Chef Marcus Samuelsson Dishes On Food Festivals And Family Travel

To some, Atlanta is the urban music center of the world. To others, it’s the Hollywood of the South. To chef Marcus Samuelsson, the Dixie metropolis is a vibrant culinary hotbed that was missing his personal stamp.

“I think it’s important to respect each city,” says Samuelsson, who opened Atlanta’s Marcus Bar & Grille, in March 2023. “Otherwise, don’t mess with it. Atlanta has its own cuisine, its own history. It’s the biggest city [in the South] and such a connecting city, particularly for people of color in terms of the incredible universities and all it does in terms of culture.”

The Ethiopia-born, Sweden-bred talent now has successful restaurants all over the globe, stretching from Harlem to Eastern Africa. “When we decide to go somewhere, my ‘why’ is very different than other people’s ‘why,’” Samuelsson says. “But I know, as a person of color again, that I have a responsibility, and I take that with me.”

The best-selling author, TV personality and James Beard-winning toque is taking his love of cooking to Upstate New York’s Catskill Cuisine from May 10 to 12. There, he’ll be paired alongside longtime friend and chef Scott Conant for a memorable multi-course experience. In the following chat, Samuelsson tells us about their bond, the common thread between his eateries and the vital role music plays in it all.

Where in the world are you?

New York.

How’s New York treating you today?

Always good, man. In New York, you gotta go get it. Gotta make your own shot.

I was on your Instagram recently and saw you and the family were on the water near a beach. Where were you?

A couple of days ago, we were in Sag Harbor [on Long Island]. But two weeks ago, we were on a cruise. I was cooking on a cruise, so I took the whole family to the Caribbean.

Did you have a good time when you weren’t working?

That’s one of the fun things with the kids. They come with me to so many of these events. My son has been to so many different countries, and he always makes some type of memory, food-wise or experience-wise. I think his favorite [destination] is the Bahamas. We go down there or Jamaica a lot. I would say those two.

How are you doing with the whole “work hard, play hard” balancing act?

I love working. I really enjoy the craftsmanship, dealing with my team, the creative challenges and the financial challenges. I like the challenges, what it means to be in business and the opportunities. It’s literally what we make out of it. Let’s go at it. I enjoy that process. But the minute I’m on my way home, it has to go away. With a two-year-old and seven-year-old, it gives you no option. You got to be all in there. But that’s fun, too. [My son] Zion likes swimming and biking and I got to keep up with him on that. And every time I think I’ve figured it out, he’s [moved on to something else]. I taught him swimming a couple of years ago. Now he wants to do butterfly. I don’t know how to do that. There’s always an itch that keeps you on your toes.

What drew you to Catskill Cuisine?

It’s Upstate. You forget sometimes as a New Yorker how stunning and how beautiful it is just a couple of hours north. [Nearby] Woodstock is such a historical place. We think about it, of course, from a music scene but also from a food [perspective]. When you drive just an hour or two north of New York, it’s the Hudson Valley. It’s just stunning. I grew up with a lot of forests and foraging. I’m always reminded [that a similar setting is] just two hours away, particularly where we do our [Catskill Cuisine] demos. It’s right where the Woodstock music festival happened 50, 56 years ago. This is an incredible place. And for us to cook there, engage there [is amazing].

Also my friends like Scott Conant are there. We’ve been buddies forever. Anne Burrell, Melba Wilson and Andrew Zimmern [will be there as well]. And we’re doing it with Resorts World, who’s such a great host. There are so many reasons why it’s such a special place. It’s okay to be a tourist in your own state.

You mentioned Scott Conant. What makes him such a special chef?

Scott is like a brother to me. We came up in New York at the same time. He had incredible restaurants there at a very early age: L’Impero, Scarpetta, just to mention a few. To see him evolve and become such an incredible American chef [is great]. We were two young bucks coming up in the city with all the ups and downs that happen. To be here 25 years later, to share the stage [is incredible]. That’s probably what I share with all of these guys—[Geoffrey] Zakarian, Anne, Melba. Melba is a big reason why I’m in Harlem. I think it’s the work ethic, the camaraderie and all the ups and downs. Think about it. We were in food when 9/11 happened. We were in food when the financial crisis of 2008 happened. We had to navigate through the pandemic. There’s a lot that has culturally happened. We’re still here and I think we celebrate that. When we see each other, sometimes we don’t even say anything — we just laugh — because I know what we’ve been through.

You’ve brought up music a few times. If you could put together your dream concert, give me three or four acts, alive or dead, who’d be at your show?

Oh, that’s easy. I would have Prince close it. Michael Jackson would be in there. David Bowie will be in there. And oh wow, just the voice of Whitney Houston. I can hear that forever. And throw in some Gap Band.

Oh, so the late ’70s and ’80s are your wheelhouse?

No, I love music. I just love music in general. There’s not really an era that I like more. I like the creativity. I’m even so impressed with Beyoncé’s country album. The homework she did, just the reference points and everything. The music isn’t just incredible; it’s the past, present and future.

I’ve always gone to musicians for inspiration since I was a child. It could be Bob Marley or whatever. I feel like, food-wise, I’m in my own head. I don’t want to look at other people that much [for ideas]. Music has been the outlet.

Be it the music, the look or the feel, tell me the things that connect all of your restaurants.

I would say the love of people because I think about the customers, what we want to say and how we want to share [the experience] with the customers. Also, the staff that are part of the restaurant make it special. And then the vendors, which you guys, the customers, don’t normally see. The vendors are a huge part of the community. Those three areas, for me, are special. I have respect and love for all three. Without the vendors, we can’t cook.

And then, being able to tell a story [is important]. At [New York City’s] Hav & Mar, we can talk about female leadership, and we have Derrick Adams doing his thing with the art program.

Metropolis sits on the land where 9/11 happened. That’s a very special place to me. It tells a story about New York City.

Red Rooster is the epicenter for Black comfort food, where families come together. And on Sundays, I want to listen to gospel or jazz there.

And [New Jersey’s] Marcus is just all about comfort with a twist. It’s in the neighborhood. It’s of the neighborhood. And it’s familiar. It’s very familiar.

What does the rest of 2024 look like for you?

All I know is that in May I got my hands full. With the food festival in Catskill, that’s going to be fun. It’s really about just watching the team grow. And not just my team, but the individuals that I know who have personal goals and watching them grow. I take a lot of pride in that. We have a couple more fun projects coming up that I can’t speak on yet, but ’24 and ’25 are going to be fun. Gonna keep it creative and keep it delicious.

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