About
My mother is a gourmet cook and she taught me how to cook when I was 7 years old. Food and cooking have been a passion throughout my entire life.
I've been talking about owning a restaurant since I was 10. The goal when we started designing my first restaurant, Uptown Kitchen, was to create something that has the funky, urban atmosphere you would find in a bigger city like Chicago, where I am from, or San Francisco which is one of my favorite eating cities in the world.
So we wanted to create something that was bright and happy with a fun energy. When people walk in, we want them to say "Wow, we've never seen anything like this around here!" I think we've achieved it.
My long-term plan is to have somewhere between seven and ten restaurants in this area connected by the Clean Plate Club Incorporated. The Uptown Kitchen is the first restaurant I chose because we have three young children at home. We try to live a healthy, active life and when we go out for dinner with our kids,unless it's pasta, it's very difficult in this town to get them to eat food that's not deep fried.
I’m proud to introduce the second restaurant we're opening: The Mark Dine and Tap. The Mark is a classic, retro-American diner with a gourmet twist. In regards to the menu I am extending the same Uptown Kitchen vision by including lots of fresh, all-natural, high quality foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Unique to The Mark will be our very first full-service bar that is separate from the formal dining room. I hope that our loyal patrons of Uptown Kitchen will venture to The Mark and enjoy another unique dining experience.
From my family to yours,
Eat Well. Drink Well. Be Happy.