Revisiting Rebecca Arnold of Whole Heart Provisions, with bonus Alex Sáenz of BISq, Taquería el Barrio

PROFILE TEN IN THIS SERIES: REVISITING BOSTON CHEFS AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Rebecca, what has been the major change since we last connected during our summer interview?

Rebecca: Since our summer interview I have been personal cheffing for families around the Boston suburbs. I am really enjoying this experience as I am cooking a new menu for them every week and get to spend lots of time in the kitchen! Alex and I got engaged and married (more on that later, and we are looking toward building our future together. 

Alex, how would you describe how the pandemic has affected you professionally and personally?

Alex: This is a hard question, because it’s affected every aspect of life, so how do you put it all down into words? Professionally it was an unprecedented disaster. I lost my restaurant. I lost the staff. I lost the ability to provide work to those who need it. I lost my outlet of creativity. I lost my day to day connections. I saw close friends losing all of those too. It makes you wonder why we are so vulnerable, but we were and still are. It’s a daily grind of emotions. 

Personally, I don’t believe I could have made it through without my wife. We have found strength together. I’m sure you hear this a lot, but we’ve discovered more time with our loved ones that we don’t ever want to give back. We will focus on making sure that in the future, we make time again. I’ve been able to connect more with my family abroad, as well. That’s been amazing. It gave me time to marry the woman I love, talk about starting a family, all of the things I’m sure we would have eventually discussed if this had never happened, but who knows? Our line of work can consume us: late nights, very full days, high stress environments, etc. For me personally, having all of this time has been a bit of a blessing, as I am able to appreciate different aspects of life which I didn’t have time for in the past.

Have you been able to combine your resources? If yes, can you describe it and how it’s been working for you? Has it proven to be effective?

Alex: Yes. We’ve been able to work together to help each other’s projects and it’s been very effective. Also planning new ones for our future. As we’ve all pivoted our lives, it’s led us to find new possibilities. Rebecca has been personal cheffing and I help her on the days that she cooks for her clients. She also is helping me to launch a wholesale business from Taqueria el Barrio, selling our raw flour tortillas at spots such as Formaggio, Allium Market and Crescent Ridge. 

Have you made any changes at BISq in light of state guidelines due to COVID-19?

Alex:  When COVID first hit, I switched BISq to pre-order takeout only. It helped tremendously with inventory and food waste. Since then, I have been more focused on BISq (Timeout) and Taquería el Barrio re-openings and closings. Servio has been leading the charge at BISq (Cambridge) with the team I left behind. 

What do you see happening in the coming months?

Alex: Spring will arrive in the next couple of months and that will help us all with patio/ outdoor seating again. Besides that, I believe the pivot ideas that many have had will stay. We’ve found new ways to reach our guests and those ideas will just keep growing and improving. We can’t just go back to the way we used to do things. We need to make our industry better and more accessible. 

For you both: When the vaccine arrives and the pandemic subsides, what are the top three things you will do first?

Alex and Rebecca: We will fly down to Florida to visit my parents, date nights INSIDE at our favorite local spots and we are very excited to be able to host friends in our home and lots of HUGS!

Can you tell us your most challenging moment since the onset of the pandemic, and your most positive highlights?

Rebecca: Challenging: Closing our restaurants back at the beginning of the pandemic. 

Positive: We got engaged and married and family Zoom Boggle night!

Back on a Sunday in November we surprised our parents and had a tiny (11 person) wedding outside at Alex’s family’s home in Columbia, South Carolina. It was a lovely southern fall day with 70 degree weather. Alex’s parents keep a gorgeous yard full of plants, a gazebo, hammock and swinging loveseat all overlooking a beautiful lake. Our wedding was no frills, the family cooked, my aunt made us flowers, Alex’s brother married us, we danced on the lawn and watched the sunset over the lake. It was the perfect wedding, as well as the perfect getaway. We “honeymooned” COVID-style in Charleston by taking long walks on the beaches and through town and eating outdoors at as many restaurants as we could. There’s so many great ones to try down there!

A few months later we hosted a Zoom Boggle night (it’s my family’s favorite game); we had participants ranging in age from 14 to 86. It was a simple and lovely way to connect with family near and far. Also, it’s amazing how many words everyone came up with when that many people are playing! 

How have you been both personally and professionally grappling with life surrounding these tough times? What’s your source of relaxation and/or method of survival?

Rebecca: Personally, the hardest part for me has been not seeing family and friends. I started a book club to keep close to a few friends. It’s been a really nice connection; we only meet once a month, but after it feels a bit as if we have been out together at someone’s home, drinking our wine, catching up and chatting (a bit) about the last book we read! 

Professionally, figuring out what to do after Whole Heart shut down in March was my greatest struggle. Alex and I talk about our future, where we want to live, what we want our day to day lives to look like, etc. As you know from my previous interview, I was getting burnt out from owning three restaurants and had taken time to step away from the business. I learned to teach yoga pre-pandemic. I started a personal chef company, making and delivering a few healthy and delicious meals per week to clients in the Boston area and suburbs. I have found this rewarding work and a great shift from the restaurants where I was stuck behind a computer most days. 

Alex: Take it day by day, step by step. Focusing on the positives. Talking with staff (past and present) to see how they are doing and coping. 

Walks and hikes. Harley (my dog) keeps us entertained. Lots and lots of cooking and baking. Testing out new ideas. Playing games. Watching shows. Reading books. Things we didn’t do enough of before. 

Rebecca, in thinking about our last interview you mentioned yoga; if you would like to elaborate, feel free!

Rebecca: Throughout the pandemic I have been teaching yoga four to five mornings a week. It’s been such a gift for me to connect with my friends and family online through movement, breath and meditation. Post-pandemic, I would like to  bring my teachings to restaurant staff around the Boston area. I know first-hand for the past 13 years the toll restaurant life takes on the body and how just a small daily practice of movement and breath can bring some sense of stability and release stress. We need to learn how to take better care of our body, it’s the only one we’ve got… cliche, but very true. 

Finally what would you like to see for 2021 in the face of a new chapter—medically, politically and spiritually?

Alex: I hope we don’t get ahead of ourselves, rushing to go back to normal. Rather, focus on finding what our new “normal” will be. Medically, allowing society to let doctors and scientists advise us on what steps we all should take to help humanity heal. As humans, we learn from this and speak openly about how we should move forward. Politically, we mend our country and once again, begin to trust. Be more proactive about who we allow to represent us. 

What was it like to have a wedding in November with the pandemic still raging and the political turbulence that marked that month—how did you work around these things?

Alex:  It was easier than we thought it would be and it saved us a ton of money. It was a small wedding and everyone got tested before and after. Becca’s parents, who live in Florida, met us at my parents’ house in South Carolina to help us make it happen. It was a beautiful wedding made even sweeter by Biden’s official win the previous day! 

What was on your menu? Or any other details you feel comfortable sharing.

Alex: My mom cooked some traditional Peruvian dishes. My dad took care of the chuppah and decor. My brother married us. Becca’s aunts took care of the flowers and pictures. Becca’s parents helped with getting her dressed. My niece was the flower girl. Everyone did their part, it felt seamless. We ate, toasted and danced afterwards.

Rebecca:  Alex’s mom cooked a traditional Peruvian meal of braised lamb “Seco de Cordero,” rice and potatoes. My Aunt Merry made her homemade Caesar salad, Meg Thompson (from SRV) made us a gorgeous Meyer lemon cake. 

Right now, at this moment, what is in your refrigerator?

Rebecca: Homemade Chicken stock, good eggs, Alex’s flour tortillas, Alex’s salsa Macha, broccoli rabe, beyond beef ground meat and hot Italian sausages, aji Amarillo sauce that Alex uses when he makes ceviche, Arctic Char, tons of fresh herbs: dill, cilantro, mint, fresh bay leaves, lots of ginger and citrus (including honeybell oranges—the most amazing oranges!) and grapefruit which my parents sent us from Florida. 

Is there anything you would like to add? Please do!

Alex and Rebecca: Support your neighborhood and those who need it most! Reach out to loved ones, host family game nights on Zoom, anything to bring a smile. 

This interview appeared as an online exclusive in February, 2021.