Like how, how, how was the pressure? Is it something that you were just kind of like overwhelmed at first, or is it something where you just kind of say, you know, I got this, I'm gonna go through it? Or you know, step by step, did you learn how to do it quickly, or is it something that you had to kind of process it and I think go from there?

SPEAKER_07 12:59

I mean, my mother always told me Ponte Las Pilas. Yeah, and like for real. I learned quick. I had to learn quick and think on my feet. People are gonna come at you, and they're not gonna be the nicest, and you just have to be ready. And I've worked in, you know, in a in a supermarket. So what is that called? I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_04 13:18

Uh cashier.

SPEAKER_07 13:19

Yeah, but um where you customer service. That's right, customer service. Yeah. I think that was a huge help, and it helped me to navigate how to deal with people, you know, especially in a high volume of a place. Um and you're talking to people every day. So people are throwing you questions left and right, and you just have to think on think quickly on your feet. And the ladies that were there, they were super helpful on how they to manage things.

SPEAKER_04 13:48

Um what from the like the hospitality side of things uh and and versus like your actual life, like reality. Do you think do you think are those two separate things?

SPEAKER_07 14:01

Sometimes I can't turn it off.

SPEAKER_04 14:03

Yeah. You can or you can't?

SPEAKER_07 14:04

I can't turn it off. Um, I'll be at home and I'll see um because I I believe I do have my server voice is on. Yeah. 90% of my career.

SPEAKER_04 14:17

Yeah. Well, you're just a a chatty person here with the chat. So it's it's in your G.

SPEAKER_07 14:22

Yes, and I've always been that way, but it's it's always on. I'm always on. Um so if that answers your question.

SPEAKER_04 14:30

Um, and then you you just mentioned career. Uh at what moment did you realize that this thing like this industry was your uh gonna be your career?

SPEAKER_07 14:38

I think at my last restaurant job, I I was asked to be a manager and I declined because I just I saw a different path for me. I I like I liked working there and I liked the people, but I didn't want to do it there because I think my time there as far as a whole company had run its course for me.

SPEAKER_03 15:01

Oh, I see, I see what you're saying. Um so you never really didn't want to leave the industry.

SPEAKER_07 15:05

You were just like, No, yeah, I did it, I left for a short time, but I I found my way back. And it was again, I worked with Kevin again when we were at the old location of the Whitney Museum. And Danny, he had reached out to Danny to see if my sister or his sister needed a host position, and I said yes, and I left uh like the doctor's office to come back.

SPEAKER_04 15:32

Oh, that's right. You worked at a doctor's uh position office, right?

SPEAKER_07 15:35

That's right, yeah. So somehow, somehow, it was like dragging me back in or pulling me back in. And here I am.

SPEAKER_04 15:42

Yeah. Um, do you think uh people don't want to be managers because of like the hours, the pay cut, all that?

SPEAKER_07 15:52

I I it's I do.

SPEAKER_04 15:54

Yeah, because I know a lot of a lot of people that that turn positions down, yeah. That position so many times.

SPEAKER_07 16:01

Um I think on my last job this one person left because he saw the tip pool.

SPEAKER_03 16:06

Really?

SPEAKER_07 16:07

And never.

SPEAKER_03 16:08

I mean, honestly, it's a it's a big sacrifice. It is.

SPEAKER_04 16:12

Um, but I think that uh I I think though you just gotta mentally prepare yourself. I do. Because if you let if you let the tip pool like drain you, yeah, it's just gonna drain you. And it's gonna do its job and it's gonna you're gonna think about it. Damn, do I really want to do this? Do I not really want to do this?

SPEAKER_03 16:26

Well, what's your thought on that? Like, what's your thought on like mentally about it? I think you want switching from an employee tip pool to a manager.

SPEAKER_07 16:35

I think you have to want this position and this this job and this career. And because that the money's gonna faze you. It's gonna, you know.

SPEAKER_04 16:46

Do you like telling people what to do?

SPEAKER_07 16:51

I think I've managed how to tell people what to do.

SPEAKER_04 16:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 16:55

I think you learn how to say it with you know some swag. Yeah. So they do it.

SPEAKER_04 17:00

Yeah. Well, yeah, I mean, yeah. Like you, I I mean, Will was the AGM at a at a r at his previous location. Now you're the AGM at here at Delanimo. Um yeah, you gotta you have to say it with some kind of swag. That's a big, it's a big title, it's a big position, it's a big role, a lot of responsibilities.

SPEAKER_07 17:19

Yeah,

Learning The Door And Finding Confidence

SPEAKER_07 17:20

if you don't do it, um, you know, I've seen other managers being stepped on.

SPEAKER_03 17:24

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 17:24

Or, you know, being taken advantage of.

SPEAKER_03 17:27

And I believe I also believe it's a bigger pressure for you as like a female in this industry. It is. Yeah, you know, because you know, this industry has been male dominant for so many, so long. So to have a female and being in that high higher title, yeah. Um, it's a lot of pressure. So kudos to you and then too. No, thank you. Definitely, definitely.

SPEAKER_04 17:46

Um go ahead. So you moved on to to untitled the museum, obviously. And then you also worked at the untitled, the other one that they opened down on the city.

SPEAKER_07 17:55

Yeah, closer to where Delana used to be. The original.

SPEAKER_04 17:58

How were those experiences like? And obviously, one is a museum. I no, they were both museums.

SPEAKER_07 18:02

They were both museums uh very different. The first, the original untitled was more diner food. So when I we had to interview for our positions again, me not knowing that that that was gonna change. Yeah. So it was more of an uh an elevated cuisine. So that was it was like I felt like Tabla all over again. Like it was I was intimidated because you have your captains as and not servers. Wait, this is the second one? The second one. Oh, okay, okay, okay. So I applied for a server position, not knowing that there were gonna be captains involved. Oh I didn't know what captain ones were. I was also still young, I was 22.

SPEAKER_03 18:42

Yeah. So what the audience, what's the difference between a captain and a server at at and title on that place?

SPEAKER_07 18:49

I someone who knows like a lot about wine. Yeah, right. You know, who can drive the table. Right. And a servers for them was a server assistant or a bus boy.

SPEAKER_04 19:00

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_07 19:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:01

We didn't we didn't have that at Tabla. Nah, there's Tabla's we had the first the server, bread bar server downstairs, and then we had the main dining room servers, which was like the top tier.

SPEAKER_07 19:10

I mean, they were going for something, is what like a star.

SPEAKER_04 19:15

Something, yeah. Or just a good review. Right, a good review.

SPEAKER_07 19:18

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:19

Awesome. Well, it was um that place didn't do well, did it?

SPEAKER_07 19:23

It didn't last, no. It didn't last, yeah. Yeah. It was it was more, it was very touristy, and the food was while it was good. Yeah, like very good. Yeah, it was just not for the people that were visiting us.

SPEAKER_04 19:36

And chef uh Rami oh Michael Anthony was.

SPEAKER_07 19:41

He was uh the chef. And then his chef de cuisine took over. So it was I I'm not sure how long it lasted. I left it before it closed. I knew I had to go.

SPEAKER_04 19:52

It was it did you see it f like slowly kind of going down, or is that what led you to leave?

SPEAKER_07 19:59

Well, I I worked at Union Square Cafe in the interim when Untitled closed. So when I was at Union Square Cafe, that felt like tabla.

SPEAKER_04 20:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 20:09

And that feeling was wow. That's such a good feeling. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 20:14

I hope we bring that to our to our team. I hope so too. Because I think uh I think we we you do. We we want everybody to come to work and have a good time. Yeah, you know, make money.

SPEAKER_07 20:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 20:24

We make money, everybody makes money.

SPEAKER_07 20:25

And and do it again tomorrow. Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 20:28

Be happy.

SPEAKER_07 20:28

Don't be uh so but I what I will say about Untitled, um, I work with great people. Yeah, people that really wanted to be there and wanted to see that place succeed. And I learned a lot there.

SPEAKER_04 20:39

That place actually had a nice like layout too. It was really nice layout.

SPEAKER_07 20:44

The colors were beautiful, the cement floors, red, right? It was like red colors. It was red, the theme. Yeah. Um, open kitchen. It was my first open kitchen that I I've worked at.

SPEAKER_00 20:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 20:55

And it had good bones and good people. I mean, I work with two James Beard Award winners there, which is fantastic. So shout out to them. I'm not gonna say their names, but shout out to them. You know who you are. Um, so I learned a lot there. I that's where I really started to learn about wine.

SPEAKER_04 21:12

Got it. Yeah. Were you getting where they put more pressure on you to learn?

SPEAKER_07 21:16

Pressure was on. It was on, and I had to, I had to do it. I had to learn it. They were testing you, testing, and it was not a test, you know, like every month. No, it was like every week. Almost like every week.

SPEAKER_03 21:29

Santo.

SPEAKER_07 21:29

Yeah. And they put you on the spot like the spot on the floor during lineup.

SPEAKER_03 21:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 21:33

Yeah. I had to, you know, and I did uh go through my embarrassing moments. Of course. Yeah, I think we all have. We all have. Yeah, but you know what? It it taught me to, okay, you gotta keep studying. You gotta keep studying because you know wine never stops, it's evolved. Exactly. So it's yeah, it was great learning experience.

SPEAKER_03 21:54

With that being said, with wine, right? That kind of prepared you to what's next, right? Which is like Union Square Cafe.

SPEAKER_07 22:01

Right. It did.

SPEAKER_03 22:02

And I and you know, you said it earlier, it was like a whole different experience, you know, same as Tabla.

SPEAKER_07 22:06

Yeah. So I wanted to open Union Square Cafe on 19th Street. And I wanted to I wanted to leave Untitled because I I was there for I want to say two years. So I was I was there for a w a while. I felt like I had learned what I had to learn, but now I had to do it elsewhere because I didn't see myself there anymore.

SPEAKER_04 22:30

At Untitled. Yes.

SPEAKER_07 22:32

And I had become a captain at the end of it, but it wasn't for me.

SPEAKER_00 22:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 22:37

And I moved to Union Square Cafe, and it was like love at first sight. I was there for four years and I loved it. Unfortunately, I left because the pandemic happened. But the people that I met there were, I mean, some of them are like Brenda, shout out to Brenda, became my best friend. Like you meet your people there, your your um the kitchen became your family. Um, you learn more about wine, and I started learning more about Italian wine and Italian cuisine, which helped, you know, now. So it was definitely an experience that I will treasure.

SPEAKER_03 23:13

Wow. Yeah. That was like that was like an amazing culture there.

SPEAKER_07 23:16

It was, and the whole opening, you know, I had opened untitled. I'm like, I knew what kind of pressure was expected of me. The hours were gonna be crazy. You were not gonna get to see your family, but it was definitely worth it.

SPEAKER_04 23:29

You're saying your friend Brenda, she's now uh Assam, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 23:34

She is Assam in Texas in Houston at uh, I don't know the name of the hotel, but yeah, she's certified.

SPEAKER_03 23:41

Yeah, she's the real deal.

SPEAKER_07 23:43

She is, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:45

She could smell it and knows what great thing that way.

SPEAKER_07 23:48

We yeah, we would go out to um restaurants and she'll be the person to select our wine from.

SPEAKER_04 23:54

She's got to come by whenever she's in the world. She did. She came here?

SPEAKER_07 23:57

She did. By law. She came, yes. Nice. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:00

She liked it?

SPEAKER_07 24:01

She did.

SPEAKER_04 24:01

She liked the wine list.

SPEAKER_07 24:02

She did.

SPEAKER_04 24:03

Oh, very good.

SPEAKER_07 24:04

She said it was better than where she had been before. I won't say where.

SPEAKER_04 24:09

Oh, shots fired. Shots fire.

SPEAKER_07 24:12

Uh but she's also a culinary person. She went to a culinary school. She did? Yeah, she's well trained.

SPEAKER_04 24:18

Paisana, no?

SPEAKER_07 24:19

Yeah, she's paisana.

SPEAKER_03 24:21

Oh, very nice.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

Think of that.

SPEAKER_03 24:22

Think on that way. Jesus Christ. Different. Different. We're savages.

SPEAKER_07 24:29

No, not the savage.

SPEAKER_04 24:32

Um, so that culture was better. It was. It was more like Tableau, like you said. Management was the same. Uh like top, well,

Untitled’s Evolution And Wine Pressure

SPEAKER_04 24:40

you know, management was management. Yeah. And you learned a lot more.

SPEAKER_07 24:42

I did.

SPEAKER_04 24:43

Which was obviously it was the same thing.

SPEAKER_07 24:45

It would I felt more at ease though, because I already knew my my thing or two. So when you got called up, no, pues esto ya sabe. And I and I did. And I was very proud of myself because I'm telling you, when I didn't know, I didn't know.

SPEAKER_04 25:00

Yeah. And did they they called you out if you did? Yeah, they did, right?

SPEAKER_07 25:03

They call you out. I mean, if you don't know your stuff, I mean we've we've both worked in that field where they'll let you know. They'll they'll let you know and they'll send you home.

SPEAKER_04 25:13

Did they really? Like if you didn't know like a dish or something?

SPEAKER_07 25:16

Yeah, not a dish. It would have to be a lot that you wouldn't know. But they'll send you home.

SPEAKER_04 25:20

Damn. Damn. We should start doing that. Yeah. Sending people home. Um cool. So Union Square was a good experience. It was. Uh, and then you took a pause.

SPEAKER_07 25:31

I did.

SPEAKER_04 25:31

Obviously, uh the world stopped with the pandemic, unfortunately. Um, which led you to the bakery, right after that?

SPEAKER_07 25:40

Yeah. I was counting their dollars.

SPEAKER_04 25:42

You were doing like their CPA essentially.

SPEAKER_07 25:44

Right.

SPEAKER_04 25:45

Um, counting the money.

SPEAKER_03 25:46

Counting the money. Yeah. Like an accountant.

SPEAKER_07 25:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:49

Really?

SPEAKER_07 25:50

Yeah. And and I thought I was gonna I was like, let me do this for a little while. I went back to school for it for a little while to see if that's what that was gonna be the next step.

SPEAKER_02 25:59

The next step, okay. But did you miss it?

SPEAKER_07 26:03

I I did miss it.

SPEAKER_02 26:04

Right.

SPEAKER_07 26:04

It was more of like the interaction, the way what me and you are having right now. I can stay at a table and you know, chat them up and forget that they, you know, not to toot my own horn, but for make them forget that their dish was not salty. Right. Or unsalted, whatever. Or their wine was crap or whatever. Yeah. You know, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 26:24

Um that's great. Uh after that, obviously, like I said earlier, you helped uh our brother open up the bakery, you helped him out with all the finances. Then after that, you you it led you to um to Gotham Westmarket, where we were for uh six years. Yeah. And you were there with us for three years.

SPEAKER_05 26:43

I think it was two. Two years? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 26:45

Okay, two years, including like the closing. The closing, yes, yes. Yeah. How was that experience?

SPEAKER_07 26:50

It was completely different. I thought, well, I went in there knowing that what I know with the style of what I used to. So I brought that in.

SPEAKER_02 27:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 27:01

You know, and I had to remind myself that less was more, and that was enough. So every now and then I will drop, you know, just take it down, take it back of just the service quality that you're you're giving. But I like that I brought that to the establishment. Yeah, because people appreciate it. So that was exciting.

SPEAKER_04 27:24

So at the market, well, we uh we always preached that, you know, yeah, we don't we're not a brick and mortar, but you know, and yes, there's uh there's other vendors around the market, but we once you're sitting you're sitting down at the counter, because that we had an open kitchen, you forget about the back. You forget about um what's behind you, like a bunch of it's a very touristy area. Uh and then you you'll have people like Adriana who will come and do uh, you know, same side of service, just in a different just in a food hall. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:54

Just you just bringing that what you already have.

SPEAKER_07 27:56

Yeah, I had to definitely make it my own. And really making it where we were, and not everybody wants that too. When it was that's totally okay. So, but it it was a breath of fresh air to be back.

SPEAKER_03 28:11

What was the everyday struggles uh within you within yourself when coming into Gotham? Like with all that experience that you had from Union Square and then title, you know what, and then bringing it to Gotham, like what was the uh struggle there?

SPEAKER_07 28:23

I never thought less of myself. I never thought like this is where I'm at. No, I never saw it like that. I was like, this is so cool, this is chill, this is for me. I I love it here. It was like and it goes back to the happy middle. You just have to find your middle ground, your ten toes down, and just do it and make other people laugh, make other people enjoy where they're at, and make people forget that they're even at a food hall. So I no, it there it was, I loved it there. There was no struggles of you know, what do I like more? No, I never saw it like that.

SPEAKER_03 29:06

So my other question would be within the Gotham market, when did you realize, like, hey, I could lead a team? You know, I could be a leader, I could be a manager, I could, you know, perhaps take it to the next step. Like, what was that? Like, when did that happen? Like, how did that manifest it?

SPEAKER_07 29:28

I don't I didn't think it was gonna happen, honestly. If I'm gonna if I'm gonna be honest, I didn't think it was gonna happen. I thought I was gonna come here. Probably managed, yes, but I also thought I'll be okay if I serve too, because it goes back to the fear, and I didn't want to mess up too. I think that's I mean, I still don't want to mess up. So I I don't think I ever wanted that. It just came to me and it felt gracefully. I think that's how I see it. Like lo que diga Dios is how it's been working out for me.

SPEAKER_03 30:04

You weren't even though you were you were scared, but you was like, fuck it, we're gonna do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 30:08

Obviously, uh we closed the market and now you're in a um the AGM role with and you're a leader now. Um obviously you're helping our our our team gro uh develop our team to be the best they can. Um does that ever like uh put pressure on you to be like, okay, I have to be twice as better as in the managed as a manager position than I was as a server. Or do you kind of see it? How do you see that?

SPEAKER_07 30:38

That's a good question. I think it was all it was in me to to lead a team. I know that sounds a little cocky.

SPEAKER_04 30:47

No, I mean at all.

SPEAKER_07 30:48

Not at all. But I think it be I'm also a mom. Hi, Alison. Um and I'm not saying these are children, but I've learned to balance my personal life and work life. So I think that that has taught me how to manage a team. You know, and I I I love to teach. I love showing the ropes of things and why things are this way. And we learn together. I every day someone at work here is teaching me a thing or two that I didn't know, and it just makes the whole restaurant just work better.

SPEAKER_04 31:29

Yeah, it makes everybody's life more easy.

SPEAKER_07 31:31

Right, right. So just managing work, personal, and even like my my my everyday life, I think that has helped.

SPEAKER_04 31:40

Your uh it leads me to my next question. Uh Delanima obviously touches a lot of lives, just like how Tabla touched our lives. Uh Delanima, uh you know, we still keep in contact with all of our previous servers at before we moved here. Do you do you feel like Delanima is like like your home now? Like you're like this, like you're part of the family.

SPEAKER_07 32:05

Yes, it is my home. Yeah. Yeah. It's yeah, I

Union Square Café Culture And Growth

SPEAKER_07 32:10

I could sleep here. I I kid around, but I could sleep here and like okay, I don't know, do a cloping.

SPEAKER_04 32:17

You see? Yeah. We might have to sleep here on New Year's.

SPEAKER_07 32:19

New Year's year.

SPEAKER_03 32:21

Yeah, we wear that name with pride. That's right, yeah. And I think that um you you earned your stripes uh within the uh restaurant. Um and then having this role as an AGM here, like, and obviously uh a big name, a big prestige name in the West Village, you know, arguably one of the top three best restaurants here. It is, it is though.

SPEAKER_07 32:44

I used to be I used to, and Danny can concur to this, but when the original location, I would be there maybe every other Saturday. So you see? So go from dining or a diner to then work. I didn't see that coming though. I didn't see that flow of what do you mean? I didn't see myself like from working with us, or like I didn't or I didn't see it going in my path.

SPEAKER_04 33:12

Yeah. Ashley, I didn't even I didn't see that either. Yeah. I never thought that you.

SPEAKER_07 33:16

I just remember asking when I was done with the bakery life, I just remember asking, Danny, let me get a shift or two. And that's how that's how it happened.

SPEAKER_04 33:26

I thought you were kidding, Ashley, at one point. I was like, I wonder if she's playing. I know. Um I'm like, okay, and I just threw you on the schedule. Yeah. Um what's something that a uh a guest has told you that you've you've you've never you'll never forget?

SPEAKER_07 33:41

I I have this one. It was during restaurant week. Santo restaurant week.

SPEAKER_04 33:48

Restaurant week. Will's favorite.

SPEAKER_07 33:50

It's we had a sorbet.

SPEAKER_00 33:53

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_07 33:55

And she, you know, we we said it verbally.

SPEAKER_00 33:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 34:00

And I t tell her the what we had, and I mentioned pina uh uh piña colada. Delicious she tells me say it in English. What I proceed to tell her piña colada.

SPEAKER_04 34:17

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_07 34:18

I don't know how you want me to say it, but that's what it's called.

SPEAKER_04 34:21

Why did she tell you that? Was it a Karen?

SPEAKER_07 34:25

It might have been a Karen.

SPEAKER_04 34:26

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_07 34:27

Yeah. That's what she told me.

SPEAKER_04 34:28

Sounds like a Karen.

SPEAKER_07 34:30

That's what I will never ever forget that.

SPEAKER_02 34:33

That's crazy. That's crazy, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:34

You will? You have you have anything that I guess will never that you'll never forget?

SPEAKER_03 34:39

A guess? Yeah. Uh I can't tell you on the microphone just to say it.

SPEAKER_04 34:44

It's it's after dark.

SPEAKER_03 34:45

It's after dark, but nah, I I I'll P the Fifth on this one. Has your brother ever gave you some piece of advice that you took to heart within the hit within the industry that you say, hey, this makes sense?

SPEAKER_07 35:00

Not well not where it will affect me or my feelings. Okay. I think um he'll I'll definitely tell him what I think because he eats the ass of me. And then we'll sleep on it, because I feel like that helps, you know, to to think about it and see how we're gonna move forward. Or or and then we'll reassess.

SPEAKER_04 35:25

Yeah, or sometimes here when we're busy at the restaurant and and we need something to be done, yeah. We're like, it's your turn, you're up. Like you gotta go deal with it. It's kind of like that.

SPEAKER_07 35:37

That's a good one because we do do that.

SPEAKER_04 35:38

Yeah, we we like when we have to you know ask people to kindly leave because we need that table back. Yeah, I'm like, the toca, no? Yeah. It's funny because me and Will were managers at the original. Right. And I was at the I remember this, I was at the bar, that little corner, and I had something was happening at the door, and we were both at the little corner of the service station, and I looked at him and I and I told him, You're up, my friend. You gotta go and try to assess the situation.

SPEAKER_07 36:13

Santo.

SPEAKER_04 36:15

And he couldn't do it. Uh that per that that guest was furious, and I don't I can't remember exactly what we what she wanted.

SPEAKER_07 36:22

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 36:23

So I had to, I had no choice but to jump in. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 36:26

Um, but I hope we never have to go through that.

SPEAKER_04 36:30

No, but yeah, well, yes. Well, I hope we we never do. But you know, Will, like Will is really, he's you know, he's a people person. He's good with people, he he's really good at his job. But this woman was just fucking pissed. Yeah, I'll never forget that because I he's got it. Yeah, you know, drink a little whiskey, turn around, and he's like, then she's yelling at him. I'm like, oh hell no.

SPEAKER_05 36:53

Wow. What does she want?

SPEAKER_04 36:56

Uh I think I had to do something with the chef's counter.

SPEAKER_03 36:58

It's an entitlement. Yeah, it's all about entitlement. It was a Karen. Yeah, sure. It's a Karen for sure. I learned a big lesson that day, though. Um you know, I'm a people's person. Um true story. I I was at my early years in my manager career. So when I was in Delanima, it was like maybe my third year as a manager. So I was I was still like learning.

SPEAKER_05 37:18

Right.

SPEAKER_03 37:19

Um, so it was more like, hey, how can I deal with this? And I was really leaning on your brother to kind of guide me in there. Um, so yeah, he took over and he was really like on point, aggressive. Not aggressive, but like for professionally, like, okay, cut this out. You gotta do that. The answer is no. The answer is no, you have to go. Right. I learned a big lesson that day, you know, is you know, this there's uh there's a way to handle things. Right. But when it's when you cross that line, um don't be afraid to cut a cut them.

SPEAKER_05 37:54

Right.

SPEAKER_03 37:54

Um, and that's that's what I learned. And I realized, and make the righteous decision. Yeah. When you make it, make it. That's it.

SPEAKER_04 38:03

And that that's happened to me before too at Tabla. When I was a manager at Tabla, one of our servers, a female, uh, they didn't respect her decision. And she goes to me, he's like, Dan, I I just think they need to go, they need to see somebody in a suit. You mind going over there and talking to the table? Yeah. That happened.

SPEAKER_00 38:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 38:23

Yeah. And I was like, what do you mean? Like, yeah, I think they they don't trust my, and I think it was a wine. She was picking a wine for them, and they didn't uh they didn't trust her. Yeah. Like, I think they just need to see somebody in a suit to to make that decision. And I went over there and I obviously we we talked about what was the issue, and she's like, I picked this wine, I recommended this wine, they they don't want it. Yeah. Um, I'm like, I'm gonna give them the same thing. Because I tr I trust you.

SPEAKER_05 38:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 38:48

Um, but they were they were nice, they were actually really nice about the thing, and I stuck with my team, and I'm like, she's absolutely right. This wine is delicious, blah blah. And they got it, and they'd ordered it.

SPEAKER_05 39:00

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 39:01

You know, it's it's but she wasn't afraid to like, you know what, let me go get Danny or somebody in that in a higher position.

SPEAKER_07 39:08

I will say back to your question, what he's taught me, is sometimes I feel bad for certain scenarios or certain things. And he's never been like, no, don't feel bad, don't or leave that to the side, put your feelings to the side. No, he he has said, you can feel bad. That's okay. At the end of the day, yes, a job has to get done, but you don't have to put those feelings aside.

SPEAKER_04 39:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 39:31

And I think that has helped me a lot.

unknown 39:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 39:34

Because I feel for the guests that come here, for my team that works here, and he's never said, push that to the side.

SPEAKER_02 39:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 39:42

If anything, he makes you work with it.

SPEAKER_02 39:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 39:47

So that that's I never saw it like that. Let's figure it out.

SPEAKER_04 39:51

Let's figure it out. We can do. Exactly. Um So you're m you're obviously the boss here. Uh and you but on outside of work, you're uh you're a parent. Yes. You're um your mom. She's a boss also. You're you're uh you're a wife

Pandemic Pivot To The Family Bakery

SPEAKER_04 40:10

and you're a sister. Yes. Uh how do you fucking balance that shit? I don't know.

SPEAKER_07 40:17

I ask myself every day.

SPEAKER_04 40:19

Yeah. Because obviously we spend a lot of time here. Yeah. Like in like 12 hours plus. Yeah. Um, and there's days where, you know, that's when I feel bad on it. Damn, am I like giving her too many days, or am I giving her too many hours? I'm like, yeah, she probably wants to spend time with her daughter or her husband.

SPEAKER_05 40:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 40:36

How do you go about that? Trying to figure out where to fit in the time to spend time with your family.

SPEAKER_07 40:42

Well, I'm an early bird, so I think that helps it all. And your support system, whoever has your back, you know. So my husband.

SPEAKER_04 40:52

Shout out to Juan. Hi, honey. What up, my boy?

SPEAKER_07 40:55

Um, even my my daughter, you know, she they both knew that this position was it was time. Yeah, it was in due time and it happened. So letting them see me succeed has helped my lifestyle.

SPEAKER_00 41:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 41:14

So I appreciate that of that from them because I would never take that for granted. Because, you know, if you are a manager, you're in the restaurant for umpteen hours of the day. So that that has helped me balance and being, you know, a person who wakes up at 6 a.m. to get the things going. And by the grace of God, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 41:37

I I don't know how you do it.

SPEAKER_07 41:39

Yeah, I don't know how sometimes I do it.

SPEAKER_04 41:41

You know, sometimes I come and I come, I try to keep a lot of my stuff at home. Like anything that helps, like anything that I'm that's bothering me, or I just I try not to like bring it to the to the restaurant. And vice versa. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. But sometimes I come and she's always like like so jumpy and like, ooh, here we go. Let's let's get this, let's get service going. I'm like, hey, Jenna, I need a minute. Um, but that's good though. That's great because you need people like that to kind of she snapped me out of it. Now, now I'm on my on my I'm I'm on my go mode now, so I'm in a better mood. Or not that I, you know, there's shit that happens outside of work.

SPEAKER_07 42:17

No, and it happens to me too. I'm not saying like, oh my god, I'm always bubbly. Yeah. Because I'm not, you know, I can't. I even sometimes will ask him, Am I like being extra with it with my happy papiness?

SPEAKER_00 42:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 42:31

So no, I always try to be positive about life, about coming to work. You know, especially my oldest brother. He I'm not saying

Gotham West Market And Adapting Service

SPEAKER_07 42:40

Danny or my sister do, but I've never heard him complain about work, being, or even my mom, she never complained about anything or being tired. I'm not saying that I want to be like that. Of course you could be tired. I'm not neglecting that, but I just want to, you know, be present is what I want to be about. Yeah. Being present.

SPEAKER_03 43:04

And you definitely are present here in Dell. So you're definitely doing your thing here, Gianna. And I and we thank you for all your hard work here. And you know, a big shout out to your family. Because I think that if it wasn't for your family and the support that they're giving you, then this this would never happen. Yeah, no, this wouldn't be as easy.

SPEAKER_05 43:24

No, exactly.

SPEAKER_04 43:25

So um sticking on the same topic, um, she also you also you you bake.

SPEAKER_06 43:32

I do.

SPEAKER_04 43:34

And she runs. And you run. Yeah. And you read a hundred books last year. I did. Holy cow. Which was I I was amazing. Yeah, I was amazing.

SPEAKER_03 43:46

I was like, what the fuck? Did you be like I can only read one page and I'm getting a headache or taking or falling asleep.

SPEAKER_07 43:54

I I like to put challenges to myself. I I I think I'm a big um believer in I can overcome or I could do anything. Yeah, yeah. Is how I and I it's me against me. That's how I've seen it. So reading a hundred chap a hundred books was a challenge, but I'm like, I'm gonna do it. And you did it. And I did it. I did it within the year. I love to bake.

SPEAKER_04 44:20

You love to bake. I do love to bake. Um which by the way, uh, if you ever join us here at the restaurant for brunch, uh, there's a granola dish that yes, please have the parfait. The parfait is her granola, so please come. Oh, I didn't know that. Come come and have it. Yeah, that's it. Also, the granola, you sold it to um to your cook to your your clubish local coffee shop.

SPEAKER_07 44:42

Elm roasteries, shout out to them. Wow. In Elmhur in yeah, in Broadway.

SPEAKER_04 44:46

Yeah, in Elmhurst. Think of that.

SPEAKER_07 44:49

Yeah. Um I can follow a recipe, uh-huh, I cannot follow directions. Like, do me mandas a ya? Yeah. I believe that can get lost. Um, I got lost on my run. And I haven't ran in a long time because of that. I got lost. But I also, it's a lot happening.

SPEAKER_00 45:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 45:08

But I yes, I run, I do all the things, guys.

SPEAKER_04 45:13

Behind, shout out to both of you, because you're both like running right now.

SPEAKER_07 45:16

I know we have to run together.

SPEAKER_03 45:19

We we almost did, and then a little bit happened, but we have to the other one. But I'm a little nervous because she's she's a vet. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 45:27

Let me ask a question about the running. Both of you. Um, I know you're you're like Will said, you're you've been running for a long time and you just started getting into running. Yep. How does that uh help your your mental aspect of it? Does that bring you like joy or are you doing it for like health reasons, or what what brings you to running?

SPEAKER_07 45:45

For me, it I it started out. I had my baby, I wanted to lose the weight. Yeah, that was my goal. And then it became about the mental part. But it's not like mental for me to be sane, it was more the mental like, I'm in my own competition. Like if I could do two miles today, tomorrow I'm gonna do three. Yeah, if I could do three tomorrow, I'm gonna do five. And it just keeps that's how I see myself. So same.

SPEAKER_03 46:14

It's the competition uh within yourself, but I think that the uh the focus aspect of it uh came later with me. Like I started realizing as I kept on running, my focus, my energy was like super high. Like I'll come to work and I'm like ready.

SPEAKER_07 46:28

That's true, yeah. Yeah, I mean, endorphins keep makes you happy.

SPEAKER_04 46:31

Yeah, do obviously the there's a the the marathon, there's a bunch of marathons. Do marathons inspire you guys to like kind of chase that path, or is that not even in your no?

SPEAKER_07 46:41

I've always wanted to run a marathon. That's not even a shortcut.

SPEAKER_03 46:43

Or is it too early to tell for you? Uh well, let her answer that. I think for me, I go quick. It's not on my radar. I don't think for me, is it in my radar just because I don't want to be like, oh yeah, you know, I want to run a marathon. If it happens and I feel like I'm I'm I'm ready for it, then maybe that could be something that I might go in the future. But for me now, I just want to be sure that I'm healthy and you know.

SPEAKER_07 47:06

I mean, I've been running since I'm 34 now. So I've been running since I was 22. And I've always wanted to do one. Even have a quick 3K, you know, move on to like 5K, so on and so forth. But I want to do it just to do it. Like the same way I read 100 books is the same way I want to run a marathon. Like I just want to do it.

SPEAKER_04 47:27

Yeah, you could do it. I hate running. I believe if you don't need to run, don't run. No, I'm just kidding. I I'm just not um I have bad knees. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:38

Well, that's that could that I do.

SPEAKER_04 47:41

Every time I bend down, my knees hurt. That doesn't help.

SPEAKER_07 47:43

No, it my knees crack.

SPEAKER_04 47:45

Yeah. Oh, yeah, they do. They do. You know a funny story about Adriana.

SPEAKER_00 47:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 47:49

There was one night we went out to we went out somewhere.

SPEAKER_07 47:52

We went out to dinner before you continue. I had my docs on. Yes, I know. I'm gonna I'm gonna mention that.

SPEAKER_04 47:58

Okay. We went out to dinner or something, we had drinks. Uh, and we just had drinks, and then we get home to my home, and my um Adriana challenged my nephew to a race.

unknown 48:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 48:12

Like Adriana, she's he's like 17 at the time, not even 15.

SPEAKER_07 48:16

And I was also under the influence.

SPEAKER_04 48:19

Yeah, and you're wearing and you're wearing uh fucking big ass heels. Oh is that gentleman carried? I didn't think they were gonna do it. And they I they go outside, I'm like, oh hell no. She's gonna bust her ass with heels. Damn. Well, they weren't heels, they were um they were docks, docks, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 48:35

Um but they were they were not running shoes, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 48:38

Yeah, and she did it, she didn't beat him, but she did it.

SPEAKER_07 48:41

But I was not far behind.

SPEAKER_04 48:43

She was not, and she's a soccer player. I was like, what the hell? What's what what just happened? Why? Like, why?

SPEAKER_07 48:50

Like, but it goes back to the competitive side of it. But it's only for that, like for those kind of things. Like, I won't compete you to, you know, like actual sports, like no, yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_04 49:03

That was I thought that was hilarious. I was I was waiting. Um, not that I wanted you to fall, but I that's the first thing that came in. I'm like, oh my gosh,

Stepping Into Leadership And Mentorship

SPEAKER_04 49:10

she's gonna hurt herself. Please don't let her hurt herself.

SPEAKER_07 49:12

And it was up a hill.

SPEAKER_04 49:13

It was up a hill.

SPEAKER_07 49:14

Up a hill.

SPEAKER_03 49:15

Where I might where I live. You had an incline. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 49:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:18

Those hurt. That shit was funny. Those burn your legs quick. Your shin. Yeah, your shin. Oh my god, that's the worst.

SPEAKER_07 49:25

Never again. Yeah. Not with a soccer player.

SPEAKER_04 49:27

No, no, no, no, no. Um, so before we get into the segment, real quick, uh, let's jump back back into the hospitality side of things. Why do you love this industry?

SPEAKER_07 49:42

One, I have to thank Tabla for showing me the ropes. And I can still talk about it. And even the people that have inspired me or that are still I'm still friends with, you know, maybe not so much as once before, I can still talk with them, and it's like we never left Tabla.

SPEAKER_02 50:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 50:03

So those people are my core people. Whether we haven't seen each other, they have taught me what I am today. So I give it, I give that all to them. And just being in a home. It feels like a home. I love I love that feeling. Because you know, to bring that and you they say if you have a job that you love, it's not called work.

SPEAKER_04 50:30

Correct. Right.

SPEAKER_07 50:30

And that's how I feel about the hospitality industry.

SPEAKER_04 50:33

That's a phenomenal answer. Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_03 50:36

Very good. Yes, it's it's uh it's uh special people to work in this industry. So yeah.

SPEAKER_07 50:42

I think if especially if you're gonna do the the hospitality thing, you have to want to do it. You can't just do it to earn a buck. Sure, the the if you want to be a server, it's very flexible, but you definitely have to have it in you to want to do it.

SPEAKER_04 50:58

And and it's not easy. No, no, no. What advice do you give uh just a young oh man, a young upcoming uh, you know, a person that's chasing that GM position. Um but like what do you got? What do you think, what's your advice to them?

SPEAKER_07 51:16

I'm so bad at advice, but I I will say like never stop asking questions. Never stop learning. There is no, I mean, sure, there might be a silly question or two, but never stop learning and strive for it. Because if you and also um, I will say if you don't ask for that position, it's never gonna be given to you.

SPEAKER_00 51:40

Right.

SPEAKER_07 51:40

You have to ask for it. You have to say, I want this. And then that person might guide you to how to get that position. So don't stop asking and don't stop learning.

SPEAKER_04 51:52

Don't stop asking, don't stop learning.

SPEAKER_01 51:57

It's true. You like that, Will? I like that. Very nice.

SPEAKER_04 52:01

All right, let's get into this in Caliente real quick.

SPEAKER_03 52:03

You want to do in Caliente right now?

SPEAKER_04 52:04

Yeah. Is that okay? You sound angry. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_05 52:08

Are you angry, Will?

SPEAKER_04 52:08

No. Okay, here we go. Are you ready? Yes. Yeah. Are you sure? No. Okay. We're gonna do it. You go first.

SPEAKER_03 52:13

So we're gonna do one one?

SPEAKER_04 52:14

Yeah, whatever. You go first and I go. Okay, I go first. Coffee or espresso? Ooh.

SPEAKER_07 52:20

Like like drip coffee.

SPEAKER_03 52:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 52:22

Drip.

SPEAKER_03 52:23

Go to shift drinks after a launch service.

SPEAKER_07 52:27

You know what? Lately it's been sparkling rose.

SPEAKER_04 52:30

Very nice. Very nice. Uh early morning or late night? For food.

SPEAKER_07 52:37

For food? Damn. Siempre estoy tardy. That's another thing. Like, I'm always late to reservations. I I'm never late to work or but to reservations, I'm always late, Santo. So late.

SPEAKER_02 52:49

Late? Late.

SPEAKER_07 52:50

Late dinner.

SPEAKER_02 52:51

All right.

SPEAKER_07 52:51

I'm a late person eater, guys. Please. Come out late. Seriously. The night is still young.

SPEAKER_04 52:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 52:59

If there's a reservation, the only reservation is 10 p.m. Come at 10 p.m.

SPEAKER_04 53:03

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that.

SPEAKER_07 53:04

Yeah. Please come join us for dinner.

SPEAKER_03 53:07

Well, what song you listen to when you want to get hyped up on a Saturday crazy night though?

SPEAKER_07 53:12

Ooh. You know what? I love when No Diggity comes out. No diggity? Yeah. That's my song.

SPEAKER_04 53:18

Sweet. Uh, best meal you ever had.

unknown 53:22

Oh.

SPEAKER_04 53:22

Ooh.

SPEAKER_07 53:23

Thanks for oh my god. Okay, it was at Can I see the place? Yeah, of course. Okay, I'm gonna say the doubled eggs at the modern with caviar.

SPEAKER_02 53:35

Oh, caviar.

SPEAKER_07 53:36

Yeah. I think caviar's already now. They were an SFN cool.

SPEAKER_03 53:40

Really?

SPEAKER_07 53:40

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 53:41

Oh, I love caviar. We just had caviar with it. I know, but they put it in there on everything now. Really? I think so.

SPEAKER_07 53:49

Well, I do remember, I'm not gonna say where, but I do remember I went into one of Will's jobs and they did an SFN cool for me. And they did uh white truffles on my pasta. And they told me, you tell me when.

unknown 54:05

Oh.

SPEAKER_07 54:06

And I thought that was very flashy.

SPEAKER_03 54:08

Yeah, that's that's that's a that's a swag move right there. They were like, it's like throwing money at you. Like tell me when it stopped.

SPEAKER_04 54:14

Yeah. Actually, we did that once here. You did? Well, we remember the bottle there and they finished it. Of the Omaro.

SPEAKER_07 54:24

Here we go.

SPEAKER_04 54:24

Pour as much as you want.

SPEAKER_07 54:26

That's right. It was so flashy. I was like, and then Juan was like, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 54:33

I'm not a huge fan of truffle. That's that's that's me though. I'd rather have a nice piece of steak.

SPEAKER_05 54:37

Well, anyway.

SPEAKER_03 54:38

I got one. I got one for you. I got leparo say biggest pet peeve when you're at the door.

SPEAKER_07 54:45

When they don't acknowledge.

SPEAKER_03 54:49

That's freaking awesome. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 54:50

All you gotta do, all you gotta do is say hello. Hello. Exactly. Hi. Hi. Somebody says hello, you say you're back.

SPEAKER_03 54:56

Jesus Christ. Santo. All right. Growing up, who's the troublemaker? You or your brother? Oh, come on. Pifth.

SPEAKER_04 55:05

Ah, okay. I wasn't, I mean, I was a troublemaker, but you know, I try to hide as much as I can.

SPEAKER_07 55:10

I'll let Danny answer that one.

SPEAKER_04 55:13

Uh favorite restaurant in New York City?

SPEAKER_07 55:15

Ooh. Besides the Lanima?

SPEAKER_04 55:17

Besides the Lima. Yeah, besides.

SPEAKER_07 55:19

Yeah, okay. Wow.

SPEAKER_04 55:24

But I know. That's a hard one. I'm gonna give you the.

SPEAKER_07 55:33

You know what? I I'm not gonna say it's my favorite, but it was a memorable meal. Lord's.

SPEAKER_04 55:41

Oh Lords. Good call.

SPEAKER_03 55:43

I never heard of that.

SPEAKER_04 55:44

Yeah, it's in uh Greenwich.

SPEAKER_07 55:46

Greenwich. Yeah. It I can still talk about it. It was phenomenal.

SPEAKER_04 55:51

That was a very good meal.

SPEAKER_07 55:52

Perfect wine. And I can always have a good time at Four Horsemen.

SPEAKER_04 55:58

I've never been, but I hear.

SPEAKER_07 55:59

Please go. Oh my god. It's well, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 56:03

Those two are so Lords and Four Horsemen in Brooklyn.

SPEAKER_07 56:08

That's right.

SPEAKER_03 56:09

Um boyquish. Alright, here we go. My question would be what would be your dream collab when you sit down. Well, not a dream collab. My question is this. If you ever if you had an opportunity to sit down

Balancing Motherhood And Management

SPEAKER_03 56:30

with someone in the industry, who would it be? Dead or lie?

SPEAKER_07 56:35

Like to c to make something? No, to just have a conversation. Oh, I see.

SPEAKER_03 56:41

Just to sit down. It could be dead or live. From the industry.

SPEAKER_07 56:46

Oh, from the industry.

SPEAKER_03 56:47

Oh yeah, from the industry.

SPEAKER_07 56:49

Okay. Yeah, I think that would be better from the industry. Um man. I I think I'm gonna have to go with Chef Floyd.

SPEAKER_04 56:59

Chef Floyd. Oh God bless that man.

SPEAKER_07 57:01

I agree. I will too. Yeah. He I remember one particular moment. Um we they did a chef's dinner between the chef at Union Square Cafe and him. And that was the last time I saw him. And oh my god, I felt so bad because there was a server there who was a fan. A fan. And I'm there taking notes so I can sell the food. And he just like says, that's great. And then just pretty much ignores him. Not to throw shade at him, and just gives me one giant hug. Like one big teddy bear hug. And I will never forget that. That was the last time I saw that man.

SPEAKER_04 57:47

Yeah, he's that's a good one. Yeah. Yeah. Real quick story about Floyd. Um the last time I saw him, I I went to his restaurant where he changed it to Bombay, Bombay something, can't remember that.

SPEAKER_07 57:59

Bombay bread bar.

SPEAKER_04 58:00

Bread bar. And I had just come from the beach with with my wife, and I was fucking burnt as hell. And we had reservations. I didn't want to go. He comes, says hello, hey Danny, how's it going? Blah, blah. Oh Chef, how are you? Give me, you know, give me a nice hug as well. And he sends out food. And he sends out this dish called the three chili chicken. So when I tell you this dish was fucking fire, like my mouth was on fire.

SPEAKER_05 58:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 58:29

And I told my wife, I'm like, I I really hope he doesn't come over here and ask me how this dish is. Because one, it was phenomenal. Two, my mouth was just on flames and I could not talk. Like if he's gonna come over here, I'm like, I'm like, mmm, mmm, very good. Yeah, yeah. But like, thankfully he did not come and he he came back like later on tonight, said good night. But I would have been very embarrassed if I would have told him that your dish is spicy as fuck.

SPEAKER_07 58:54

Yeah, he would have he would have been like he would have been upset.

SPEAKER_04 58:56

Yeah, like what do you mean?

SPEAKER_07 58:58

Seriously, man up. Yeah, um, that was the last time I saw a fan, by the way.

SPEAKER_04 59:02

He's a huge man fan. I think he was a huge Giants fan. Huge Giants fan. Yeah, yeah. He's actually, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 59:09

I think he's a bigger, bigger Giants fan than a Meth fan.

SPEAKER_04 59:11

Yeah, I think so. Um I throw his shared mess, I'm just saying classic.

SPEAKER_03 59:16

Of course.

SPEAKER_04 59:17

Classic. My last one for Encalienta. The last one. Uh no, actually not an Encalien. I'm sorry. This is uh more of a Okay. What's your favorite dicho mexicano?

SPEAKER_07 59:32

You know, my my latest one, because there are so many.

SPEAKER_04 59:35

There are so many.

SPEAKER_07 59:36

But my latest one is, and it's because there's someone who's constantly feeling ill, but not ill where you know they need medical attention, maybe attention. But um, my mother taught me when I would feel like that, but you know, I I do like attention sometime. She'll be like, Yandas con tus plagos. Us.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:02

That's a good one.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:03

So and that just means you you you're there you go with the same old story.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:07

Yeah, same old story.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:09

So that's my latest favorite one.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:13

Nice. That's a good one, actually. That's a good one.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:19

Um I can't. Come on.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:24

You know my husband can do it.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:26

He's not even Mexican.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:27

Yeah. He isn't. Yeah. We went to Grupo Fitman's um concert. Not a concert.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:32

It was more of like a Harry Pel type shit.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:35

Yeah, something like that. And oh my God.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:39

That shit was mad fun, by the way. Oh man. Drunk. He drove. He drove too. Respect.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:44

Just gritos mexicanos all night.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:47

We're gonna bring him on the pod and then. Yeah, so he could do it. He was paraqueloaga. Yeah, I know he will. I know. Um anyway, this has been uh such a treat, uh, sister of mine. We uh one, we appreciate you for being being a fan of the podcast. Two, we appreciate you for joining us on this for the second time.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:06

It was fun.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:07

Uh take two. I'm so happy that you uh that I got the chance to know you a little better. Um, and it is uh a great, great uh way to um for me especially because you know, like I said, I I uh I know these two individuals for a really long time, but sometimes you really don't know them that personally. You just kind of know them like, yeah, you know, friendship. So it's cool to like really learn a little bit about yourself. I mean, about you, and and it's uh it's a treat. And thank you for taking the time to sit with us you know, have a conversation with us.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:42

I was seeing beat then now you're officially uh a comadre. That's right, of the podcast. Uh any final thoughts for the Red Play.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:50

No, this was this was fun. Hopefully, it's a good one for the listeners out there. Um, I'm excited.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:58

Where can the people find you on Instagram or anywhere on social media?

SPEAKER_07 1:02:01

I'm not on it. Don't just get screwed.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:04

You don't have to uh you don't have to. Yeah, you don't have to we're gonna tag you anyway.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:08

You can tag me. Yeah, yeah. And then they can it's private anyway, so yeah. I have to choose.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:13

You you're right. There's a lot of shit out there.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:16

Anyway, yeah, uh, this has been great. This is another episode of Small Talk with Compa. William, I appreciate you, brother.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:24

Thank you so much. I appreciate you, Adriana, for coming in. It is uh it is one of it's it was great.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:30

It was great, it was phenomenal. I think this was it was super fun. It was fun. Let's go. Bye bye. Bye bye.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:36

Bye, um.