Chefs are skilled and talented culinary craftspeople who create flavorful masterpieces. They are the visionaries who set the tone for the entire restaurant.
Long Island native and Chef Alec Gropman, a senior partner and executive chef at Uptown Hospitality Group, is behind the food and beverage departments of restaurants such as Uptown Social, Share House, By The Way, Bodega and the soon-to-be-open The Waverly. Growing up with a love for food and working in kitchens, Gropman’s parents encouraged him to explore and appreciate different cultures through the experience of food.
Gropman graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2017. After graduation, he moved to Charleston and launched his postgraduate program — a side of his culinary career. “I quickly rose to chef/owner of Uptown Social before launching the Bodega concept, which found its first brick-and-mortar on 23 Ann St.,” Gropman shared. He spearheaded the opening of their Mount Pleasant location while continuing to assist with things like the By The Way cocktail menu.
Gropman’s experience spans almost every back of house (BOH) position. Kitchens are incubators for fascinating stories; it helps that hospitality tends to attract some of the most unique and colorful characters you can imagine. After years in the food and beverage industry, the best advice Gropman can offer to young upcoming chefs is to learn “why you do things,” not just “how to do things.”
“If you can embody this mindset, then you don’t just learn how to make mayonnaise, but you learn why emulsion is stronger with the inclusion of Dijon mustard or why the flavor is improved with the twang of lemon juice,” explained Gropman. These lessons and life principles can be applied to many aspects of one’s restaurant business, so by becoming well-versed in certain thematic elements of the operation, one can ensure exponential success in one’s enterprise.
Gropman, who grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut, currently resides in Mount Pleasant and enjoys spending time with his wife and their two Australian shepherds, Sullivan and Roux. “Right now, I love making paella on the grill at home. It’s a showstopper meal for my wife and me when we entertain. But honestly, there are few foods more satisfying to make and eat than a perfectly toasted grilled cheese,” he laughed.
Owning a restaurant has been Gropman’s dream. His parents still have the “menus” he created as a child using crayons before he could write. “I would run over to them with scribbles and explain their options for the evening. So, honestly, I don’t know what made me fall in love with kitchens; I imagine I was probably hungry,” quipped Gropman.
You can catch Gropman serving it up at Bodega. His vision is to continue the vibe of Bodega, growing his restaurant empire both locally and across state lines. Bodega exists to inspire incredible meals and a deep sense of community and adds nostalgic elements to welcome patrons into a nurturing, nourishing dining experience.
In a world filled with stress and anxiety, everyone deserves to eat a mouthwatering bacon, egg and cheese sandwich or a stack of decadent, fluffy Candy Shoppe Pancakes because why not.
By Maurice J. Frazier
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