Rising Stars: Meet Josh Buckwald

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Buckwald. 

Hi Josh, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I found Employees Only through my pasta company, Orso, during the height of the pandemic two years ago. What started as a weekly night of service as a part of EO’s Summer Social Club Series quickly expanded into Orso becoming the restaurant’s “home team.” When Employees Only decided to discontinue Summer Social Club and return to their own menu, they asked me to come in as their Executive Chef. 

For me and the Orso team, it was a simple decision. We had made EO our home in many ways long before that, so all there was left to do was change the uniforms to make it official. 

It took some time to find a harmonious balance between our roots in Orso and the established identity of Employees Only as a world-renowned speakeasy. The resulting menu is something I’m really proud of – elevated comfort food that fits in perfectly with our reputation with locals as an upscale neighborhood restaurant. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been a ton of struggles, of course… I have a tremendous amount of respect for any restaurant that survived the early years of the pandemic. As business owners and team leaders we’ve dealt with every curveball imaginable and constantly have had to adapt the vision of Employees Only to rise to the current moment. 

These days the challenges are more about playing offense, how to take something that’s starting to work really well and continue to improve it. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am currently the Executive Chef of Employees Only in West Hollywood. I focus on creating refined comfort food and get a lot of joy from viewing well-loved classics through new lenses. I’m probably best known for my love affair with pasta. From Rossoblu to Orso, pasta has always been a consistent part of what makes me happiest as a chef. 

As a result, EO has a wonderful in-house pasta program that I’m very proud of – if there’s one thing on the menu you have to have, it’s our Bolognese. 

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
It’s always been very important to me to put myself in sink-or-swim situations. It’s part of what makes me feel like I’m growing as a person, and not staying stagnant… and those are usually inherently risky moments. Sometimes those risks are creative, like putting a dish on the menu that is particularly challenging to produce or will require a lot of work on the part of our servers to sell… and sometimes it’s logistical risk, like taking on a big new project, or hiring someone who has a ton of potential but will need a lot of careful coaching. 

If you never leave your comfort zone, how will you ever find your true ceiling? 

Pricing:

• Small Plates – $6 – $16
• Pastas – $20 – $25
• Entrees – $20 – 40
• Desserts – $12
• Cocktails – $18

Contact Info:

• Website: employeesonlyla.com
• Instagram: @employeesonlyla
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/employees-only-west-hollywood

Image Credits
Jakob N. Layman
Eliott Montero