In a world where we could have just about everything we want at a moment’s notice, we have to pick and choose where we allocate our energy and always remember that while good things are fleeting,

Great Things Take Time

Today’s conversation with Chef Mario of Ballato is a reminder that the best things in life aren’t instantaneous. Sure, there are instantaneous things we love, like a one-touch purchase via Apple Pay or Shopify, or a two-second login via your saved passwords, all keeping you moving and on to the next Great Thing. But the most fulfillment doesn’t come from the things that happen immediately; those are quickly forgotten.

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Table of Contents

• Every Recipe Needs Some Zest

• Moments with Maurice

• What's Got Me Smilin'

Every Recipe Needs Some Zest

If a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, then you can only imagine what adding your personal twist and some unique zest can do.

This weekend, Great Things With Adrian launched, a series exploring the stories of different experts in various fields. These are people who have dedicated significant amounts of time honing their craft or passion to build something they spent many years dreaming about. There are no short-cuts here! Their stories are each uniquely theirs, and many of their journeys don’t follow a traditional path pre-determined by society. As Frank Sinatra would say, “I did it my way.”

My hope with this series is not only that you’ll be introduced to some people from new walks of life, but that you’ll also start to see the pattern they all follow: that they are living their Great Things because they each followed their own path. There are no rules to how you get there, as long as you aren’t taking the easy way out!

Mario Vitolo is the eldest son of Emilio Sr., the owner of Ballato, a Southern Italian restaurant located in the Nolita neighborhood of NYC. Vitolo is a chef and Head of Hospitality for Ballato, and from here on out, I’ll put some respect on his name and refer to him as Chef Mario (YES, CHEF!). 

Chef is a bright-eyed, eager (and newlywed!) individual, keen on keeping his family’s culinary legacy alive, but also looking to stay true to how he envisions his future. When I visited him, he walked me through a well-loved staple of Ballato: Chicken Parm. 

You might assume that since Ballato is a family ordeal run by the Vitolo Family, Chef Mario has been cooking up delicious meals for customers for ages, but that’s far from the case. While he has gone to school for formal culinary training, he got his start in the family business washing dishes, hanging coats, and cleaning the floors. He didn’t want to start this way (I mean, who would when you have spaces as beautiful as Ballato?), but taking this steady trajectory gave him experience in every area of the restaurant.

Two things stood out to me during my time with Chef Mario. The first being that he wasn’t afraid to lean into his experience as a student. When he was coming up in the restaurant world, he got to work for different people in various roles, which gave him an appreciation of each aspect of what goes into the final meal that makes it onto the table. 

When you dine, the meal isn’t just judged by the taste; there are also many other factors that go into your perception of it (yes, even when at home). What is the environment like? How is the presentation? What is your interaction like with the people around you? Are the ingredients fresh? It’s why eating a microwave burrito on your couch in front of the TV hits differently than a home-cooked meal with friends. 

Chef’s exposure to each area of the business means that when it’s time for him to take the leap to open up his own spot, his expectations are informed by his lived experiences. He’s not just being told how something should be; he’s done it himself.

Chef Mario’s marriage of familial legacy and personal zest is the second thing that stood out to me. He hopes to open up another space that comes with his own take on things. He says it himself in the episode: the Chicken Parm is a staple and their money maker. So why mess with a good thing? Well, because he has a unique take on dishes that he wants to share with others. 

His vision is inspiring to me because he’s unafraid to take a step in a new direction. How many times do we experience something that is tried and true, that is so good that we’re afraid to stray from its exact recipe? And no, I’m not just talking about food. We see how other people have done something, or practiced it one way ourselves for years. We follow things our parents laid out for us, but we don’t stop to question that there might be a different way to do things that is better for us. Something that feels more true to who we are as a person.

Chef Mario’s advice to those getting started in the restaurant industry holds true across all disciplines and is something I’ve learned to appreciate myself: don’t be afraid to be a beginner and a student. There is beauty and knowledge in simplicity; you can’t rush excellence. He gained a respect for the people and processes that turn out a Great product, and now he can take those foundations and mold them to fit something that feels right to him.

This episode feels like an important reminder to anyone on their journey to Great Things: it doesn’t matter where you are on the journey; all parts of the process are important and will contribute to achieving your Great Thing. Even if it takes longer than you’ve hoped, don’t get discouraged and don’t give up. But no matter where you are, don’t be afraid to start coloring outside the lines and doing things that make something authentically yours. We don’t need more replicas of the same thing; we need more people standing strong in their individual Greatness.

Check out the episode below and let me know your takeaway in the comments!

Moments with Maurice

If you only pause to reflect on your life for one moment today, do it now.

If you’ve been journaling along with me, take the time to pause on the reflection and write down your answer to the prompt. Even if it feels silly in the moment, looking back on what you’ve written down can be eye-opening when you start to see patterns form.

Because no matter what, there is always something to smile about.

CEO’s of Our Own Future

Below are my coworkers Mekenzye and Travis at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council Summit. This was a great reminder of what happens when we don’t view things as happening TO us and rather what we can do to make circumstances work FOR us. Easier said than done, of course.

One could say I’m making this jacket work for me in this elevator selfie… 😉 

Great Things Filming

Absolutely stoked for an upcoming episode in our Great Things series. For now, you can enjoy some of the BTS of filming. If you recognize this restaurant, I’m sure you’re just as stoked as me.

Damn, They Put Their Foot In It (Again)

If you aren’t familiar with the phrase, “you put your foot in it,” it’s an expression to compliment just how delicious something is, and boy has Chef Capon done it again. Dinner at Capon’s Chophouse did not disappoint!

Remember:

-Adrian