Urbanite
Abigail Ziaja
The Fire Starter
text by Gabriel Cothes
Walk with Abigail for just a few paces and see if you can keep up.
Her world is dizzying and demand for attention is high. She’ll
put out a fire and start a new one all in the same fell swoop. This
is what she does, but also what is expected when running one of
the busiest, top notch restaurants in a city known for it’s culinary
highs. A New York transplant and well seasoned in the hospitality game, Abigail began her affair with San Francisco and The
Salt House three short years ago. In this breadth of time she
has mastered both a city and the house she has chosen to call
her home. Abigail brings with her a wealth of experience from
around the world. Chat for just a few minutes and you may find
yourself waxing poetic about the coastline of Naples or listening
to a declaration as to what hour is best to wander the streets of
Paris. “There’s a time of day, around five o’clock, that everyone
goes and buys a baguette and then they eat a little, walk a little,
and meander on to wherever they’re going. They’re is something
beautiful about simplicity, when an experience is true to exactly
what it is, and it’s all reflected.” She then quips, “Or, maybe it’s
just because I love bread so much, who knows!”
When asked about what draws her to the industry, she
responds: “The tactile experience is addicting.” Every night,
the Salt House cannonball’s along in a beautiful state of controlled chaos. It is, as if all of the exposed brick and massive steal
beams are needed to hold the place down. “Life is happening
all around you, wonderful things, tragic things all in real time.”
Mrs. Ziaja says. “There is something about gathering over food
and wine that is inherently human,” she continues, eyes flashing
with genuine adoration for just such an experience. She loves to
make a connection, to feel the intense satisfaction of touching
every table. For this mild addiction, she places blame squarely
at the feet of storied restauranteur Danny Meyer. Abigail often
uses Meyer’s book, an industry standard, Setting The Table as a
blueprint for service. She smiles wide when recounting Danny’s
theory of finding “nuggets” (little shards of a guest’s experience)
which can be spun into gold and given back to them in an unforgettable way. At this, Abigail Ziaja is a natural. In actuality, for
her, no book is needed.
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