How many years have you been in the restaurant business? Il Bagatto was such a magical place for music and culture. What do you miss the most about it? Now that you have the restaurant Il Posto Accanto, what do you feel is better about the restaurant?
I started in the restaurant business around 1993, in other fun spots that are now defunct. My father thought it would be a good idea to work in this business if I really wanted to open a restaurant, shout out to all the people that took a chance on me. The thing I miss the most about Il Bagatto in the 90s are the wide variety of djs we would have come play, having lasagna on the sofas in the lounge, and how all the love was concentrated. I love to cook in small batches, exactly like a dinner party for my friends, same love. At Il Posto Accanto, which we opened in 1999, we are now feeding the teenage children of our regulars, 2nd generation.
Tell me about how you ended up in the Lower East Side and what the landscape was like back then compared to now?
We ended up in the LES because I was looking for a place that was super cheap to open a restaurant. I had no idea what I was doing. Just heart and youth and deliriousness.
You have mentioned you prefer to call yourself a cook rather than a chef. Can you elaborate on what being a cook means to you and how it’s different from being chef?
For me a chef is an artisan and an artist that studied the trade and has extensive knowledge on how to prepare classic sauces etc. I am an intuitive self taught home cook.
How does the experience working with local vendors and small businesses lead to the most authentic meals?
Not sure about authentic but definitely best tasting! I am a firm believer in ingredients, a legacy I treasure from growing up eating the freshest everything from my family's land. The secret ingredient is always LOVE so when I am lucky enough to find small farmers that embrace my same commitment to integrity and growing with love, magic happens.
What is one ingredient that you can’t live without?
I love fresh herbs. I hoard them from the farmers market and dry them.
What is the most New York thing about you? And what is the most Italian thing about you?
The most New York thing I do is that I honk way too much. When I drive in Europe NOBODY ever honks. The most Italian thing is that I still do not allow parmigiano on pasta with seafood.
What’s one mistake you’ve made in the past 20 years that you would take back, and what would you have done differently?
I try to not live like that. All mistakes I made make me who I am and lead me to this point and time. I have no regrets. Learning is painful and worth it.
What are your secrets to throwing a good dinner party?
Nice mix of people, abundant and delicious margaritas, tasty food, and weed.
Can you tell us about your staff? What makes them a unique group of people to work with?
They are more than staff, we are a family. I am the mom, Julio is the dad with all the same dynamics of The Brady Bunch. Most of the humans we work with have been with us over 20 years, we grew up together, thick and thin. They also have tremendous love and respect for each other, they hold each other accountable and they jump in whenever there is a need and whenever another member of our family needs help. Finest crew in the business.
How does Julio complement you? Can you tell us about Julio at his finest?
Julio complements me in all the ways, what I am missing, he brings. I mostly am a softy and want to see everybody happy. I am the daughter of divorced parents, hence I hate confrontations. Julio is a badass enforcer of the rule of the land focused on the bottom line. He takes care of literally everything, deals with vendors, haggles, smoothes everything out so I can cook and be happy. How lucky am I?
Growing up, who was your biggest influence in cooking?
My biggest influence was my mother, who did not cook all the time, but she still loved to do it and taught every single dish to the person that cooked. I inherited her obsession with ingredients.
What is your go-to recipe recommendation for someone trying to impress their date?
Amatriciana spicy saucy delicious.
Which Mi Cocina product is your favorite and why?
There is not one product I do not like. This is the best heat resistant gear on the market. The craftsmanship, the attention to detail, and the badass design is all impeccable. I use the aprons a lot, they are like armor and look amazing. Also the pan handle holder, I use that all the time and I love love the double pot holder, it hangs on my stove, and i looove my “never ending tote.”
If you could have a conversation with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be, and what would you cook for them?
I would love to chat with Madame Claude and I would cook tagliolini with white truffle.
What has been the most memorable meal someone has cooked for you?
Such a difficult question, I like simple things. When I would go home to visit my dad, the lady that worked there made sure to cook up a storm, all seasonal delicious things, mostly from her vegetable garden.
The film beautifully captures how COVID-19 impacted your community and restaurant. How did the pandemic change things for you, and why was maintaining that sense of community so important? What inspired you to turn that experience into a film?
Being on 2nd street since 1995 we had our share of natural and unnatural disasters, starting with 9-11. We never closed down, it was heartwarming to see how our neighbors would come, even just to watch the news, and enjoy being with other humans. Then the pandemic happened. Julio and I were determined to keep things as open and engaging as possible. I believe in giving without expecting anything in return. The tsunami of love we got from all over the world during Covid was humbling and brings me to tears to this day.
I am not sure I can take any credit for the movie, I was worried about my petunias being disrupted during their meals and neighbors being inconvenienced. Looks like everybody had a ball! The credit goes all to Seth and Julio. Seth, a long time friend, was in town. He came to hang out on a Sunday, lasagna, dominoes, families, friends, and felt that maybe he needed to write a movie about that. He wrote the movie in no time and shot it in 6 days with 0 budget, using his own money. That on its own is a true miracle and a testament to his immense talent. Nobody got paid, the guests eating are actual paying guests that had to sign a release. No script, no staging all very serendipitous.
Link to SUNDAY AT IL POSTO ACCANTO Official Trailer
Check out Beatrice's favorite songs of all time
