By Contributor,Kristin L. Wolfe

Copyright forbes

Chef Amy Brandwein at Centrolina in Washington, D.C.
Scott Suchman

For Chef Amy Brandwein of Centrolina and Piccolina in D.C., the White House and the government at large, was just a part of the fabric of her youth. Her dad was a cameraman with the press corps and her mom was a sub-committee staff director, often the only woman in the room. Add to that the fact that she lived within the epicenter where change, and big change at that, is an everyday occurrence; with that, you just might have the foundation under foot to move mountains. As Chef Brandwein celebrates a decade of Centrolina and six years for Piccolina, she reflects on the hills she’s had to climb in the nation’s capital to run her successful, regularly lauded restaurants. It’s been a far from easy ride. And frankly, because of that, she takes none of it for granted.

Imagine what “Go to work with mom or dad day” looked like for Brandwein. That meant bouncing along the halls of capitol hill or along the green near historic monuments. Little did she know it at the time, but what happened in those halls or at press conferences on those greens would become central to her own professional path.

Before she jumped into kitchens as a chef–the capacity at which we now know and love her–she studied government, then soon worked as a lobbyist EMILY’s List for nearly a decade. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree as Brandwein’s mom was instrumental in the early hearings in the 1970s for sexual harassment in the federal work place.

Light, airy, and lively, a view of the rectangular bar inside Centrolina in Palmer Alley, Washington, D. C.
Scott Suchman

We The People

Brandwein knows studying government and watching her mom slay as a single mom on capitol hill made every battle she’d have to combat henceforth feel possible as long as he had determination and a fire in her belly. So even though she came upon some challenges when she pivoted away from government and into culinary, she pressed on. For example, she found herself in love with Italian cuisine and culture, but to many in her cohort from culinary school, that was a strange path to take, as French training at the time often begot work in a French restaurant; that was especially the case 20 years ago.

MORE FOR YOU

It was hard not to have it occupy every corner of your brain. It was all encompassing.

Chef Amy Brandwein—on devoting her culinary path to Italian cuisine

Today, choosing to work in a fine-dining Italian restaurant wouldn’t cause as much of a stir, but for Brandwein, it did. Regardless, her decision lead her to many Italian restaurant positions, most notably with Chef Roberto Donna. At the time, Chef Brandwein appreciated the complete immersion into the Italian culture Donna established and his talent and skill, even saying, “it changed my entire life.”

However, his fall from grace years later made it difficult for her when she was ready to strike out on her own. Sure, she was becoming known as a tough, young chef, but the connection to him, at least at the time, didn’t bode well for her as she tried to make a name for herself.

Neri, black-ink pasta with crab, Centrolina.
Scott Suchman

A Seat At The Table

She was a woman, in Italian cuisine, with no nest egg, and had what she calls “a baby name.” She didn’t have an advisor with a blueprint, one that would allow her to just turnkey her way in. “I didn’t have a name that would attract investors,” she added. “I had to claw my way to it.” One advisor from EMILY’s List actually encouraged her to use her political lobbying experience to build a base of potential investors. And that is what she did. She went back to her connections in D.C. politics to drum up support.

“It almost never happened,” she shared. With a few scares regarding final investments just three weeks before signing on the dotted line, she was so close to not having enough capital needed to open the doors. But it did happen. “This is part of their success story as much as it is mine,” Brandwein said, of the people on her board who came through in the 11th hour “They believed in my mission and they trained me to raise money like a political candidate.”

Flash forward to today, and she believes her experience in finding her way without ease is why she does so much today to help young, entrepreneurial women in her field. “I don’t want anyone to be on the receiving end of what I went through,” she said. “I tell it like it is and am as transparent as possible.” Because of this philosophy, Brandwein is often asked to participate in panels or initiatives lending expertise and advice to women in the industry.

Carciofi, artichoke at Centrolina.
Scott Suchman

Of course, things are rarely really smooth sailing in the world of restaurants and hospitality. Just as Brandwein was five years into Centrolina being on the map and thriving, and just one year into Piccolina, the pandemic hit. And, we all know that story. The challenges were endless; bottoms fell out, businesses closed. Then, just as she figured out how she could hold on to her staff, utilize the alley as a lifeline for business and feed people safely, she found out her mom had pancreatic cancer and was gone just three weeks later.

“It was the hardest thing ever,” Brandwein said. Even being able to get up everyday; “it was galvanizing, but that was the first step, to just get up everyday.” In some ways, she can say now, that those last moments with her mom–who loved the restaurant and was her biggest champion–were a gift.” I used my mom’s death as a chance to focus on being the best me, the one I think she would want to see.”

Today, Brandwein says she uses that traumatic experience as a dose of Kryptonite to hold onto; it’s something that helps her push through tough times. Although just four years in the rear window, it still feels fresh, so being present with her team is her number one priority, knowing the community she has built is like family and oh so precious.

What’s in a Name?

Many people are actually shocked when they come by and she is not only there, but she’s on the line expediting. In a day when many chefs are shuffling numerous establishments, television appearances, conferences, etc., it is often a surprise to see the executive chef not only in their restaurant regularly but on the line working with the kitchen.

And watching the line from the dining room, there’s a clear form of communication between them, often without words. For many on her team have spent the better part of 25 years cooking together, Brandwein said, in various restaurants. It’s a foundation built on longevity.

“There are so many avenues I could have taken,” she mentioned, but if my name is on something, it means I am committed–committed to having high quality food and giving guests the right experience. One of the only ways to do that it is to be present.”

From the bar, inside Centrolina, Chef’s regulars are from every path living and working in the D.C. metropolitan area.
Scott Suchman

Chef’s Table

These days, Chef Brandwein has added more experiences withing the walls of Centrolina to foster community. One of the positives that came out the pandemic and a need for collegiality was her frequent Chef’s Tables where other chefs from across D.C. join her, meld their styles, and just have a culinary jam session. Proceeds go to guest chef’s charity of choice and the two chefs cook, break bread, and get to know one another beyond their day to day routines. 26 lucky guests get to be privy to a side of chefs that’s about fun and being together. “It’s a blast,” Chef Brandwein said. “It’s not about making money, there’s no culinary epiphany. It’s just real. It’s just human. One on one.” Chef Shamim of Lapis will join Chef Brandwein on September 17; Chef Pepe Moncayo on September 24; Chef Suresh Sundas of Tapori and Daru on October 29; and Chef Eric Adjepong on November 12.

Brandwein has also stepped outside her already award-winning meny to stretch her own sense of creativity. Now on Fridays, she offers Stela, a tasting menu that gives her an opportunity to play, imagine, look back on memories, and tell a story through food; one that doesn’t compete with her regular evolving menus at Centrolina and Piccolina. It is something that grew out of her Chef’s Table experience giving her a way to express and nurture in a whole knew way.

Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions