MEET EXEC. CHEF JES MONROE, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, RUFFIAN, N.Y.C.
As part of The Dishing’s new series connecting upstate + downstate, we talk with Executive Chef Jes Monroe, a North Creek native now running the Michelin Bib Gourmand Lower East Side wine bar, Ruffian.
Interview: Susie Davidson Powell
Photos: Victoria Sedefian
Shoot location: Milas Restaurant & Bar, Schenectady
Tastemaker: Executive Chef + Director of Operations Jes Monroe
Current Restaurant: Ruffian, Lower East Side
Hometown: North Creek, NY
Current city: New York, NY
Personal style: Middle school art teacher meets fashion savvy grandma
Listening to: Bad Bunny, Tierra Whack, 432 Hz music for sleep
Favorite spirit: Tequila!
Favorite classic cocktail (or non alc): Negroni
Favorite bar or venue ever: Amor y Amargo (NYC), La Penultima (San Juan, PR)
Biggest cocktail influence: Not sure.
Drink trend that should end: Drinks that come in bags. Stop it!
The Dishing talks with tastemakers in the hospitality industry + trailblazers at the intersection of food, culture + art. Today we’re talking with Executive Chef Jes Monroe, a North Creek native now running the Michelin Bib Gourmand Lower East Side wine bar, Ruffian. Monroe worked at The City Beer Hall + Umana Yana in Albany + Downtown Social, Farmacy, Mint + Doc’s, all in Glens Falls. But she criss-crossed the U.S. from the West Coast to New Hampshire before landing in NYC. We talk art, burnout + her ascent to Director of Operations at the award-winning wine bar.
Thanks for talking with The Dishing, Jes! You're both Director of Operations and Executive Chef at Ruffian, one of the most respected natural wine bars in the country. What does a normal day look like for you?
Haha, it’s an interesting balance between the two. Normally my days vary based on the ever-evolving nature of the business. Specifically trying to keep a ten plus year old restaurant vivid and relevant in NYC where there is always a hip new joint to stand in line for. Mostly during the day I start early by checking in with the Managing Partner, Patrick Cournot, to chat about how to drive revenue. Then I move on to the kitchen to see if they need any help with prep or development of new dishes. During service I split my time between hosting, expo, bussing, picking music to set a cute vibe and general duties of being Manager On Duty.
After graduating from high school in North Creek, you moved to Lake George, and went on to worked at a string of upstate restaurants from The City Beer Hall in Albany to Farmacy, Mint + Doc’s in Glens Falls. You were planning to study psychologyand were being scouted by colleges for softball, but made a sudden left turn. What prompted that?
I think the excitement of leaving such a small town and diving into the unknown of travel and big cities was absurdly appealing. Growing up I had always felt a wanderlust driving me toward finding something more in life and following the path of higher education immediately out of high school just wasn’t my vibe. I’m weird, so my journey needed to be even weirder.
You have a great team at Ruffian. What would you say is your strength as a director of operations? And is there anything about being on the line that you miss?
Yes, I’ve had the same team since early 2024 shortly after taking over as Director of Operations. I think one of my strengths as Director of Operations is providing a welcoming and safe place to work at. I want to make sure people feel seen and heard. I would not be where I am without their support. I don’t really miss being on the line. I still get to have creative freedom which was always my focus anyway.
What are your childhood memories of food?
My favorite childhood memories of food would have to be eating green beans and cucumbers fresh from grandmother’s gardens.
Music has been a true through line in your life. After moving back to Glens Falls, you made friends with a band, and bought a one-way ticket to Seattle to play bass, flute, and sing. Could you have seen yourself in a career in music?
I wanted to test my limits. I LOVE music, and saw people around me pursuing their dreams in that way. Making a living out of doing something I loved was what I wanted, so I took a chance…. And failed miserably. It was a tough lesson in adulthood realizing that I couldn’t just freeload and have fun. I needed to establish a stable foundation to carry the weight of my dreams.
You studied biochem at the College of St. Rose + worked at The Daily Grind on Lark Street in Albany where you became friends with local chef Jason Baker at The Wine Bar next door. Baker was instrumental in starting your career in food, wasn’t he?
Jason and I would sit on the steps of the building next to The Daily Grind and chat about life, food, and everything in between. I’d make him breakfast sandwiches and express that I had developed a serious interest in becoming a chef. He told me that I should go chat with Dimitrios about staging at the beer hall. So, one night after work at the cafe a few of my coworkers and I went down to CBH to have dinner and drinks. Dimitrios happened to stop by our table and asked how everything was, so I seized the opportunity (with a bit of liquid courage) and told him that I was going to work for him and become a cook. He proceeded to take me into the kitchen, had me small dice celery, asked me a few questions, then told me that if I wanted to work there that I would drop my New Year’s Eve plans and come work the feast. So I did. That night he told me that I needed to make farro risotto and I had no idea what either of those words meant. But I gave it my all, and I kept showing up and giving it my all for a year before I accepted a job at Umana as Sous Chef.
You've said Chef Demetrios was “tough but the best teacher you ever had.” What's something he taught you that you still carry into how you run a kitchen today?
Dimitrios was wild, haha. He had no limits to the boundaries he would push and the beautiful chaos that he would create. He helped me understand that flavors can shine through as they are without throwing the kitchen sink in the recipe (i.e putting porcini powder in everything). But most importantly Dimitrios taught me that everyone belongs in the restaurant as long as you are respectful and just as limitless in your capacity to learn as he is.
Through another musician friend, you ended up moving to Dover, NH to be executive chef of Sonny's Tavern. We’ve talked about how you experienced burnout, were fired, and felt pretty humbled. Chefs often talk with us about industry pressures. What was that low point like, and what did climbing back out teach you about resilience?
I wasn’t living a sustainable lifestyle. Working endlessly while thinking that I could maintain a pretty serious cocaine and alcohol addiction cleared a sure path to self destruction. The substance abuse blurred the lines between work and free time so the work became “fun”, but sadly the free time became work. I tried multiple times to separate myself from the bad habits. Implementing better ones like hot yoga, running, art. But it never stuck. I lost friends, was evicted a few times, had zero savings, I felt like I was careening through life recklessly. Now being on the other side of this and looking back, I think one of my biggest mistakes was lack of forgiveness for myself. I’ve told many people in my life to be patient and kind to themselves, but I wasn’t listening to my own advice.
You came back to Glens Falls working at Downtown Social, and Farmacy just as the pandemic hit, followed by Mint (pre-opening) and Doc's. What did that stretch teach you about knowing when to leave if a kitchen isn't the right fit?
I think it’s a combination of being a bit of a goldfish in your environment where you can only grow to the limitations of your surroundings, and recognizing abuse in a workplace. Certain places became the wrong fit because I had outgrown them or maybe needed something more. Others broke me in a way I am mentally still recovering from. It is never okay to be told by your employer that you are a failure or that you will never be as good as they are. The entire point of teaching someone is to help them advance in life and to nurture their dreams. It is more of an accomplishment to help your employees to become better than you than it is to stifle their potential.
On a trip to New York City to visit a friend you were offered a sous chef position at Ruffian. What made you say yes?
The idea of moving to NYC was absolutely terrifying. But change is scary and growth is even scarier. I said yes because that’s what I think I needed. And it felt like the universe wasn’t so much giving me signs as it was picking me up by the scruff of the neck and putting me in a place that I felt I belonged. I’ve always kind of gone with the flow and leaned into new opportunities, but this time I had no idea how wildly enriching this experience would be.
You created the chalkboard murals at Farmacy, and now you illustrate the beautiful menus at Ruffian with your watercolor vegetable illustrations. Has art always been an outlet for you?
Growing up I spent a lot of time with my grandmother watching her paint and having her teach me how to use oil colors. I remember every year for Christmas my grandparents, I mean Santa, would get me some type of art supply so I was always encouraged to explore art in any medium. During my 20s I was in an abusive relationship that drove me away from my creative side. But food eventually became a way to express myself. And now that I’m back in a place where I feel comfortable and supported art has found it’s way back to me.
You have a lot of art on your body! Do you have a favorite tattoo or one with an interesting backstory?
Oh my gosh, yes I do! On my right thigh I have a Picasso painting of Jacqueline Rocque (he painted over 400 portraits of her). She was his muse and second wife. I have always loved Picasso. Another is on my knuckles that reads “good love.” The first day I worked with my now partner of four years, Josh, we realized that we had almost exactly the same thing tattooed on our knuckles. His reads “sweet love.”
Your partner—a co-owner of Ruffian—is now your sous chef at Ruffian! What's it like working that closely together as a team?
It’s interesting for sure. But we work very well together. We started dating when I first moved here and while he was still at Ruffian the first time. Then he stepped away and worked at another restaurant in Harlem. During that time we were able to build a strong and stable relationship. Eventually when my former sous chef moved on I asked Josh to come back. We have our moments of disagreement, but I feel it’s important to maintain a sense of humor and keep things lighthearted.
I know you come back upstate often to visit friends. Where are 3 of your “must-go” places that you love to eat or drink anywhere in the Hudson Valley or Capital Region?
My bestie, Brian, and I love Solevo in Saratoga and Mandy’s in Fort Edward. For drinks, Ethan McKee is making inventive and well-rounded drinks at Park & Elm in Glens Falls.
Imagine your ideal day or night out. If you could go anywhere with no limits on costs or reservations, where would you go and how would the day or night unfold?
I would travel back to Cartegana, Colombia and explore more local cuisine. I was there for two weeks at the beginning of this year and fell in love with everything. My ideal day would be taking a boat to one of the islands, relaxing by the beach, having fried fish caught that day with tostones, grabbing a coco frijo, fresh mango, heading back to the city sunkissed and happy, then going to a little bar for a margarita or three.
What’s next? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I’m not sure if it’s a five year plan but I definitely would like to have my own small dive bar with a cute little food menu. For now I want to spend as much time as possible traveling to different countries and exploring new cultures.
Thanks for talking to The Dishing!
