WORD OF MOUTH with Leiti Hsu
Jo
Host Leiti Hsu talks LIVE in-studio with Jo-Ann Makovitzky and Marco Moreira the wife-and-husband force behind now five restaurants: the 15 East (Japanese), Tocqueville (French), Botequim (Brazilian), The Fourth (American) and Singl (single-malt Scotch bar)—the last three in the brand-new Hyatt Union Square. They talk their disastrous first date that started with burritos and was saved by a night of dancing. Plus, what it's like to work with the uber-talented sushi chef Masato Shimizu and the challenges and pleasures of serving the Union Square community.
At the top of the show, we go to the Greenmarket with chef partner Humberto Guallpa of the Cuban-Chinese Calle Dao and talk romanesco. To #WINEddown, Etienne Guerin, sommelier at M. Wells Steakhouse in Long Island City, tells us about a "unicorn wine" from Jura on his list that you need to go get right now: Camille Loye's 1990 Arbois.
As always, connect with us on social media at @leitihsu #WOMshow facebook.com/WOMshow
"He called me from the back of the store to my station [at Dean & Deluca] to the front of the store and said: Hey, what are you doing today? ...The first time you asked me out, I declined." [on their early courtship] [23:40]
"Our daughter is a part of our business. People remember me when I was pregnant. She wants to cook!" [on the most important project of all] [20:30]
"They refuse to see who we are and what we're trying to do. They have one train of thought—that this is a bar and they don't want another bar to open." [about the challenges of getting local community board approval for their rooftop omakase spot] [37:30]