Mark Richard Strausman

Chef-owner of Mark's Off Madison, which he opened in November of 2020 at 41 Madison Avenue in the Flatiron District neighborhood of Manhattan. It has been featured in The New York Times, Eater, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, etc.

https://www.marksoffmadison.com/

Former managing director of the world-renowned restaurant Freds at Barneys New York - both at Madison avenue and "Barneys New York, Downtown" in Chelsea, Manhattan. He has been manager/co-manager and head chef/co-head-chef of Italian restaurants in Manhattan, Sapore di Mare in East Hampton, Suffolk County, Long Island, also Agriturismo in Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley region of Upstate New York, chef owner of Campagna on East 2st Street in the Flatiron District neighborhood of Manhattan, as well as Coco Pazzo, with Giuseppe "Pino" Luongo, on East 74th Street in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan.

Author of The Campagna Table: Bring the Style and Cooking into your Own Home, co-author, along with Pino Luongo, of Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen, and co-author, along with Susan Littlefield, of The Freds at Barneys New York Cookbook. Specializes in Italian cuisine - specifically Tuscan cuisine - but is knowledgeable of other European cuisines, as well, considering his varied classical European training.

He has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Lifetime’s popular The Home Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Discovery’s Home Matters, CBS’s The Early Show, NBC’s Weekend Today in New York, has been a regular guest on Martha Stewart Living, “F*ck That’s Delicious” by Action Bronson, among others.

Small reads about him:

http://mstrausman.wordpress.com/about/

"Mark Strausman was born in Queens, New York, in 1956. Growing up in Flushing, he was always attracted to cooking and often made meals for the family. “My mom and I had a simple deal, which she loved, ” he recalls, “I would shop and cook, she would clean.” His first job in the food service industry was selling peanuts at Shea Stadium, but he began to cook professionally while earning a degree in Hotel Management in the highly respected culinary program at New York City Technical College. When the school offered to place him overseas after graduation, Mark jumped at the opportunity.

He spent the next four years working and training in some of the best five-star hotels in Europe, including the Hessischer Hof and Kempinski Hotel Gravenbrauch Frankfurt, the Montreaux Palace, Montreaux, and the Amstel Hotel, Amsterdam. He was indoctrinated in the strict European caste system, working from the Comme de Cuisine to Chef de Cuisine. “It’s kind of like being a musician,” he says, “you need to learn the classics before you can strike out on your own.” Returning to New York in the mid 1980’s, Mark worked at the Stanhope and Jacqueline’s; using the classic continental skills he had gained abroad.

But his future was in Italian food. “French food is great”, he says, “but there is only so much one can do with it. You know with television they say that the medium is the message. Well, with Italians the medium is food – good, sensual food.” Early in 1988, Mark opened Sapore di Mare in East Hampton with Pino Luongo and the rest, as they say, is history. Sapore became the hardest place in town to get table, as weekending New Yorkers made it the only place to be seen. Late in 1990, the pair opened Coco Pazzo on the East Side of New York, which quickly garnered critical acclaim, including a coveted three-star rating from the New York Times.

In 1992, Strausman was selected Best American Chef by Tenimenti di Barolo e Fontanafredda in Alba, Italy, and received Grand Prize in the 1992 Proscuitto di Parma Chef Recipe Contest.

Leaving Coco Pazzo in June 1993, he founded Mark Strausman’s Entertainment Catering, a company that specialized in off-premise catering and special events, and whose functions included the 1994 Grammy party for SONY music at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Opening Campagna in June 1994, Strausman realized the dream of owning his own restaurant. Labeled “media central” by New York Magazine, Campagna was an instant critical and commercial success. At Campagna, Strausman’s simple, updated Italian peasant food has found a permanent home.

Campagna has expanded to include Campagna Catering, an off-premise catering company that already has an impressive client list.

In 1996 Strausman was chosen to Run Barney’s Restaurant in its flagship store on Madison and 61st street in Manhattan. This restaurant has gotten stellar reviews from New York Magazine and Gourment and has become one of New York’s premier party spaces in the evening.

In 1997 Strausman received a consulting contract with Wegman’s food market of Rochester New York this began a two year relationship of menu planning, product development, recipe program and corporate food training and team building exercises.

He help develop and get off the ground Wegman Italian classics.

In 2001 Barneys New York decided to move the restaurant Fred’s at Barneys New York from the lower level to the ninth floor. Since the change the restaurant has become a haven for celebrities and New York society. It has been featured in Woman’s wear daily,

The New York Observer for being the place to be seen for lunch in New York.

In 2003 Strausman developed a partnership with Pino Luongo the original owner of Coco Pazzo Restaurant where he was once chef. In September he took over the kitchen at Coco Pazzo and has restored it to it’s original three star rating with the New York Times. Today Mark can be found at Fred’s during the day and at Coco for dinner.

Strausman has been featured in many publications, and on television, appearing on “The Late Show with David Letterman”, Lifetimes popular “The Home Show”, late night with Conan O’Brien, Discovery “Home Matters” CBS “This Morning”, and a regular guest on Martha Stewart Living, among others.

Mark Strausman was born in Queens, New York in 1956. Growing up in Flushing, he was always attracted to cooking and often made meals for the family. "My mom and I had a simple deal, which she loved, " he recalls, "I would shop and cook, she would clean." His first job in the food service industry was selling peanuts at Shea Stadium, but he began to cook professionally while earning a degree in Hotel Management in the highly respected culinary program at New York City Technical College. When the school offered to place him overseas after graduation, Mark jumped at the opportunity.

He spent the next four years working and training in some of the best five-star hotels in Europe, including the Hessischer Hof and Kempinski Hotel Gravenbrauch Frankfurt, the Montreaux Palace, Montreaux, and the Amstel Hotel, Amsterdam. He was indoctrinated in the strict European caste system, working from the Comme de Cuisine to Chef de Cuisine. "It's kind of like being a musician," he says, "you need to learn the classics before you can strike out on your own." Returning to New York in the mid 1980's, Mark worked at the Stanhope and Jacqueline’s; using the classic continental skills he had gained abroad.

But his future was in Italian food. "French food is great", he says, "but there is only so much one can do with it. You know with television they say that the medium is the message. Well, with Italians the medium is food - good, sensual food." Early in 1988, Mark opened Sapore di Mare in East Hampton with Pino Luongo and the rest, as they say, is history. Sapore became the hardest place in town to get table, as weekending New Yorkers made it the only place to be seen. Late in 1990, the pair opened Coco Pazzo on the Upper East Side of New York, which quickly garnered critical acclaim, including a coveted three-star rating from the New York Times."

Very recent: http://www.downtownmagazinenyc.com/chef-mark-strausman-on-freds-at-...

"A veteran of Barneys New York for two decades, Chef Mark Strausman has overseen the openings of Freds Madison Avenue, Chicago, Beverly Hills, and most recently, Chelsea. He is a native New Yorker — he grew up in Queens — and his Barneys roots predate his tenure in the Freds kitchen; he purchased his bar mitzvah suit at the original Barneys New York, a location which the new Chelsea flagship store now occupies.

Prior to working with Barneys in the United States, Chef Mark trained abroad at Germany’s Grandhotel Hessischer Hof, Switzerland’s Le Montreux Palace, and Amsterdam’s Amstel Hotel. He returned to New York in the 1980s, becoming the Executive Chef at the Hamptons’ Sapore di Mare. Next, he opened Campagna in the Flatiron District in 1994.

Campagna led to working with Barneys New York and Freds. On Jun. 28, Freds’ Chelsea restaurant extended its hours and menu, in addition to starting to serving liquor; previously it had only served lunch between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Freds is famous for its bagels, which Chef Mark has been known to demonstrate the making of. Mark caught up with Downtown to talk about Freds and plenty more.

For more information on Freds, click on over to www.barneys.com/freds. Barneys New York is on Twitter via the handle @BarneysNY, while Mark is on there as @MarkStrausman. Mark can be tracked via his WordPress site and also has cookbooks available via Amazon.

How would you describe Freds to someone who has not yet been there? Is there a way to describe the cuisine?

Mark Strausman: Freds is the perfect example of a restaurant that has something for everyone. It’s classical and trend-oriented, but not trendy. It’s intimate and a local neighborhood restaurant, but also a renowned destination.

How does the New York restaurant compare to that of other locations?

MS: I view the different Freds locations the way I view my children. They come from the same family, but each one has its own individual personality and preferences. I tailor the menus in each location to the tastes of the locals, so in New York we make bagels and bialys, we do a special Passover menu. We also do special items for Christmas in New York, which is a little different from the other locations.

I see that there are bagels on your menu. It’s often said that bagels are only good in New York and New Jersey. Any idea why that is?

MS: I’ve never heard that the bagels are good in New Jersey, but that’s where I buy my bagel boards for baking, so maybe there’s some truth to that. People say it’s the water, but I think it’s more who’s making the bagels. There’s a tradition of bagel-making in New York that doesn’t exist elsewhere.

What is your favorite item on the Freds dinner menu?

MS: No one has a favorite child. I like it all.

What can you tell me about the dinner menu?

MS: I aim to create a menu that uses the finest quality, local ingredients but in dishes that people can eat every day, not just on celebratory occasions. The dinner menu is very neighborhood-oriented, meaning there’s something for everyone and it’s food that’s light enough that you can eat it every day,

What is the biggest challenge of running an establishment like Freds?

MS: Keeping the energy up every day, so that even after 20 years, each day feels fresh.

What was your first job within the hospitality world?

MS: I sold peanuts at Shea Stadium when I was a teenager.

What was it that inspired you to work with food in the first place?

MS: As a teenager I complained about my Mom’s cooking, so she suggested I do it. It turned out that I had a talent for it and I really enjoyed shopping and cooking for the family.

Word is that you got your bar mitzvah suit at Barneys. Was that where a lot of your clothing came from as a child? Or was that a favorite of your family for special occasions?

MS: Like a lot of people of my generation, it was a destination for special occasions.

All these years later in your career, what is it that keeps you based in New York City?

MS: I was born here, my family is here, and it’s has become one of the culinary capitals of the world. Why should I leave?

Makes sense. So when you’re not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?

MS: Watching competitive sports of any kind, including the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which was recently on ESPN.

Finally, Mark, any last words for the kids?

MS: Shave, hide the tattoos, and please, God, put sound-proofing in your restaurants! But I love you."

From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-strausman

"In 1992, Strausman was selected Best American Chef by Tenimenti di Barolo e Fontanafredda in Alba, Italy, and received Grand Prize in the 1992 Proscuitto di Parma Chef Recipe Contest.

Leaving Coco Pazzo in June 1993, he founded Mark Strausman's Entertainment Catering, a company that specialized in off-premise catering and special events, and whose functions included the 1994 Grammy party for SONY Music at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Opening Campagna in June 1994, Strausman realized the dream of owning his own restaurant. Labeled "media central" by New York Magazine, Campagna was an instant critical and commercial success for it’s simple, updated Italian peasant food. Campagna expanded to include Campagna Catering, an off-premise catering company with an impressive client list.

In 1996 Strausman was tapped to run Barney’s restaurant in its flagship store on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Renamed Fred’s, the restaurant in 2001 moved to the 9th floor of Barneys, where it has became a magnet for celebrities and the New York society of the well-heeled neighborhood. Fred’s has been featured in Women’s Wear Daily, The New York Observer, and New York Magazine, among other publications, and is known for being “the” place to be seen for lunch in New York.

Strausman has worked as a consultant for Wegman’s, and spent two years in menu planning, product development, recipe program, corporate food training and team building, culminating in the development and launch of Wegman’s Italian Classics collection

After a successful ten year run at Campagna, Mark Strausman decided to close the doors. In 2003 he entered into a partnership with Pino Luongo to run Coco Pazzo and re-entered the kitchen as chef/owner.

In October 2007 Mark and Pino released their first cookbook together called Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen, published by Artisan Books. Two Meatballs has already received critical acclaim, is on the list of Amazon’s top 25 Italian cookbooks, as well as receiving a James Beard nomination.

Strausman has been featured in many publications, and on television, appearing on "The Late Show with David Letterman", Lifetime’s popular "The Home Show", “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”, Discovery’s “Home Matters”, CBS’s “The Early Show”, NBC’s “Weekend Today in New York”, and is a regular guest on “Martha Stewart Living”, among others."