It’s not often the stars line up for you to be able to host an occasional pop-up restaurant in a historical landmark named “Trap Manor” during your senior year of college. So when the stars do align, you maximize the heck out of it. This blog post will be like the acknowledgments page of a lengthy, attention-grabbing, gut-wrenching novel that left you wondering if the last three weeks of reading was a waste of time or the best thing you did. So let me tell you who it takes to run a restaurant in your living room.
To my customers, thank you for trusting me to create this unconventional dining experience. There isn’t much room for messing around in this economy, so $40 given to a random college student is a big risk.
To Jake, what a beast you are. I can’t get the idea of culinary school out of my head, and I don’t know whether to thank you or hate you because of it. When you see this, I’m still waiting for you to teach me how to make that duck confit.
To Nihal, thank you for being the face of my Black Sesame Ice Cream. All of its success is attributed to that handsome face of yours.
To Alice, Maya, Sam, Michael and Kevin, thank you for entrusting me with the house these seemingly random nights out of the month. Being kicked out of your living room is unordinary, but I promise I’m doing good things with it. Come back for a second night on the house.
To James, Emily and Kirit, thank you for being my knights in shining armor…with a vehicle. From Costco to Eden Center, CVS to Safeway, none of this would be possible without your generosity. Hauling 30 pounds of groceries is never fun alone.
To Brian and Linh, thank you for your unmatched skills behind the camera. I owe much of my success to the mouth-watering pictures you both have been able to capture. A picture tells a thousand words, but I’m pretty sure yours have told quadruple.
To Riya, Rachel and Mia, thank you for the unrecognized, behind-the-scenes, brutal work that keeps the kitchen running and food coming. Thank you for also helping me eat the scraps and leftovers. Actually, you’re welcome?
To Ailin, thank you for being the first sous/dishwasher/busser/server/host to ever live. You inspire me to dream and empower me to bring them to life. I’m so grateful Mom and Dad sent us both here together. I hope your first year at Georgetown is as welcoming as I tell them it is.
To my mom and dad, thank you for allowing me to flourish and never crushing my dreams. Thank you for supporting me and The Lincoln Experience. My world continues to spin because of you two. In case I don’t say it enough, I love you both.
More specifically, to the Georgetown community, you have given me so much more than I could ever ask for. Thank you for an iconic corner house with a name and Google Page no one can trace the origins of — there could not be a more perfect venue for The Lincoln Experience. Thank you for the camaraderie of my friends, peers, classmates and professors. You have been the driving force behind this experience. After friends and family night, word spread faster than any Instagram post could. Boy, I am grateful for this small-town gossip knack we all picked up on. Finally, thank you for the love and support you graciously showered me with. Every repost, like, comment, direct message, high five, compliment and critique has made me a better person than I was before. Bigger in the head? Maybe. But better nonetheless.
