Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Rosenbluh
Paul, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We met Little Beast’s previous owners, Sean and Deb, back in 2014, which was when we bought the restaurant next door, Cindy’s. We became friends over time, and just prior to the pandemic they had expressed interest in selling the restaurant to us. As we all know, the pandemic shut down the universe and all our lives changed. Post pandemic, I would hang out at their bar “recipe testing” with Sean on Friday nights. One night he mentioned how he was tired of restauranting and was wanted to retire. I said, “why don’t we buy it”. He said, “okay, make me an offer”. I did, they said yes, and that was literally how it took place. Monique and I have owned Little Beast now for two and a half years. It is not a dynamic story, but the simplicity of it is lovely in my eyes.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We are talking about the restaurant industry here, there are no smooth roads. Every day is different minor or major disaster. Disaster management is the primary responsibility of the restaurant owner. Luckily for us, both Monique and I thrive in chaos (thank you ADHD). So, I would say our take over and subsequent running of Little Beast is no more or less traumatic than any other new venture.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Little Beast is located in a charming converted 1911 Craftsman house in Eagle Rock. You can definitely appreciate its whimsy when you’re walking through the restaurant, and it’s a joy to have our guests gather here for a great meal in a space that feels so acquainted and cozy. We offer a seasonally changing menu of modern American cuisine (which literally means nothing, but allows us to do whatever we want), which Monique really wanted to develop when we first bought the restaurant. Everything we envision for each seasonal menu is flawlessly executed by our hard-working kitchen team, led by our wonderful Chef de Cuisine, Mia Youn. We also have an outstanding bar program, championed by our talented bar manager, Krista. Our front-of-house team is a fantastic group of individuals with admirable aspirations outside of the restaurant sector- many are students, artists, and professionals who do a tremendous amount of work. We are very much a quintessential neighborhood restaurant that prides itself on serving food that is honest, delicious, and continuously changing.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
First thing I would say is, no one should get into this industry. I love it, and it’s all I’ve ever done, but this is a brutally hard business that most people should not get into. With that said, it’s really just talking to people and making friends. This is a very social industry and meeting others is relatively easy if you want to. If you a relatively antisocial person, which some people are, drinking helps. It is a social lubricant, just don’t drink too much. It’s easy to take it too far in this industry. My other advice is don’t let the restaurant dominate all your time. you have to guarantee time off, especially for family. Family comes first.
Pricing:
- Share Plates: $7-20
- Chef Boards: $21-26
- Soups, Salads, & Sides: $12-$18
- Entrees: $24-$39
- Mocktails & Cocktails: $12 and up
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.littlebeastrestaurant.com/
- Instagram: littlebeastrestaurant
Image Credits
Food and restaurant photography by Mia Chew
