Tour chef Marcus Samuelsson's restaurants around the world
For celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, running a restaurant is about building community — not becoming a bold-faced name.
The community that really speaks to this Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised, French-trained chef is New York’s storied Harlem. Known as a gathering spot for writers, artists and musicians, the neighborhood is the location of one of Samuelsson’s most popular restaurants — Red Rooster — and one of his biggest initiatives — Harlem EatUp!
The latter, a second annual festival taking place this weekend, offers special dinners, grand tastings and cooking demos by Emeril Lagasse, Daniel Boulud and Carla Hall of ABC’s The Chew.
“Harlem has given me more than anything I’ve ever given Harlem,” Samuelsson says. “If I was going to be an ambassador for Harlem, I had to really know the people. I’ve been on a seven-year journey of studying the people and talking to them and being invited to people’s homes. There’s a connection there — they tell me their stories about opportunities and missed opportunities, and then I started thinking about how we can be a part of reshaping it.”
Samuelsson, who made his culinary name at the upscale Aquavit in New York City, has since sought to create “democratic” restaurants where everyone feels welcome and career opportunities are provided to local residents. Through Red Rooster and Streetbird, a casual Harlem spot focused on rotisserie chicken, Samuelsson says he’s created more than 200 jobs, with 70% of the workers coming from the neighborhood.
“Harlem is a neighborhood, but more than anything it’s a community,” he says. “In Midtown, where I lived before, it was close to work, but I didn’t speak to my neighbors. It wasn’t the city’s fault — it was my own fault.
“In Harlem, once I saw people sitting on the stoop and in church, it was clear me that I had to create a restaurant that was in and of the community. The community showed me what kind of restaurant to build.”
This philosophy guides Samuelsson’s decisions on location and style of restaurant, whether in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he grew up and operates Norda Bar & Grill in a 1920s-era former post office; Bermuda, the site of his upscale Marcus' at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club; or in East London’s Shoreditch neighborhood, where he plans to open a branch of Red Rooster by the end of the year.
With more than two dozen restaurants in the USA, Europe and Bermuda, Samuelsson, whose credits include winning Top Chef Masters, wants to take care with his expansion plans.
“It’s not about opening a bunch of restaurants,” says Samuelsson, who chronicled his life story in the 2013 best-seller, Yes, Chef. “It’s about whether we can add something. I get calls every day — please open a Red Rooster in my community. Every day I say no, if I don’t feel like I can add something or it doesn’t fit us.”
Besides wanting to expose the public to Harlem through EatUp!, Samuelsson is trying to forge connections between his famous chef friends and up-and-coming talent, who have opportunities for internships elsewhere in the country and internationally.
The ability to expose young talent to new situations resonates with Samuelsson, who credits a job with a three-star Michelin chef in France with helping to inspire his globe-trotting ambitions.
“It’s an important step for us as we are growing the village of Harlem, not only as a destination for hospitality for guests, but as a great learning center for young restaurants, chefs and people who want to be in the hospitality industry,” says Samuelsson, who is co-chair of the non-profit Careers through Culinary Arts Program.
“To bring a Bobby Flay to meet someone like Charles Gabriel [of Charles Country Pan Fried Chicken] –– that creates a dynamic that’s just as important as the consumer experience.
“You think of Harlem as being the place for hospitality 60 years ago, and lost it for a while. To have the opportunity to rebuild it through the festival is incredible.”
Browse the gallery above for a virtual tour of chef Samuelsson's restaurants and signature dishes, and see below for more information about Harlem EatUp!