// IN THE NEWS Jeff Bartels & Chef Alex McWilliams Co-Owners of Chió in Brooklyn, NY
What was the thinking of offering authentic Italian cuisine? Alex and I collaborated on a project that received high praise, and we thought we could compete successfully with other Italian restaurants in the neighborhood.
C
o-owners Jeff Bartels and Chef Alex McWilliams recently launched Chió, a new regional Italian restaurant in the Columbia Street Waterfront District of Brooklyn, New York. The hospitality veterans met while opening Paul Newman’s The Dressing Room in Westport, CT and have collaborated on several projects together in recent years. Chió offers guests upscale cuisine in a casual setting where food and wine take center stage. The restaurant’s reclaimed wood paneling and wood topped tables set the tone for a relaxed ambiance. In the front room a large L-shaped bar is accented with white washed paneling; tables line the opposite wall. The main dining room is home to a large communal table with benches fashioned from a split log set against an exposed brick wall. In the warmer months a small outdoor courtyard provides additional seating. Executive Chef Alex McWilliams is committed to using proven old world techniques with a twist on classic flavor components. A traditional method from Perugia called “Grano Arso,” or burnt grain is utilized to create pasta and pizza dough on the premises. In addition, authentic ingredients are sourced from various regions of Italy, such as grandininiai from Sardinia, bottarga from Sicily and speck from Alto Adige. Chió’s thoughtful beer and wine col-
is uniquely well done food. We also must keep tight control.
Chió has a wonderful wine offering. Do you use only Italian wines to match your menu offerings? Most of our wines are Italian but we also offer New World and some other Old World wines that we like.
Jeff Bartels (pictured right) & Chef Alex McWilliams (pictured left) are Co-Owners of a new regional Italian restaurant in the Columbia Street Waterfront District of Brooklyn.
lection enhances the dining experience. The beer and wine program is focused on biodynamic, sustainable and organic offerings that place a strong emphasis on the growing and harvesting process. Total Food sits down with Chió’s coowner, Jeff Bartels to talk on this new venture. How did you wind up in the restaurant business? (Jeff Bartels) I had an early fascination with restaurants and an early introduction to Vincent Sardi from Jerry Orbach I worked with each department head and spent some time at 21. What was the strategic thinking
70 • October 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
behind Chió? I've been excited about our neighborhood for some time, particularly Columbia St. How did you market Chió with so much competition out there? What do you offer your guests and how do you keep your prices competitively priced? We use WordHampton as our publicist but I must admit that being on Columbia St has generated some interest. Keeping competitive pricing is not an easy task considering we only source the best products. We work on the premise that if you start with the finest ingredients and execute in the manner that Alex does, the end result
Besides an amazing wine menu, Chió offers a great selection of handcrafted beers. Typically you don’t think an Italian restaurant would offer this type of beer selection. What was your strategy to offer handcrafted beers? Do you craft any on premises or do you use local breweries? We take the same approach with beer as we do with wine. Where do you source your ingredients? Does Chió use any local farmer markets? We do use local products and visit a greenmarket on Sunday. Our purveyors also offer local products. Did you work with any local consultants, designers, and dealers to help with the FOH and BOH layout for Chió? The only design help we had was a graphic artist for the logo and signage.