In a sweet conclusion to the sophomore class’ Stephen Starr restaurant week, the Class Board of 2013 brought the acclaimed restaurateur — and a free sampling of his desserts — to Houston Hall on Friday.
College sophomore and Class Board Vice President of Finances Zeke Sexauer said, “We wanted to create a Class Board event that was a little more intimate and gave sophomores a chance to go to dinner with people they otherwise wouldn’t get a chance to meet.”
After sending over 160 sophomores to Starr’s Philadelphia restaurants during the week, the Board brought Starr to Penn’s campus for a question and answer session hosted by Class Board President Jonathon Youshaei, who said that Starr was excited at the prospect of coming to Penn.
For Youshaei, a Wharton and College sophomore, interviewing Starr was a “dream come true.”
“Bringing Starr to Penn was like the icing on top of the cake of Stephen Starr restaurant week,” he added. “I have so much respect for him and it was a true honor to meet and interview him.”
In the interview, Starr opened up about his experiences and lessons learned from the restaurant industry, noting the “element of theater and entertainment” that formed the mantra behind his success. Starr shared that the lack of good restaurants in Philadelphia prompted him to enter the industry and establish now-famous restaurants like Morimoto, Pod, and Alma de Cuba that have put Philadelphia on the culinary map.
While many questions dealt with Starr’s career and fame, others were slightly more offbeat. One attendee asked where Starr would eat if he could only dine at one restaurant for the rest of his life. Surprisingly, Starr answered that it “wouldn’t be one of [his] own restaurants,” but rather a place where he “could get a good hoagie or tuna sub.”
Starr also offered advice to students from his experiences. “If you have an idea, you need to analyze and dissect it, playing devil’s advocate to see why it won’t work,” he said. “If it survives that process, it’s worth taking a chance on.”
Sophomores in attendance were impressed with both Starr’s words and with the Class Board’s organization of the event, which concluded with a dessert buffet featuring everything from creme brulee to chocolate custard. College sophomore Isabel Friedman said that “it was great to hear trade secrets from such a candid, smart entrepreneur. The event fed both my mind and my stomach.”
