Episode 212: Marc St. Jacques (Bar Bête & Ruthie's--Brooklyn)

In our humble estimation, the food Marc St. Jacques and his team serve at Bar Bête, is some of the very best not just in Brooklyn, but in New York City, especially in such a relatively casual bistro setting and at a relatively gentle price point. Marc recently opened what's shaping up as an American answer to Bar Bête, Ruthie's, just a block up Smith Street in Cobble Hill. The new restaurant has undergone a few significant tweaks in just its first few months; in his conversation with Andrew, Marc opens up not just about his Canadian roots and culinary training, but also about launching a new restaurant, acknowledging and correcting mistakes, and the challenge of getting the word out if you don't have a PR firm or social-media manager. He also discusses the workplace culture that's helped Bar Bête retain many of its original employees since opening three years ago. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related news.

photo by Evan Sung

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!