Our Story begins with 2 Southern-raised buddies, both proud LSU Alums, who had a hankering for authentic Cajun cuisine in the Big Apple.

In 2014, with a truckload of moxie and a dash of southern charm, they decided to start serving up Cajun favorites in Madison Square Park. As luck would have it, they found a perfect spot for the first Gumbo Bros restaurant, which opened in December of 2016 to rave reviews from New Yorkers and Cajuns alike.

And the rest, as they say, is history…

Co-Founder and Chef Adam Lathan started cooking at a young age and creating the perfect pot of gumbo soon became his obsession. Having learned the “proper” gumbo technique from his great-grandmother Nanny, Adam is still pursuing the perfect gumbo and works tirelessly to ensure his customers have their culinary minds blown. 

Adam’s cooking has gone on to receive high praise from customers and press alike, having been positively reviewed and featured in: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, New York Magazine, Grubstreet, Eater, and many other publications. Adam has been selected to cook at the Food Network’s New York Food and Wine Festival for 3 consecutive years and has been a guest speaker at the New York Restaurant Show in 2017 and 2019. 

Adam is a native of Mobile, Alabama, is a graduate of Louisiana State University, the International Culinary Center (formerly the French Culinary Institute), and a member of the James Beard Foundation. 

Originally from Lebanon, self-taught chef and owner Tarik Fallous opened the first location of Au Za’atar with his mother in 2014 as an ode to the family cooking that he grew up with. He and his mother carefully plan seasonally menus together, working to develop and keep the same flavors and authenticity from their family recipes while also highlighting the best of Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients and homemade dishes.

Au Za’atar has quickly become a dining destination in the East Village and Midtown East, for New Yorkers and tourists alike, serving family recipes from Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries.

Nearly every summer, Chef Tarik visits Lebanon to draw new ideas for his menu. Au Za’atar also serves a curated selection of Lebanese wines that Chef Tarik has gotten to know during his visits to Lebanon.  

WAYLA translates to “time” in Thai – meaning – take a little time out of your day to come have a drink with us, or take a little more time off and enjoy a leisurely meal with us! Wayla serves bright and fresh homestyle Thai food with a greenmarket approach inspired by the markets in Bangkok where Chef, Tom Naumsuwan, grew up.

Chef Tom Naumsuwan was born and raised in Bangkok. The street markets of his home city are Naumsuwan’s main inspiration for his cooking at Wayla. He emphasizes top-quality ingredients and wholesomeness over breadth and novelty. He wanted to differentiate Wayla with a consice menu of simple, comforting fare. “A lot of times we see Thai food that’s very exotic or crazy spicy, which is fun and has its place,” he adds. In contrast, his food is accessible and even healthy. At times he pairs vegetables with certain proteins to ensure low-cholesterol in a dish. What’s most important, he maintains, is that his customers leave Wayla feeling “as if [their] mom [had] cooked you dinner.”

New York, NY – RedFarm is open at 529 Hudson Street in the West Village. This new destination from dim sum master chef Joe Ng and Chinese food expert Ed Schoenfeld aims to be one of the most exciting and influential restaurants in the country. RedFarm brings a greenmarket sensibility to modern and inventive Chinese food and super-charged dim sum complemented by modern, rustic décor.

Joe Ng’s menu takes a clean, fresh approach to Chinese food. Signature items include clever dim sum creations for which Ng is known and small plates: Pac Man dumplings; yuzu wasabi shrimp; mushroom spring rolls that evoke a chanterelle mushroom; and a sculptural chicken salad. Modern takes on classic main dishes includes remarkably tender marinated rib steak with steamed baby bok choy and spicy steamed sea bass.

Restaurant designer Jun Aizaki, of Brooklyn’s Crème Design, brought RedFarm’s locavore, farm-to-table mindset to life in the 1828 townhouse parlor-level space. Painted white brick walls and exposed wooden beams add intimate warmth to the 1,200 square foot room. Aizaki outfitted the room with wooden tables, chairs, crates, red and white patterned fabrics to create a classic farmhouse feel. Menus, chopsticks and flora hang from rustic piping above the five booths and two communal tables.