CHB Interviews: Sarah Peck of Ortine
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Clinton Hill resident Sarah Peck opened Ortine, a restaurant in Prospect Heights, last year. The restaurant now has its own vegetable garden, and will be using harvests for restaurant dishes. CHB asked Sarah about her business and what she likes best about living in Clinton Hill.
1. How long have you lived in the neighborhood? What brought you here? Since 2004. All of our friends were moving here. Needed more space after we got married. 2. Tell us about Ortine, your new-ish restaurant in Prospect Heights. It's a european style cafe (open for pastry, coffee, breakfast, sandwiches and a few hot entrees all day) with a seasonal, local & homemade emphasis.
3. How did you pick PS as the place to open Ortine? Why not Clinton Hill? Limited commercial space in Clinton Hill. Feels like the same neighborhood. We live in 5 blocks away.
4. You worked as a GM for restaurants for the last decade. What led you to open your own place? What lessons did you bring with you from the other places you've worked? Liked working in a restaurant but wanted to couple it with my own ideas about eating locally and sustainably.
5. Any advice for aspiring new business owners? Make sure you have enough money!
6. Ortine offers a lot of intriguing menu items. Tell us about some of them. Everything is very handmade. We work hard to prepare ingredients ahead of time and then assemble them for service in a very small, all electric kitchen.
7. Ortine now has its own garden. What kinds of vegetables are grown there? So far many greens, tomatoes, beans, watermelon & an herb garden are planted. Still some time yet for harvest.
8. What's your favorite area restaurant (aside from your own, of course)? A few favs are: Franny's, Bonita, Geido...
9. What's the best part of living in Clinton Hill? Great infrastructure; big wide streets & huge old trees
10. If you were a flavor of ice cream, what would you be and why? Rhubarb - sweet & tart!
Ortine 622 Washington Ave (@ Pacific) http://www.ortine.com/