Meet Tracy DeFusco | restaurant owner/chef

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

Hi Tracy, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Deanna and I had been working together for years at Rosalina & Kleos restaurants. On one of my trips back form Los Angeles where I had lived for many years I told her I wanted to open a restaurant that had a similar vibe to the ones I loved in LA and that I wanted her to run the bar since she is such a hard worker and amazing with people. She said lets do it together and the next day an Instagram page was made and a few months later we had our fist catering event at Lula Lux Salon and our first pop up at The Eddy bar.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The world and our concept is ever changing. In this industry you have to learn to roll with it. Things are not always going to go to plan the best thing you can do is be ready with a plan B C and D. I think this comes a bit more naturally to women. . We both come from front of house positions hence we know how to care for our guests we mange to walk the line between gourmet and accessible. We are just as excited about learning new things as our guests are about trying them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Morning yoga at West Side yoga it is what keeps me sane. The Nitro bar for a Nitro to kick us into gear and then a walk to my garden at South Side Community Land trust I am going to have to put them to work however a lunch that we just harvested in the garden is worth it. I love to walk so over the pedestrian bridge to the east side visiting The RISD campus (Nature Lab the Museum) etc. Dinner at Oberlin we love everything they do the attention to detail from the kitchen to the front of house is perfection. I am from here and I love a good townie bar so definitely a few drinks at Nick a Nees. I also love Warren I lived there in the very early 2000s a walk down Water street some antiquing & record shopping and definitely dinner at Metacomb kitchen.
Rhode Island is the ocean state hence a full day at the beach I have always been a Little Compton East bay person A stop at Evylns for a lobster roll on the way back I love to always sit on the rocks along the water and watch the sun set.
An evening of live music is a must Providence is full of talent and the music scene has always been thriving. I worked at Lupos Heartbreak Hotel in the 90s I have seen a lot of venues close in fact at the time of this interview two clubs are closing. However we are like roaches here we always survive I am sure more venues will be opening in there place.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to the community of Downcity Providence especially Tom and Lauren of Rosalina/Kleos for their continued support our neighbor Karen at Modern Love whom suggested we move into the space across from her EnO fine wines and our guests who get us.

Instagram: amaryllisri