Q&A with Po's Steven Crane

It’s not easy to open a restaurant in New York, and it’s even harder to keep it open after the newness has worn off.  But Po has managed to not only survive the New York dining scene, but also thrive and even get better with age.  After two decades, Po is still going strong, which has a lot to do with its owner, Steven Crane.  When Po first opened, Crane was partnered with chef Mario Batali, who also helmed the kitchen.  Though Batali’s no longer in the picture, the restaurant is still going strong.   Crane has managed to keep Po relevant with its phenomenally fresh pastas, seasonal menu and commitment to neighborhood  purveyors. But Crane started out as a dish washer in the Jersey Shore in the 1970’s.  He worked in California waiting tables for several years, then moved to New York in 1993 to open Po with Mario Batali, whom he met while working in San Francisco.  And the rest is history.   

Single/Married/Divorced?
Single, but in a serious relationship

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A pro basketball player, but I stopped growing at 5-feet-9 inches. Then an actor and by 23,
a restaurateur.

What was your first job in food and what did you learn?
Seaside Heights boardwalk at the Whistle Stop restaurant in 1975 and ‘76. I washed dishes and did food prep my first year and was a line cook in my second year.

You went to culinary school, so what made you decide to pursue the business
side of restaurants instead of becoming a chef?
I actually started in the front of the house and was a very good home cook.
When I decided I wanted to be a restaurant owner, I felt the need to know all
aspects of the business. I enrolled and completed culinary school, cooked
in several restaurant kitchens for the hands-on experience and went back to
the front of the house to earn and save the money needed for opening my own.
Let’s not forget Mario’s an okay cook, so he took the reins in the back of the
house.

How did you and Mario Batali become friends, and then business partners?
He would frequent a restaurant named Jackson Fillmore Trattoria that I
waited tables in when I was 26 and he was 25-year-old line cook at The Clift Hotel
French Room. We both had motorcycles and loved going out after work to all
the hot spots of San Francisco.

What¹s the hardest part about opening a restaurant?
Staffing it because you’re trusting people to prepare and present your
product.

How do you think the New York City restaurant scene has changed since Po
opened almost two decades ago?
Chefs have become more interested in becoming celebrities than cooks. Also
food portions are smaller with a higher price tag.

How have you kept Po relevant and successful for 18 years?
A different menu for all seasons and changing it a couple of times during
that season, and daily specials every night.  Most importantly, I have a
dedicated staff that has been with me from the start or for several years at
least.

What changes has Chef Lee McGrath made to Po¹s menu?
He has upped the ante on the accompaniments that go with the entrees and has
really taken advantage of our farmer Guy Jones of Blooming Hills Farm in
Hudson Valley.

Why did you decide to cultivate relationships with local, artisanal food
purveyors like Murray¹s Cheese, Refetto¹s Pasta and Florence Meat Market?
These purveyors have been in the historical West Village for decades.
Raffetto’s for example has been making fresh pasta since 1905. I have a very
close relationship as a costumer but most importantly as a neighbor and friend.
And their products are the best NYC has to offer.

What are some of your favorite dishes at Po?
All.  But if I had to choose…Guinea Hen over fregula, Porcini crusted Cod
with borlotti beans and broccoli rabe and whatever the pappardelle of the
season is.  The pastas are out of this world and my pasta chef has been with me
at Po for 16 years.

What regions of Italy inspire you as a restaurateur?
Toscana for game and vino. Piemonte for risotto, braised meats and vino.
Sicilia for anything fish.

What¹s typical work day for you?
After 17-and-a-half years I now go in from 8 am to around 5 pm to do all the books
and receive deliveries. When the night staff gets in to say ‘hey’ and go over
things, then I go home and walk the dogs and make dinner for me and my
girlfriend. For the first 14 years, I may just as well have slept in the
restaurant banquette because I was always there

Po is a West Village institution, but where else in the neighborhood do you
eat?
Little Owl and Scott Bryan’s Apiary.

Do you think you and Mario Batali will ever work together again?
I doubt it. I respect him tremendously, but he’s on a mind-boggling path
that has no end!

Po
Address: 31 Cornelia St. bet. Bleeker and W. Fourth streets
Phone: (212) 645-2189