Too many cooks can be a good thing

When I showed up for our interview, it took a while for Nage owner Josh Grapski to get past his deep-seated mistrust of food writers. And who can blame him? The internet is a vast wasteland of unsupported ramblings, spewed with impunity by the largely inexperienced and unqualified. (You can quote me on that.) And restaurants make easy targets for pretty much anyone capable of chewing and typing at the same time.

I mustered up my best non-threatening smile (while peeking under the place mats for dust bunnies) and reminded him that I had spent at least some time in his shoes. And all this just to elbow my way in the front door! No bunnies were found, and I certainly didn’t expect any. After all, Nage is one of the premier eateries in town, and these guys are always on the lookout for whatever can happen. And in this business of eating, you can be sure that whatever can happen most often will.

Nage is yet another restaurant that owes its existence to über-chef (and all-around nice guy) Kevin Reading. Before he ventured south to Rehoboth, Kevin employed Josh as his sous chef at Fox Point Grill in Wilmington. Josh was certainly qualified! He attended Cornell University for hotel/restaurant management, and is yet another graduate (along with Kevin and Chef Hari Cameron) of The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia.

Josh went out on his own for a while, but after Reading sold Espuma, they became business partners, and  it wasn’t long before they opened a second Nage in Washington, D.C. Kevin’s people management meshed perfectly with Josh’s business management.

All that management wouldn’t be nearly as effective without somebody watching the store day in and day out. In November 2005, fresh from waiting tables at the perpetually hectic Purple Parrot, young Mark Harrison started work at Nage. He was particularly excited over his rapid promotion to Wednesday bartender. (He makes no bones about his ulterior motive: “Nage has the most happenin’ Wednesday Ladies Night in town!”)

After Kevin moved on to open Abbott’s Grill in Milford, Josh and (now general manager) Mark got to thinking about opening a fun bar somewhere. It seemed like the little chalet adjacent to Liquid Board Shop would be the perfect spot, but Liquid owner Derek Shockro wanted to call it Big Chill Creamery and sell ice cream. Time passed. One thing led to another. Long story short: Josh and Derek team up, Big Chill Creamery out, Big Chill Surf Cantina in.

Shockro hit the jackpot with Grapski’s business experience and Mark’s management and bar skills. They all hit the jackpot with the cantina’s retro ‘70s surf theme that fits perfectly with Liquid’s board-loving clientele. The little bar and snackery is the perfect size for bartender Matt Martin to make everyone feel welcome.

Josh’s infectious smile turns conspiratorial as he reveals that there is actually a third business partner in the Big Chill Surf Cantina. Nobody ever mentions his name in newspaper articles or on local food websites (even the more brilliantly written ones). Apparently it is Mike Ridings’ lot in life to experience what it’s like to be invisible (though he wasn’t all that invisible when they cashed his check…). So this one’s for you, Mike. Well, at least this paragraph is.

Kevin and Josh both understand the value of expanding their businesses from within. Mark’s dedication to Nage brings him closer to an ownership position. Chef Hari Cameron’s skills are sure to pay off in the ever-present likelihood of a future location under his control.

As the erstwhile Robin to Kevin’s Batman, Josh (now a culinary caped crusader in his own right) cites Reading as one of his closest friends and mentors. He sees Nage as a launching pad for dedicated associates to become proprietors themselves, with each new concept emerging from whatever the new owner is passionate about.

From Espuma to the two Nages, to Abbott’s Grill and the Big Chill Surf Cantina to whatever lies ahead, these entrepreneurs’ philosophy of promoting from within not only serves them well, but continues to provide us pushy food writers with endless stuff to be opinionated about.