ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your background in culinary and how you came about opening Balade?
CHEF ROLAND SEMAAN: Balade is the Lebanese word for “produce of the highest quality.” That’s what diners can expect at Balade in the East Village. I am a native of Beirut, Lebanon’s Capital City. My interest in hospitality started in the kitchen of my childhood home in Lebanon as I watched my mother and grandmother cook. My father was a diplomat, and my family home was the host site of elaborate dinner parties that welcomed political guests from around the world.
At eighteen, I traveled to Le Bouveret, Switzerland where I attended Cesar Ritz College and studied hotel and restaurant management. After graduating, I went to Dubai for a year to work in the hotel industry. I came to the United States to attend Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island where I earned my Master’s in culinary arts. From there, I moved to New York City where I began my career at Great Performances, a catering and events company managing the company’s large-scale events. Then, I took a management position with the Atlantic Grill, part of B.R. Guest Hospitality. From there, I worked at Hilton Hotel in Times Square to serve as its food and beverage director.
My entrepreneurial spirit led me to develop my own restaurant concept. I found the perfect location in the East Village and returned to my Lebanese roots with the opening of Balade Restaurant in 2010. My mission is to introduce Lebanese cuisine to New Yorkers. The restaurant has since a staple serving the neighborhood and destination clientele.
AM: What can guests expect when they come to dine at Balade?
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