Franzen Nicole - Bestia: italian recipes created in the Heart of L.A

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank our families and friends, Lola, and our daughter, Saffron, for putting up with our horrendous schedules and perpetual exhaustion. All of the people who invested and helped build Bestia, who believed in us when all indications pointed otherwise. The amazingly talented people who were involved in the creation and completion of this book. Additionally, wed like to thank the people behind the scenes at Bestia, both in the kitchen and out, because without their unparalleled dedication and attention to detail, this book would not be what it is. Lastly, to all of our amazing guests who have come back so many times that they have now become part of our family.

THE TEAM

MELISSA LOPEZ

People like Melissa make me better at what I do. Everyone will tell you that she has an aura about herno matter how crazy it gets in the kitchen, she exudes a calmness thats contagious. And shes a great leader. Whenever she guides The Huddle (see ), she almost starts crying. And thats not because shes sensitivethough she can beits that shes so intensely invested in the restaurant and the people in it. She cares so much about being successful that whenever she speaks to the staff, its directly from her heart, never from her head.

Of course, none of that compares to how good a cook she is. Shes consistent, and I trust her inherently. Melissa came to me from Barbuto in New York and is the only person Ive ever hired directly as a sous chef. She didnt need a month or two of training; she just had it. And everybody knows it. Its unfortunate to admit, but normally women have a hard time getting total support and respect from a group of alpha-male line cooks. But not Melissa. She owns itthats not something you see often.

ORI

MIKEY PRIORE

Mikey is like my annoying little brother who I love, but he drives me insane. I first met him back at Angelini almost a decade ago. I had just gotten back from a two-week vacation, and when I walked through the kitchen door, there was this kid, fresh out of culinary school, just standing there. Gino had been desperate for help and hired him without even caring that he had no rsum, so I was already skeptical. I said hello and asked, Where are you from? He says, From Italy. Really? I said. You dont sound Italian. No, no, he insisted, Im from Italy. So I ask him to say a word in Italian. He couldnt. Oh, so youre not Italian? I asked. My grandmothers Italian. Oh, so youre American? Yes, Im American, he said. OK, I said. Im happy we got that clear. (Our relationship has been a little like this ever since.)

In the beginning, Mikey proved to be exactly like I thought he would be. He was young and a troublemaker, and after one particularly bad service, I told him not to come back to Angelini unless he started taking his job seriously. He walked in the next morning like a different person. Overnight, he began to approach cooking with a whole other level of skill and dedication. Years later, when I left to open Bestia, Mikey called me and asked if I needed anyone. He had grown considerably as a chef, but at twenty-three wasnt quite ready for the sous chef position.

I hired him as a line cook and he thrived. He started as the pizza guy, then moved on to quickly master every station. At three months, I made him the sous chef.

Being a great sous chef is not just about cooking and having a great palatewhich Mikey hasits also about leadership, and thats where he shines the most. Hes like a coach, motivating you: Were going to be serving five hundred people! Its going to be aggressive! I need everyone to be loud! I need good energy! I need everyone to take double shots of espresso! He has a way of firing everyone up, including me. When it comes down to it, my faith in Mikey is one of the only reasons I ever allow myself a day off. Hes there when you need him, and my wife and I trust him like family. Because he is.

ORI

YUVAL BAR-ZEMER

Yuval is the patriarch of the modern L.A. Arts District. He and his partner were the first people to see the incredible potential amid the abandoned lofts and disheveled warehouses just east of downtown. The first and most beautifully rehabbed properties here are all theirs. But to us, Yuval is the reason for Bestias location. Long before Bestia opened, we were scouting locations with our original business partner. We looked at more than a dozen places with him all over Los Angeles, mostly on the West Side. But then we fell in love with a beautiful space in the Arts District. Our partner couldnt get on board with our vision and immediately pulled out.

We were devastated. We figured that was the end of the road, and that we would have to start looking for jobs. When we told Yuval that we wouldnt be signing the lease after all, he told us he didnt care that we didnt have a partner anymore. Hed hold the space until we found new investors and a new partner. We were shocked. He hadnt even tasted Oris food and hed only just met us. When we asked him why, he said he had a feeling in his gut that hed never had before. He saw a fire and a drive in Ori and knew that he was capable of great things. I only want you for this space, he said. Do what you need to do on your end. When you do, I will do everything I can from my end to make this happen.

Yuval and Ori actually have a lot in common. Both are Israeli, and both have these incredibly soft centers, but on the surface they are two of the toughest, most stubborn people to deal with. If you ever want some high-quality entertainment, watch Ori and Yuval debate something. Youll just have to learn Hebrew.

GENEVIEVE

DIEGO VINICIO ARGOTI

Diego had worked on the line only a few short months when he made a big mistake. I was debating on whether or not to keep him when he confessed, Chef, Im not ready to work here. But I liked himand he liked working for usso I kept him on as our farmers market forager while he went on to work in other kitchens across L.A., learning and growing as a chef. Three years later, he came back to Bestia, and he was definitely ready. Now he works with confidence. That small amount of fear that caused him to make mistakes early on is now the thing that drives him to be the best at what he does.

Today, Diego is still responsible for buying all of our farmers market produce, and hes great at it. He doesnt just shop for flavor, but also for texture, color, and ripeness. Then, after waking up at 5 a.m. three days a week to get to the early-morning markets, he also helps make all of the bread, pizza dough, and pasta for the restaurant. Its a lot of work, but hes like me: hes obsessed, and he never stops. On his days off, he reads everything he can get his hands on about food, and hes a maniac about baking bread at home. Every once in a while he even hosts his own pop-up dinners, with these crazy-out-there menus. A guy like that, with that kind of drive, you dont ever have to be his mentor. Hes his own mentor and will no doubt be running his own restaurant someday soon. I cant wait.

ORI

JOSE GARCIA

Jose has been the man in charge of everything dough-related since two months after Bestia opened. Hes the caretaker of our precious sourdough starterthe guy who takes it home over the holidays and feeds it like a pet. He knows how it works, why it behaves certain ways in cold temperatures or hot, why it becomes sour or stays sweet. He understands it scientificallyhes really smartbut he also knows it by feel. He can touch a dough and know exactly whats going on with it. Sometimes Ill test a new pasta recipe and he will touch it and say, Chef, it needs more flour. You dont get that way by reading books. You get that way through constant repetition and touching. That talent is all in his hands. You know how old Italian women who make pasta have these amazing hands? Joses hands are like thattheyre magic. Just look at his perfect tortellini (see ) and youll know what I mean.