Chef Spotlight Double Feature: Bobby Little and Chad Urban-The Chefs and Partners of CHEZ NICK, LEROY'S and LITTLE URBAN FOOD & DRINK

It's always nice to learn about the people who are making wonderful cuisine happen in New York City. We have a double feature "Chef Spotlight" for Bobby Little and Chad Urban of the popular restaurants, Chez Nick, Leroy's and Little Urban Food & Drink Catering. Learn about their impressive backgrounds along with their culinary tastes and styles.

First up, Bobby Little!

Bobby Little is the chef-partner and owner of Chez Nick, Leroy's and Little Urban Food & Drink Catering company. Raised on his family farm in a small town in Kentucky, Bobby grew up in the seasons and with a love for food. Bobby began his culinary education by working at the award-winning The Village Pub in Woodside CA, before moving to New York City and working in restaurants such as Marc Forgione, Batard, Khe-Yo and Ai Fiori. At Ai Fiori, he met fellow chef Chad Urban and the two remained in touch for several years before working together again at Batard. After reuniting, Bobby and Chad came up with the idea to open their own restaurant, where they could apply Michelin-starred techniques to affordable seasonal-inspired American cuisine. In 2020, Bobby & Chad opened Chez Nick, a neighbor-hood standout on the Upper East Side of Manhattan Leroy's and Little Urban Catering.

What was your earliest interest in cooking?

When I was 11 years old, we moved to a small five-acre farm where my mother expanded her vegetable garden and we started raising sheep and chickens. It was here where I started to be interested in food it just seemed really cool to have access to all these ingredients and be able to literally cook with them minutes after picking them out of the ground. I would say that is what initially interested me in cooking even if in the moment I wasn't fully aware of what I was learning. After we would harvest these items as well my mom would can everything, our vegetables would last for months just cause everything was so fresh. She was very talented in gardening and it showed in the quality of food we ate.

Who were some of your career mentors?

I would say three people in my career really stand out to me. When I was in college at the University of Kentucky, I had a job working in the FOH at a restaurant called Malones. This is where I decided this would be my career, and we had a great General Manager Johnny Mac who had come from Chicago and had a ton of great experience. He just coached us in a way that I didn't realize until years later how well it was sinking in. I still quote and remember the lessons he taught us all these years later.

Second would be Phet Schwader from Khe-Yo, I met him working at Marc Forgione when I first moved to New York and I was lucky enough to be on the early team at Khe-Yo. Phet, taught me a whole new cuisine and flavor profile in his cooking of Laos cuisine. On top of this he and his partner Nick, sat down with us when we were deciding to venture out on our own to give us valuable advice. We never would have started catering without them and then probably would not have Chez Nick or Leroys.

Lastly would be Markus Glocker from Batard, I really learned a lot in that kitchen. It served me as being my trip to cooking in Europe without having to leave the US. Markus, is such a master at his craft that it was a privilege to work with him.

What culinary styles have influenced your career?

The new American Cuisine of Marc Forgione and the Laotian Cuisine of Phet Schwader from Khe-Yo. Marc's play on classic American dishes that he serves up with a twist was truly amazing to learn about and I still think of a lot of the food we made there to this day.

At Khe-Yo I learned how to balance my flavors, salty, spicy, sweet bitter and that has really influenced my cooking. That and learning how to use fish sauce was probably the most influential job of my career.

What do you consider the most distinguishing features of your work as a chef?

I would say its our combination of flavors that makes us unique. I grew up in California and Kentucky, studied abroad in Austria and spent the last ten years living in NYC and exploring the northeast. I really try to combine all the places I have lived/learned about the local food scenes to create a menu. So whenever we sit down to discuss we try to think of items we grew up with and how to make a dish with that nostalgia, and the techniques we have learned in our career.

What is your favorite meal or meals?

My favorite meal to cook is Roast Chicken, with vegetables cooked in the same pot. Its just classic, easy home cooking that I really cherish. My favorite meals to eat when I go out are Mexican or southeast Asian. So usually I try to get at least one of those on my days off!

Get to know Chad Urban.

Chad Urban is the chef-partner and owner of Chez Nick, Leroy's and Little Urban Food & Drink Catering company. From Cape Cod, Chad Urban began his professional career in construction and manufacturing before attending Indiana University. Shortly after, Chad enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America in New York City, leading him to jobs at restaurants around the city such as Ai Fiori, Picholine, Schilling, Freud and Batard, where he and Bobby shaped their vision for their first restaurant. In 2020, Bobby & Chad opened Chez Nick, a neighbor-hood standout on the Upper East Side of Manhattan Leroy's and Little Urban Catering.

What was your earliest interest in cooking?

When I was a young I would help my mom in the kitchen every once in a while showing fleeting interest but would always focus on other activities. My strongest realization that cooking is something I enjoy was in college for construction management and would cook for myself instead of eating the fast food in the cafeteria.

Who were some of your career mentors?

I have had a few different mentors over the years, first and most importantly would be my mom, she is a wonderful cook herself and helped nurture my curiosity in cooking. The most impactful Chef I worked with was Joe Hoffman, he and I worked together at a few different restaurants for roughly 2 years. He took me under his wing and taught me a great deal over those years together. He gave me a different perspective on how to approach a kitchen and trained me in a wide array of flavors and techniques.

What culinary styles have influenced your career?

I have always had a love for Italian food, mainly pasta! I have always enjoyed playing around with different flavors and style of pasta depending on the season.

What do you consider the most distinguishing features of your work as a chef?

I enjoy teaching all the cooks different techniques and helping them grow in the kitchen. Taking familiar flavors and dishes then putting our own spin on it with some techniques we have learned through the years.

What is your favorite meal or meals?

I always enjoy someone else cooking for me but have a soft spot for some of the homemade meals by mom used to cook for me growing up. Our family even put together a small cookbook that we shared amongst ourselves to pass along some family recipes! Cant forget to mention my wife's cooking, its great having a homemade meal at the end of the night.

Learn more about Bobby's and Chad's restaurants.

Chez Nick: Chez Nick and follow on Social Media @cheznicknyc

Leroy's: Leroy's and follow on Social Media @leroys_bk

Little Urban Food & Drink Catering: Little Urban Foods

Little Urban Foods.

Photo Credit: Briana Balducci

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