A lot of parents ask me how to get kids to eat more vegetables. The first thing I say is that it starts from the top.

When I first decided to open a restaurant, I was turned down by several banks. It was the late 80's and many restaurants were failing. I refused to give up because I knew I had a good concept.

Spice is life. It depends upon what you like... have fun with it. Yes, food is serious, but you should have fun with it.

A lot of parents ask me how to get kids to eat more vegetables. The first thing I say is that it starts from the top.

My inspiration was my mom. She's a great cook, and she still cooks, and we still banter back and forth about cooking. Growing up in a mostly Portuguese community, food was important and the family table was extremely important. At a very young age I understood that.

Get up every day and try a little harder than the day before.

I came here because the city has a tradition and is a very respected food city.