Restaurateur from Redding hopes to bring ‘gift of flavor’ to neighbors
REDDING — Brian Candee suddenly had spare time on his hands when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and caused the shutdown of businesses. So Candee spent a lot of time blending together new ingredients in his kitchen as a way to do some testing and get creative.
The restaurant connoisseur from Redding tapped into southeast Asian flavors and explored new recipes while the world beyond his doorstep turned “upside down.” He’d previously been working with the Village Social Group in Westchester, N.Y., but decided to take a leap and pursue a solo venture.
The unexpected circumstances led him to open Dinh Dinh, a restaurant premiering southeast Asian inspirations with an “American backbone” in Bedford Hills, N.Y. While he initially wanted to open a spot closer to his hometown, time was of the essence.
“I didn’t have the luxury of being gainfully employed while looking for spaces, so as the clock was ticking, I wasn’t seeing what I necessarily wanted to see in the Connecticut area,” he said. “I just couldn’t find the right fit.”
When the New York native came across the location and realized it checked off all his boxes, he went for it. His wife, Lauren Candee said it’s “kind of hard to take the New York out of the New Yorker.”
She stood by watching as Brian Candee’s brewing love for food brought out surprises in their own home and poured over into his business.
“He has a real gift for flavor in general and pairing strange ingredients to come up with something beautiful,” she said.
And now some of those homemade creations, such as his sweet potato and kimchi summer rolls, have made it onto the restaurant’s menu. The restaurant also offers a variety of glutenfree, vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free dishes.
Brian Candee opened the location with a focus on takeout in consideration of the pandemic restrictions that were in place.
“We’re trying to think about the restaurant industry in a different way because I don’t think it’s ever going to be normal again,” Lauren Candee said, noting that they are just trying to keep up with all of the industry changes.
Though now business is picking up “slowly but surely” and Brian said he anticipates his pho offerings will draw out more people as the weather cools.
If all goes well with his first shop, he hopes to open a second in Connecticut. In the meantime, he’s hoping to bring his cuisine to his local supporters and Redding neighbors.
Lauren Candee said she had about 100 families tell her they’d like to try out Brian’s food but don’t make it over to Bedford Hills that often. He and his wife are working out the logistics to start offering takeout from their home a couple of days a week.
Their biggest obstacle is how they would transport so much food over from the restaurant but are hoping to figure it out soon.
“We’d want to have food that travels well and keeps its integrity,” Brian Candee said. “I feel a great deal of support from everyone I talk to. It’s really carried me.”