More from our conversation with Zoe Pidgeon

In this month’s Five Questions column (page 50), we spoke with Zoë Pidgeon, owner of I Fratellini, Bobo Noodle House and the soon-to-open Bar Les Frères, about her new digs, how she plans to run three restaurants at once and the surprising thing that makes her happiest on a Saturday night. Now, in the full interview below, Pidgeon reveals whether there's a secret to her success, just how much pasta she really eats and her guilty pleasure of choice. What’s with the name, Bar Les Frères? It means “the brothers” in French. I Fratellini means “the little brothers” in Italian, which refers to my sons, but they’re not little anymore. So they’re both named for my sons. My sons are not interested in the business, though. They call the food industry “the last resort.” So what’s the plan for Bar Les Frères? I’ve been telling people the menu has a French accent, but it’s still evolving. Thus far, we’ve planned to have four to six entrees, a couple salads every night, and 6 to 7 apps. I am going to do a full French wine list. My executive chef is originally from Laos, and he has a bit of a French cooking background. He can make a mean pâté. I also wanted to complement I Fratellini in a way, which is right across the street. Bar Les Frères will be a very tiny place. I Fratellini is tiny, and this is going to make it look roomy. It will have 24 to 28 seats [and] another 24 on a patio. The reason I’m calling it “Bar” is for people stopping by before or after dinner for a drink, or for a little dessert. It won’t be a serious restaurant with reservations; it will be a come-as-you- are kind of place. Between Bobo and I Fratellini, do you eat a lot of pasta? I do. I eat too much, but it’s so good. I eat pasta two to three times a week. I like to cook pasta, then add lemon, olive oil and garlic, and then toss in whatever I have in the fridge – tomatoes or radicchio – and then grate some Parmigiano-Reggiano over it. What did the space used to be? It was a shoe repair place for the last 84 years. We already miss the owner, Mr. Jack Cerulo, terribly. The space is really cool because they did nothing to it. We’re decorating the space and the building in an antique style. I’m actually doing a couple of homages to Mr. Jack with our décor. Will you be running back and forth across Wydown? Oh yes, all day long. I have to be careful and not get hit by a car. We’ll be doing some of our prep at I Fratellini because Bar Les Frères is so small. You’ve never run three restaurants simultaneously before – how will you handle it? With the aid of trusted lieutenants? I have a really amazing staff, and a lot of us have been together for 20 years or more. My manager has been with me for that long, and a lot of my servers have, too. We’re a tightly knit group, and I trust everyone so much. It doesn’t all go perfectly, but it wouldn’t even if I could somehow be at all three places at same time, anyway. That unpredictability is what’s fun about our business. I was 23 when I opened my first restaurant. It’s all I’ve ever known. I love it. I probably wouldn’t trade my job for anything – except a whole lot of money (laughs). How would you describe your management style? I can think of how I would describe it, but I don’t know if [my employees] would say the same thing! (Laughs) I work Monday-to-Friday lunch at I Fratellini, and I’m part of the team. I help take orders, serve and bus the tables. I’m not one of those people who wants to hang back at the bar and direct people. I like my managers to be a part of the team, too. It makes it really fun, and it gives the customers a really good experience. It’s hands-on. Some of my employees might say I’m too hands-on, but it’s a buzz to work at a restaurant. You get a kick. I used to say on Saturday nights that I’m not going to be happy unless I’m on the verge of tears by nine o’clock. I like the pressure. If you and your staff can have fun with it, that’s terrific. Once every three weeks I come to I Fratellini as a customer. My husband convinced me we should do it a couple of years ago. It’s really, really hard to sit on my hands, but it’s really good to get the perspective of the customer. It’s interesting to see the product we work so hard to create from the table. It’s really fun. I Fratellini is some people’s favorite restaurant, but it’s sort of a well-kept secret, hm? Some people love it, but they won’t tell anybody about it. It’s been that way for years. It’s so small that people want to keep it their secret. Your sisters are also well-known around town, Belinda Lee the painter and Carrie Houk the casting director and newly minted Mexican-cooking instructor. Is there something about your upbringing that explains you and your sibling’s public success stories? No. (laughs) Each of us has a creative streak, in different ways. But I don’t know how we got that way. Belinda and Carrie are the artists; I’m the hard worker. What’s your drink of choice? This summer, I’ve been drinking Aperol spritzers. It’s like Campari, and you put in some prosecco and some ice and some Pellegrino. I also love tequila. I like a really nice Añejo, straight. Tell us something people don’t know about you. I eat an alarming amount of candy. I love sugar. I love Junior Mints, Gummi cola bottles. I like it all. People are surprised at how much I can eat. How do you think your sons feel about having a pair of restaurants named after them? I think they’re happy and proud – but they’re not old enough to drink at either of them yet (laughs).