China Grill’s Jeffrey Chodorow on Why Food Is Like Fashion

When Jeffrey Chodorow goes to China Grill, he isn’t really going to dinner. He gathers a group of friends he respects, orders half the menu, and makes sure the kitchen is doing things correctly. After decades of opening restaurants around the world, he still pays that kind of attention.

The legendary China Grill was his first restaurant, a venture meant to be a hobby that became his business, and it has shaped how he thinks about what lasts. To Chodorow, food works a lot like fashion: the classics stay classic, and new ideas are modern interpretations of them. It is a fitting philosophy for Bal Harbour Shops, a destination known for fashion and a place with which he has a long personal history.

In an exclusive conversation with Haute Living, Chodorow reflects on Miami’s changing dining culture, the challenges facing today’s restaurateurs, his favorite local dining spots, and why, after decades in the business, the thrill of getting it right never gets old.

HL: You’ve opened restaurants all over the world. What makes a restaurant a destination rather than just a meal?

JC: Environment, ambiance and vibe. Great food and service should be at the core of every visit, but the feeling that you are someplace special, and the work we do to make you feel that way, is what we focus on.

HL: How has the Miami diner changed since you first arrived in the ’90s?

JC: Miami is a very young city, and I don’t mean young as in age. In the ’90s, it was the very beginning of a restaurant scene where mostly everything had to have a party vibe to be successful. There’s a new generation, but the ’90s generation is still here and still wants that energetic vibe.

HL: What drew you to Bal Harbour as the next chapter for China Grill?

JC: I have a long personal history with Bal Harbour, and China Grill has always had a strong fashion connection, for which Bal Harbour is known. In many ways, food is like fashion. Classics are still classics, but new designs are modern interpretations of old classics.

HL: What’s the biggest mistake you see new restaurateurs make?

JC: They open undercapitalized and can’t deliver on their vision, so they sacrifice it. Some restaurants don’t make money for a year. You would be surprised who is on that list.

HL: What’s on your table when you dine at China Grill?

JC: Too much food. If I didn’t love it, it wouldn’t be on the menu. I’ll get together a group of friends I respect for dinner and order half the menu to make sure they are doing things correctly.

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

HL: Where do you go in Miami when you’re not at your own restaurant?

JC: Everywhere. I need to see what else is out there. Of course I go to Joe’s, we’ve been friends forever, and Martorano’s in Fort Lauderdale because his food is so amazing and personal.

HL: After all these years, what still excites you about opening a restaurant?

JC: Getting it right. It’s hard these days, but when it works, there is no better feeling.