Meet Delfin Jaranilla | Executive Chef and Partner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Delfin Jaranilla and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Delfin, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When we were talking about what Leland Eating and Drinking House was going to be, the concept was to surround the idea of a cozy neighborhood locale that felt like an extension of our home that served honest, local, and seasonal dishes. We wanted a menu that featured what the bounty of the northeast has to offer. Food that is comforting but clean, and easily shareable. We put a lot of effort in cultivating relationships with local farms and fish mongers and hearing about their stories and what makes them special, which adds to our own unique story!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have been a professional chef for 11 years and counting. I was inspired by the amazing meals my mother and grandmother would feed us growing up in Southern California. I decided that recreating those food memories and emotions and sharing them with others was what I wanted to do for a living. I moved to New York City in 2012 with the hope of enrolling into a culinary arts program. Instead, I found myself struggling to adjust to the higher cost of living. I was couch surfing most of my first year and decided that culinary school would only add to the financial burden and stress of living in New York City. I was lucky enough to get hired as an entry level cook at a prominent fine dining steak house in midtown. I spent the next 6 years obsessed and focused on working my way through all of the stations in the kitchen to learn as much as I could from the cooks and chefs who were willing to teach me. Like others in my profession, I had to sacrifice most of my personal life to achieve my goals. I was promoted to executive chef in 2017 and opened 2 restaurant locations back to back. It was the most challenging year of my life. My life/work balance was nonexistent and I found myself on the brink of a total burnout. I decided to take a step back and take a leave to reflect on my career choice and if I was good enough to succeed in such a competitive industry. I realized that I had fallen out of love with cooking because I was over working myself and was too disconnected to the craft of cooking. I returned to the kitchen after a month as a sous chef of a small chef driven restaurant in the west village and I fell back in love with chef life again. I was cooking on the line and running specials daily. The focus on my craft was at the center of my development as a chef. Unfortunately, the pandemic in 2020 put a hold on everything and I was furloughed. I kept my busy mind at bay by starting a cooking class via zoom. Once the pandemic seemed to be a little more under control I began to look for my next culinary home. That is when I met Randi and Jeanette (owners of Leland eating and drinking house) and we immediately clicked. We shared the same food philosophies, ethics, and style of hospitality. We talked about nose-tail butchery, pickling and fermenting, baking our own breads, and creating a menu that centered around sourcing local, sustainable, and seasonal product. That’s what sets us apart from most restaurants: the care that goes into starting with amazing local product and then utilizing all of it with as little waste as possible. We created a menu that features the bounty of each season and cook in a way that comforts people and invokes a sense of nostalgia.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, first I would take them to Leland! If the weather is nice, I’d suggest getting some citibikes and riding around prospect park. Greenwood cemetery is also an amazing walk when it’s nice out during the day. I would definitely try and take them to the comedy cellar for some laughs. As a chef I try and eat out as often as I can to get inspired and to see what my peers are up to. Place de fetes, la vara, hart’s, Don angie, and Dame have been a few recent favorite restaurants I’ve returned to multiple times.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to our amazing staff! Truly, such a pleasure to work with like minded individuals who put in the hard work daily to make Leland the amazing place it is today! From our dishwashers and prep teams, line cooks, and bakers, to our amazing service team/bartenders, and front door staff who welcome our eager guests into our home!

Website: Lelandbrooklyn.com

Instagram: @lelandbrooklyn and @isaucier

Image Credits
Www.belathee.com