931: Rachel Miller Chef/Owner Nightshade Noodle Bar

Rachel Miller first fell in love with cooking while working at a small restaurant on the coast of Virginia, where she's from. It was there that she discovered the sensory impact of terroir, since the restaurant sourced ingredients from nearby farms and local fishermen. She also discovered a love for butchering and charcuterie, which quickly propelled her to move to Boston to pursue an entry level butchering job at Lionetti’s in the South End. Over the next 12 years, Rachel studied and cooked every day working her way up in some of the best kitchens in Boston, most notably as Chef de Cuisine at Clio, Ken Oringer’s flagship restaurant. Prior to Clio, she was named one of Zagat’s 30 Under 30: Boston’s Hottest Up and Comers, as Executive Sous Chef at Bondir.

Once Rachel ran out of opportunities operating other chef’s kitchens she decided to move forward and open her own restaurant. For over 2.5 years she worked as a private chef and booked Nightshade Pop Up dinners in and around Boston and the North Shore, learning and growing into her own style. In October of 2019 she opened her first baby, Nightshade Noodle Bar in downtown Lynn, MA where she lives and can be found cooking on the line every night. Follow Rachel for a glimpse from behind the scenes of the Nightshade Noodle Bar kitchen and her next project, Sin City Superette, next door.

Check out episode 923 with Brendan Vesey as mentioned in today's episode!

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Favor success quote/mantra:

• "Everything I do is to the best of my ability."

In this episode with Rachel Miller we will discuss:

• Travel when you are young
• Mentors
• Ego
• Pop ups
• Insurance
• Marketing
• Building a diverse clientele
• Creating an email list

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Knowledge bombs

1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
   • Compassion
2. What is your biggest weakness?
   • Compassion
3. What's one thing you ask or look for when interviewing/growing your team?
   • "Why are you here?"
4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
   • Hiring
5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
   • "Everything we do is to the best of our ability."
6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
   • Keep a record of what regulars order to reference the next time they come in
7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
   • Setting The Table by Danny Meyer
   • GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM 
8. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations?
   • Resy
9. What is one thing you feel restaurateurs don't do well enough or often enough?
   • Thank their staff
10. If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?
    • Apply an admin fee and pay everyone fairly
    • Do everything to the best of your ability
    • Keep your sidewalk clean

Contact:

Email: rachel@nightshadenoodlebar.com

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

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Huge thanks to Rachel Miller for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

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