Opening a restaurant is notoriously hard: Long hours, thin margins, and a high chance of failure. The people who choose that path are either heroic, foolish, or a little bit of both. But to open a restaurant during a global pandemic? Well, that’s a whole new level of are-you-kidding-me.  

This week on the podcast, Amanda asks Eric See (chef and owner of Ursula in Brooklyn, New York) and Subrina Collier (co-owner of Leah and Louise in Charlotte, North Carolina) what in the world they were thinking, how it’s been going, and whether or not they’d do it again. And Chef Michael Carter from another new restaurant, Down North Pizza in Philly, pops in to defend pineapple on pizza and share more toppings combos he loves.

Stuff we talk about in this episode:

- Ursula Restaurant Website: https://www.ursulabk.com/

- Leah and Louise Restaurant Website: https://www.leahandlouise.com/

- Down North Pizza Restaurant Website: https://www.downnorthpizza.com/

- Chef Michael Carter’s Hawaiian Pizza with Barbecue Sauce and Beef Bacon Recipe (The Flipside): https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/hawaiian-pizza-with-barbecue-sauce-and-beef-bacon

- Eric See’s New Mexican-Style Breakfast Burritos Recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/new-mexican-breakfast-burrito

- Greg Collier’s Smothered Cabbage With Sausage and Hot Honey Recipe (Leah’s Cabbage): https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/smothered-cabbage-with-sausage

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