They say you are your own worst critic, and second in line is Mother Dearest. It’s all out of love, of course, but moms give it to you straight—with that uncanny way of dredging out every last, embarrassing "remember when" at the dinner table. So in honor of May 11, we’re featuring four of New York’s finest culinary personalities and the apples of their eyes.
First up in our series: Joe Campanale and his mother, Karen. Recently named one of the Top Sommeliers of 2013 by Food & Wine, Joe is the beverage director and owner of dell’anima and L’Artusi, among other Manhattan establishments. So, is his success mother-approved? We sat down with the duo to find out.
JEANINE CELESTE PANG: When did you first become interested in food?
JOE CAMPANALE: As a kid, I was cooking a lot, and even more so after my mom got into a bad accident when I was 14.
What kind of stuff did you make for her?
JC: Just very basic stuff; a lot of it wasn’t very good.
KAREN CAMPANALE: It wasn’t good! Except the breakfast. I would be lying there in bed, and I’d hear, “Mommy, Mommy, I made you breakfast,” and he’d come to my bed with toast, eggs, bacon, pancakes, cereal, and more eggs—everything.
JC: It was a little excessive. But through the years, I realized that what I really liked was taking care of someone through food. I eventually made my way back to the front of the house through the wine industry. With wine, you’re pouring and interacting and hearing the feedback of someone having a great time.
What’s the worst thing Joe’s ever done?
KC: You mean, now or then?
JC: Be careful, Mom…
KC: They’re very different [Laughs]. The worst thing he’s done happened in high school. It was six in the morning. I went into his room and pulled the blankets off, and I definitely did not find a child. It was all sorts of things wrapped up—like a stone.
JC: I snuck out in the middle of the night to visit my girlfriend, and I couldn’t get back in the house. I ended up falling asleep on the patio.
KC: I just kept thinking that he was kidnapped, or whatever. It was an automatic response, like, “Ahhhh! They took him!”
JC: I don’t think a kidnapper would then arrange the sheets.
What was his punishment?
KC: I never punished Joey in his life.
JC: It was just guilt: “Joey, I’m not mad, I’m disappointed.”
What’s the best thing your mom makes?
JC: Her fried chicken is still the best I’ve ever had.
Is there a secret to the chicken?
KC: The crust is a combination of slightly crushed corn flakes and potato chips. It’s thick, and it has this crunch.
How do you envision the perfect Mother’s Day?
KC: We always eat at a really great restaurant.
JC: Where do you want to go this year? We can go wherever you want.
KC: We should go back to Bouley. I named my dog after chef David Bouley!
Joe, do you think you could have any of this success without your mom?
JC: No, she’s been so supportive and very important in developing who I am today.
KC: I was a single mom; it’s always just been Joey and me. I knew we weren’t rich, and there were always p