Chicory, Cooking & Creativity: Elise Landry Brings Flavor To Olympia
Photo Credit: Elise Landry
Elise Landry, chef and owner of Chicory in Olympia, brings her cooking and farming experiences to the restaurant. From Kansas City, to Massachusetts, to South America, to Orcas Island, to New Orleans, to Olympia, each place has influenced Landry and the food she makes. Her wanderlust and passion for cooking comes together with her love for the seasonality and sustainability within our food systems. We asked Landry for advice for creatives who want to start their own business, what challenges her, and where she gets her inspiration from.
What is creative about cooking to you?
I see cooking more as a craft than an art form. It’s like a painter vs. a carpenter. I feel like I’m a carpenter. I’ve learned from others, worked with so many different people, honed my skills and have been imitating the things I’ve been taught. And, now, I am the one creating a menu. I feel like 10% of what I’m doing is creative in picking the direction I’m going to go, the ingredients I’m going to use, etc. But, then it’s all about sticking with it and making it the best possible version of a dish and practicing it over and over again making little tweaks here and there until it’s the perfect version. And, then, the dish is no longer because a particular ingredient is out of season and so we start over.
Zucchini bread with whipped chèvre and hot pepper relish. Photo Credit: Chicory
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve had on the business side of the restaurant?
Well, we opened in 2020 which, of course, was really hard. In retrospect, the hardest part was not equating the lack of business with my lack of skill. It wasn’t my fault people weren’t coming in, there were a lot of factors playing against us. The pandemic, we were new in Olympia so no one knew who we were and we didn't have the community support like we do now.
I’ve also learned that I have to delegate and not try to do everything myself. I admit I’m a little bit of a control freak and am optimistic about the amount of time I have, which is never enough. So, I keep saying “Yes, I can do that” and “I’ll take this on,” and then I realize I’m overwhelmed. I’m only one person, so being realistic in what I am capable of doing in a day is key. Then, being able to delegate other tasks to people on my team and putting my trust in them to execute things and think like me. It’s taken a long time to get to that point, but I’m doing it.
What piece of advice would you give to a creative person or entrepreneur who is interested in starting their own business?
Have confidence in yourself and your abilities. Opinions are very subjective and every person has one. You’re not going to please everyone. Which doesn’t mean don’t listen to feedback or adapt, but finding a way to do that while sticking to your vision and values is key.
You also have to remember that if people aren’t responding to what you're doing, it could mean that it’s not the right time and place, rather than it being a reflection of you. That’s where the confidence in yourself comes in. And, being resilient. You’re putting your blood, sweat, and tears into something and then you’re presenting it to people hoping they value it and want to buy it. That’s hard! And, it’s not because you’re not good at it. You’re not inadequate. It’s hard because it’s just hard in general.
Annual crawfish boil hosted by Chicory. Photo Credit: Chicory
Where do you go to get inspiration when you need it?
Cookbooks are great and there are a few I flip through all the time. Sometimes it’s just the visual inspiration or to think about different ways to prepare an ingredient that I have an abundance of, like tomatoes in the summer. I also love getting to do collaboration dinners with other chefs. Being able to work with my peers is really a treat for me. I’m surrounded by people who are more talented than I am and I learn so much from them, it’s really special.
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