Jupiter, Rockefeller Center

08.18.2024

Jess Shadbolt is the co-owner and head chef at King New York and Jupiter -- her newest endeavor, rinkside at the Rockefeller Center -- two trailblazing NYC destinations for excellence in food and top notch hospitality. They say if you know, you know… but this is really an if you know, you know. And if you know Jess, you know the food is delicious, the wine is flowing, and the vibe is effortlessly superb. Class!

 

We sat with Jess at Jupiter on a Wednesday afternoon in July to catch up on life, inspirations, new creative outlets and, of course, food over some lovely Italian wine.

 

Read a preview of the interview below, and dive into the full conversation here. Jess and Michael talk the Bear, Chef crushes, how to properly thaw a steak ;), her favorite kitchen utensils and so much more.

 

Place: Jupiter

 

Social: @jupiter.newyork

 

Where: Rockefeller Center, NYC

 

What: All day pasta, Italian fare, and wine rinkside at the Rockefeller Center. Beautiful colors, an open kitchen, inventive cocktails, great wine, familiar and excellently executed menu.

 

Sit Score: 10/10

 

MK: So let's go back in time a little bit. Where did your interest and passion for food start?

 

JS: My interest, like most Italians, even though I'm not Italian, is heavily influenced by Italian cooking, and Nana’s integral role in learning and teaching about food. The same is true in my story. My grandma was a keen cook, and I started cooking at a very young age. My mom is an excellent cook, and she actually trained as one too, although she didn't pursue it professionally. Food and cooking have always been a big part of my family life, so eventually, I decided I should do this in real life too.

 

 

JS: Manhattan Big Sit. Holy moly. Does it have to be exclusively outside?

 

MK: No, inside, outside, vibes, music, people, where makes you happy.

 

JS: Okay. I would say Cervos. It was one of the first restaurants that took my heart. I used to live in Two Bridges back when we opened King, and it felt like a home away from home. It was vibrant, the food was tasty and simple—just what I craved when I wasn't cooking my own dinner.

 

 

JS: I think London has an incredible food scene. I think the access to incredible produce and the way that food is considered there is super inspiring and delicious. What’s amazing about New York though is that, like, dining and restaurants are so part of everyone's day to day in a way that you don't necessarily see in London. You know, like we all eat out all the time. Whether that is like a burrito on the street, a full service restaurant, a fancy restaurant or like a breakfast… people eat out a lot more in New York. So I think that keeps the city so vibrant, like so many exciting things happening. But you know, London does it really well and I think, yeah, it's not meh, it's so good. I'm going to take you to London. And like, yeah, there's so many amazing restaurants. So many different cuisines and, again, I think they just have a really wrongly bad rep.

 

 

MK: Ok…now your favorite martini?

 

JS: Hawksmoor. They batch them in canisters, then freeze them, adding a tiny bit of water, like when you stir. This helps them freeze. The viscosity is outstanding. Apparently, it's the coldest martini in Manhattan.

 

 

JS: I always thought I'd be the BBC Radio 1 breakfast DJ. Radio 1 is the show in the UK you grow up listening to. Over the years, there have been iconic presenters, and I've been listening since I was 13. It always seemed fun to sit, chat, and play records. I thought I had a face for radio and would love to be a DJ.

 

 

MK: Let’s talk about your new venture. Well, it’s a new creative outlet. It's a new thing. What is it?

 

JS: Great question. Everyone seems to be getting a little bit bogged down on the detail of it. I bought a fishing hut on the water in England, and it is an 11 foot wide by 22 foot long. So not actually that much bigger than this bit.

 

MK: Like a proper living room size?

 

JS: A proper hut in England, in Suffolk, on the East coast. It's a fisherman's hut. I've grown up in that area my whole life and love the connection to fish, produce, and the immediate availability of fresh fish coming off a boat and being able to cook it right there. It's not going to be another restaurant or a pop-up; it's for cooking for family and friends. It's a nice reminder of why I started cooking. When you open a restaurant in New York City, you can become disconnected from the cooking part because it becomes about business—paying your team, rent, and keeping everything going. As a cook, I miss that whole exchange.

 

MK: Love that, just the food. So you're getting fish straight from the fishermen. Who is this fisherman?

 

JS: A man called Mr. Fryer, he's my friend. I spent time with him a couple of months ago, and I'm going back in August. He's one of the last remaining day boat fishermen on that beach. It's becoming apparent that it's getting tough. His children aren't taking it on. It's not to say it's a dying breed, but we need to be mindful, especially in the UK, where it's a small country with a vast coastline. We need to think about how and where we're fishing and what access people have to that. It's an urgent concern. Maybe you should come fish!

 

MK: I'm happy to. Let's feature it. Let's go have a Suffolk Sit! So, let's talk Home. Where do you live?

 

JS: I'm basically next door to you—neighbors! Fort Greene. It’s arguably the best neighborhood in Brooklyn. That’s official. You were the first person I met in Fort Greene.

 

MK: And I wasn’t trying to sell you on it.

 

JS: I hadn’t lived in Brooklyn before and had barely been there. A friend said when choosing where to live, you need to be near a great local restaurant. I said Romans. They didn’t know what the area was called. We drove to Romans, parked, and decided we needed to live nearby. We went for a walk and found Fort Greene. We liked it, went for coffee, and bumped into you at the Hungry Ghost.

 

MK: Kismet, yeah.

 

 

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