40 North to open in Alphabet City space
As the executive chef of Whitfield at the Ace Hotel in East Liberty, Bethany Zozula was recognized by the prestigious James Beard Foundation, but she was one of millions of Americans in the restaurant industry who lost their jobs during the pandemic.
“I had moments where I thought maybe I’d not be a chef anymore,” she said. “But when it comes down to it, I was still cooking every single day because I loved it.
“I was cooking for two people, and I don’t know how to cook for only two people. I really love feeding people, being a part of their experience.”
She’ll be doing that again soon at 40 North, which will open in early summer in City of Asylum’s Alphabet City on the North Side.
The nonprofit that houses and supports exiled writers, many of whom flee their homelands because of persecution, moved in 2016 to a former Masonic hall at 40 W. North Ave. The 9,000-squarefoot first floor contains a broadcast studio, a bookstore and restaurant space.
Two previous restaurants didn’t work out there. Casellula, a cheese-centered cafe and wine bar, opened in 2017 as the second location of a Manhattan restaurant and closed in less than a year. It was followed by Brugge on North, another outpost of Point Brugge Cafe in Point Breeze and its sibling establishment, Park Bruges in Highland Park. Brugge on North closed early in the pandemic.
Ms. Zozula said City of Asylum founder Henry Reese reached out to her in February, and they began collaborating on the idea. “We’re kind of building it together and making the spaces work together.”
Reflective of the mission of City of Asylum, the menu will be globally inspired.
“This idea is that we’re all coming from different backgrounds and the food from all our different heritages. These are the things that make us feel like home,” she said.
“There’s gonna be a cheeseburger but there’s gonna be a falafel, and I want both of those to be equally important with as much attention to detail as possible.”
She’s also drawing on her own background and experiences.
“I worked for a Georgian chef early in my career, and he was a really big influence. He brought a lot of cool dishes into my repertoire, and the lessons he taught me have never really gone away. But I’ve never gotten to showcase the food that I’ve learned from him.”
That would include ajika, a spicy pepper dip, and khachapuri, a traditional dish of cheese-filled bread that is the national dish of the Eurasian country.
“My partner is Turkish, so I’ve spent the last year really learning how to make Turkish food, and that’s been pretty exciting,” she said.
Ms. Zozula is of Ukrainian stock and says her last name means “cuckoo bird.”
“My background itself is more Eastern European and Western Pennsylvania” with some Southern California for good measure. She was born in Ventura Calif., to a pair of Mount Pleasant natives, who moved their family back when she was 7. Despite growing up in “the woods of Fayette County,” that California experience never receded.
“My mom has always treated food like medicine,” she said. “I really believe that food is the best medicine, not to sound corny. But if treated with respect, the ingredients that you put in your body will make you better. They’ll make you feel better. They’ll make your mind work better.”
“I want people to come in and feel welcome and enjoy their food. I want the food to make them feel good.”
She’s also gotten the band back together, so to speak.
The bulk of her new staff also worked with her at Whitfield, including Sam Suter, who will be the beverage director, and Kassie McGlynn, her sous chef.
“When Ace first closed, I told everyone we will call you back and bring you back in the order you were hired,” she said.
That never happened, as it closed for good.
“So when this came about I started calling people back, and I really have to say that I’ve got gold when it comes to the staff,” she said.
“We had this really incredible team. We really were a very tight knit crew. … This is like our second chance, and hopefully we get this right.”