An Elegant Solution

When we opened R2L we faced two ceiling problems, one literal, one figurative.?

The first problem was that R2L had a low ceiling filled with eyesores of ductwork and pipes and all sorts of hardware that ran the length of the room.? Rather than fight against it we worked with our architect and designers to create a network of wooden slats that undulated across the span and camouflaged the pipes and ducts above.? The wave of grey wood took guests' attention across the striking dining room and eventually out to the expansive view of the city. ?It was an elegant solution that saved us the expense of having to close in all random base building hardware (maybe sometimes you do want to know how the sausage is made?). ?The challenge was transformed into a feature and that, for me, was an ongoing lesson in the power of collaboration. ?It was form and function; the power of creativity paired with ingenuity and production.

The second ceiling problem was figurative. R2L was an ambitious project: ?it had no ceiling.? The sky was the limit and that is where I set our sights, and to this day, I still feel that the responsibility for wherever we fell short on those goals rests squarely with me.? As someone who has spent decades focusing on what could be done better, on what was wrong, I missed out on most of the many, many things that, daily, went right. I did not always share in the victories that the team and our guests and clients celebrated over the course of almost eleven years in service because I was focused on what needed to be tweaked or changed. Some people have told me that that mindset is what made me successful and got me results. ?But I also learned early on that the harder you squeeze the more things slip through your fingers. There has to be that creative solution, a middle way that combines creativity, ingenuity and production. There is almost always a "ceiling solution" as elegant as a well-crafted dish, that works well and brings together the best for guest, server and cook.

It is no secret to those who know me, that the last five years have been challenging personally and professionally.? The last five years have been challenging for all of us in so many ways none of us anticipated. ?This newsletter is my way to begin a conversation with our community; a place to exchange ideas, to do some networking and to celebrate the joys and maddening fun of the hospitality world.

I'd love to make some new connections, clients, customers, colleagues, and friends here, but more importantly, I'd like to continue the work I started a lifetime or two ago, when I decided I wanted to cook for a living.? It was always the same simple and elusive goal that had no ceiling and that required elegant solutions to everyday challenges: make my small corner of the world a little bit better, a little bit easier and a little bit happier each day.

Be kind to each other out there...stay strong and, please, stay in touch.

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