Communal Table Podcast: Sam Hellman-Mass

Chefs and restaurant workers take great care of everyone else, but often they need a little help themselves. Each week, Food & Wine senior editor Kat Kinsman talks with hospitality pros about they manage their business, brain, and body for the long haul. Is there a topic you'd like to know more about or a guest you'd love to hear from? Tell us at fwpro@foodandwine.com or tweet to Kat @kittenwithawhip.

Episode 11: Sam Hellman-Mass

Restaurateurs talk about having skin in the game, but for Sam Hellman-Mass, the situation was more literal. In the buildup to opening Suerte—one of Food & Wine's 2019 Best New Restaurants—he had a stress-exacerbated allergic reaction to a medication that caused his whole body to turn red and his vision to be impaired for months. Still, he persevered, and from its inception, Hellman-Mass and executive chef Fermín Nuñez have set a culture at Suerte that puts the mental and physical wellbeing of their team and community first—all while crafting some simply masterful masa. During the recent SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, Hellman-Mass sat down for an early morning chat about the sometimes scary shift from chef to owner, and how Suerte takes care of their own and the community around them.

Learn more about the restaurant: Suerte Meet the Class of 2019: Best New Restaurants

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