Q&A-North Italia's Executive Chef: Sam Sleman & GM Michael Strauss

Executive Chef: Sam Sleman

RG: Can you tell us about your background-where you are from originally?

SS: I am from New Jersey and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. I got my B.A. In Culinary Arts and Business Management there. I started with Fox Restaurant Concepts about three years ago in Arizona. I was fortunate to move out to California for the first opening of a North out here in El Segundo, and have been here since it opened.

RG: At what point did you decide on a career in the culinary world?

SS: My father is a chef as well and had restaurants while I was growing up. My brother and I were always in the kitchen cooking at home, and had dinner at the table with the family. We were exposed early on to Italian cuisine. My father is from Egypt, but came here and was always cooking Italian food. He had a fine
dining restaurant as well as a breakfast and lunch and small cafe. So we were exposed to a little bit of everything. We always appreciated the food that we had. From the earliest beginnings, I
knew that this was going to be a career that I would go into.

RG: What is a typical day in the life of an Executive Chef at North Italia?

SS: Depending on the day it usually starts at 6am as I prepare to meet with the butcher prep, and put my orders in for the day. I then proceed to conduct a line check, and come up with a plan to motivate and inspire the staff to get going for the day. I discuss new features that we may have; and try to create others. That can be pizzas or soups-you name it. The day goes on from there, ending around 9pm.

RG: Do you have the freedom to develop the occasional signature dish?

SS: Absolutely, our corporate chefs are all about creativity. They want to be a part of the dish and make sure that its a outstading product. That's the great thing about this company and the concept behind North. We are
very innovative and always changing seasonally (twice a year). They bring us all out to Arizona to try new things, and its a great atmosphere. There are so many concepts within Fox that you will never get bored.

RG: What was your experience like, competing with your brother on Food Networks “Cutthroat Kitchen” ?

SS: Cutthroat Kitchen was an awesome experience. And while my brother and I are very competitive, we push each other to be the best we can be. That show was a fun and is our little claim to fame.
Hopefully one day we'll have the opportunity to have a show or productions similar to that. It was a great experience!

RG: What makes North Italia unique with respect to Italian food?

SS: We take advantage of our close proximity to fresh food and great local ingredients and so we make it a point to produce the best in quality. All of our food is fresh and made in house daily. Our pizzas, pastas, sauces, salad dressing, etc. The quality of the ingredients and freshness at North makes a world of difference.

RG: Which position in the back of the house do you work closest with?

SS: I would say my sous chef team. It is absolutely important for me to be able to rely on them when I am not in the store or on my off days. I need to know that they are up to speed with all of the new dishes and
what ever else is going on in the kitchen. I like to stay very close to the preparation of every dish and so I rely a lot on my line and expo guys.

RG: What are you ethnically speaking?

SS: I am Italian (from my mothers side) and Egyptian from my father.

RG: Can you describe your style in terms of when it comes to mingling with the customers? Are you one to make your rounds occasionally, or do you prefer to stay in the shadows?

SS: I think it is important these days for a Chef to be well rounded from both a back of the house and front of the house perspective. Front of the house exposure is always great when possible. The fact that the chef is making his presence known in the dining room is really important these days. It takes things to another level and says a lot about the food, restaurant, and kitchen itself. But its huge when the chef himself can run food to the table and is confident enough to present that dish to his or her guests-I think that takes hospitality to another level.

RG: Just how important is good customer service to you as the executive chef?

SS: Customer service is extremely important to us at Fox Restaurants and this particular restaurant North. Our motto here is to pursue great hospitality at all times. Key among that; however, is for us to show hospitality within the restaurant among our co-workers. And so its important for the chefs and the kitchen staff to be approachable in case the servers need to figure out the exact needs of the guests,
giving them the best experience overall. I always tell my cooks and future chefs that it all starts with the guests but If I can make you guys happy; and if the line cooks are happy, they'll produce great food, and then the guests are going to have a wonderful experience because of that great food. And so its all one symbiotic circle. We found that if we treat our own employees great, the guests will feel that internal hospitality.

RG: What are your favorite dishes on the menu?

SS: I would have to say that I honestly love everything we do here at North. All of our selections are awesome; look at our pizzas: The dough is made fresh every day and you can taste the difference. There are multiple selections, from the Prosciutto to something a bit more decadent such as “The Pig” with four different types of pork toppings!

RG: Can you see yourself ultimately owning and operating your own restaurant one day?

SS: Without a doubt. That is ultimately the goal for both my brother and myself. We want to be able to create our own dishes and count the money at the end of the night. (lol) Zack and I would love to be able to follow in our fathers footsteps one day.....perhaps something small and creative would be the goal!

Michael Strauss, GM

RG: How long have you been in the restaurant business?

MS: I have been in this business for 27 years. My father was an executive chef and I would watch him interact with the staff, line cooks and front of the house. People loved the way he ran things and as a result I looked up to him as a child. He built great connections and relationships over the years. While here at North Italia I do my best to try to duplicate the fire and passion my father showed in his role.

RG: How long have you been at North Italia, this location and overall?

MS: I actually joined this company on the 17th of February, and went into the management program that day, and have been here ever since.

RG: Can you comment on the location of the restaurant, being part of North Point. What impact do you think it has had on business?

MS: Well we are in the beautiful city of El Segundo, a stones throw from Manhattan Beach. Its a very family oriented community and we draw from such a wide variety of local business, tourists, you name it. Everyone is looking for something delicious and we try to meet those standards. We offer our guests a great atmosphere, and as close to a perfect level of service that we can.

RG:What is your favorite dish?

MS: am a huge fan of the Strozzapreti pasta. Its got a lot of crunch and great flavors throughout!

RG: Which appetizer, or small plate is your top seller?

MS: They all do well, but our Chef's Board is our most popular and was voted the best of its type by Time Out Magazine which was pretty cool. And while all of our pizzas are great, I believe our Margarita pizza is the best seller in that category. Our house pizza sauce is just to die for as well.

RG: How is this location doing at this point in time?

MS: Fantastic-as far as North restaurants are concerned, we are the top grosser. As far as our clientele and their experiences here, I would like to say that we are providing great services every time out. I am personally
very proud of our Yelp! reviews which last period alone (last month) we had 27 five star Yelp reviews in 30 days which is pretty awesome!

RG: What is a typical day in the life of a GM for this location?

MS: Well I hit the restaurant and as soon as I walk in the door I try to get a feel, or vibe of how things are flowing. I try to figure out where I am needed most. I usually like to do a walk through to make sure the
restaurant is clean and pristine! I make sure that I am on the same page with my prep team, making sure the recipes are all set to turn out and made to spec. And then of course, you have your administrative work. Checking reservations, making sure the parties are all set up in comfortable seating environments, and trying to put together a nice floor plan to make sure all of the servers have great sections are all part of the job. The key is to try to achieve a nice pace throughout the day, so we are not stacking the kitchen and filling the restaurant too fast. I want to make sure that everyone is set up for success.

RG: Do you have any input on what dishes are on the menu?

MS: So we have brand chefs who are technically the ones who make the final decisions, but they do listen to my input, Sammy's input, and together as a team try to create a perfect menu for the season.

RG: How about the overall look of the restaurant, in terms of aesthetics?

MS: I am in charge of making sure that everything remains the same way it did when we opened these doors. Sam Fox has a great eye for the decor and architecture. I need to make sure all of that remains in place...We love cool, exciting, cutting edge, fun and hip over here!

RG: Are there plans to open up any other North Italia locations in the greater L.A. Area?

MS: Absolutely! Next year you'll be able to find North Italia opening in SantaMonica.