Today we’d like to introduce you to Bradley Long.
Hi Bradley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started off dishwashing at various places in Long Beach, and I had no real intention of doing anything in restaurants. It was just a job I could easily get, so I could have time to skateboard and make art. It always felt really natural working in restaurants though—like I fit in there. I got into a lot of trouble in my younger years and cooking ended up being my escape. I was working at a restaurant in Orange County that was known for housemade sausages, and one of my coworkers was going to culinary school down the street. He showed me his copy of The French Laundry cookbook and I was blown away by it. I had no idea you could do that with food. To me, at the time, working in restaurants was just a paycheck. I’m a bit of an obsessive person, so that began to be my main focus. I would read so much, would watch endless YouTube videos and any cooking show I could find. I ended up getting a line cook job at Playground, a pretty acclaimed restaurant in Orange County.
I learned a lot, but I wanted to continue to do more. I started following Chef Sean Brock and what he was doing at Husk in Charleston, SC and it really resonated with me. I fell in love with the idea of cooking with only the ingredients around you, studying the history of an area, and really immersing yourself in the culture of a place. After a phone call with the then Chef de Cuisine Travis Grimes, my now wife Christina and I packed up a Nissan Versa and drove across the country so I could go cook in a place I’ve never been to. I loved it there. I learned so much and it really shaped the person I am today. After a few years in New Orleans cooking and learning there at places like Shaya and The Ace Hotel, I missed home. I’ve always wanted to cook Mexican because it’s my heritage. I began talking to Chef/Owner Jeremy Fox (also behind Rustic Canyon and Birdie G’s) before I left Charleston. His cooking always made a lot of sense to me and I admired him tremendously. When the opportunity for an Executive Chef position came up for Tallula’s, I absolutely jumped at it and now I’m back home!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been the smoothest, as cooking is a very hard career, but I cook because I love it and it’s how I can express myself creatively. The biggest thing I’ve learned along the way is persistence and dedication. It’s also really important to take pride in the little things, whether it’s smile on someone’s face after they try a new dish you created or teaching a cook to pick up a new skill and watching it really click for them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in seasonal, market-driven Mexican food. I do not try and do traditional Mexican food though. I like to weave in a lot of influences from here in Southern California, as well as inspiration and techniques I’ve picked up from my time in Charleston and New Orleans. All of those experiences shape who I am as a chef today, and I think it’s fun and delicious to experiment and weave those all in. I also try and use ingredients from the amazing farmers, ranchers and fishers that we source from to bring a true sense of place while still making things feel like a traditional Mexican dish. The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market is without a doubt our biggest inspiration and really drives what we do at Tallula’s.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Being extremely persistent—it’s been crucial to my learning process, growth and ability to survive in a tough industry. It’s especially true as our industry still claws its way back during from this pandemic.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.tallulasrestaurant.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brad_thebeachcomber_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tallulasrestaurant
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TallulasLA
Image Credits
Lindsey Huttrer or Elise Freimuth
