Reality on a Plate with Stefan Popescu

Oct 28

5 min read

reality on a plate is a new publishing feature series that, in response to member requests, allows individuals to dive deeper into the experiences of others before attending our events, fostering a sense of familiarity and connection.

Co-founder of Michael's Bagel. He grew up watching his grandparents cook, has a thing for fried chicken, and believes good bread is half the work.

tell us about your background — where you grew up, what food looked like in your home, and the memories that shaped who you are today

Growing up, I spent a lot of time in my grandmother's kitchen. She was always cooking something, and I was usually somewhere nearby, watching, asking questions, or just waiting to see what would come out of the oven.

What fascinated me was how she never seemed to need much. A few ingredients, a little patience, and somehow there was always something good on the table. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated. Just really good food.

I also have a very specific memory of my grandfather's ciulama. I loved it so much that one day I ate way too much, got sick, and never touched it again. It's probably the only dish I've ever loved so much that I ended up hating it.

I didn't think much of any of this back then. It was just how things were at home. Looking back, I think that's where my relationship with food began. Before I knew anything about recipes or techniques, I already knew how much joy there was in making something for someone else.

what does your morning routine look like from the moment you wake up until you leave the house

I usually wake up around 7:30. I like having the first half hour to myself. Coffee, getting ready, a little peace before the day starts. That's the idea, at least.

I have a Moka pot at home, which I use quite a lot. I also like making coffee in a cezve, the traditional way. I'm not much of a breakfast person. Coffee does the job.

Most mornings, though, my phone starts ringing before I've even finished my coffee.

what's always in your fridge and cupboard

Cheese. A lot of cheese. And spices.

I think you can do pretty amazing things with very basic ingredients if you know how to season them properly.

what's your food shopping strategy — list, instinct, or whatever looks good that day

Instinct, always.

I rarely know what I'm going to cook before walking into a shop. I like looking around, seeing what's good, and figuring it out as I go.

a meal that stayed with you for the company as much as the food

Christmas dinner with my family.

There's always this unofficial competition over who made the best cozonac. My grandmother, my mother, or my aunt.

Everyone has an opinion, and everyone takes it very seriously.

Half the fun is the food, the other half is everyone arguing about it.

when you cook, what's usually on. music, a podcast, something playing in the background, or silence

Music, always. Play Nas - N.Y. State of Mind. Usually with a glass of wine.

I especially like cooking when I have people coming over. I think I actually enjoy feeding people more than eating myself.

what do you serve when you have people over

Fried chicken or pasta.

My friends probably expect one of the two by now.

a table you always go back to

Pizzeria Centrale and Bar Teoria.

Two places I never really get tired of.

what's something you're very particular about when it comes to food

Ingredients and flavour.

I don't care how beautiful a plate looks if it doesn't taste good.

I'd rather have something really simple made with great ingredients than something complicated that's trying too hard.

take us back to the beginning of Michael's Bagel — the idea and why bagels

It started as a joke, really. We were doing marketing for restaurants and one day thought, why don't we open something ourselves. We started looking into different ideas and somehow came across bagels. We looked at each other and said, okay, let's do this.

I don't think we had any idea what we were getting ourselves into.

Which was probably a good thing.

what's the one ingredient or step you would never compromise on

The bread. Definitely.

I'd say it's at least half of what makes a good bagel.

You can put whatever you want inside, but if the bread isn't right, nothing else really matters.

what's the most underrated thing on the Michael's Bagel menu

The salmon bagel.

I think people tend to go for something more indulgent when they're eating out. Fried chicken, bacon, lots of sauce. Things they wouldn't necessarily make at home.

I get it. I'm exactly the same. But the salmon bagel deserves more attention.

what does a normal day behind the scenes at Michael's Bagel actually look like

There's no such thing as a normal day.

One minute I'm working on a recipe, the next I'm dealing with marketing, the team, or something that's gone wrong. Before opening Michael's, I thought I understood restaurants pretty well because I'd been working with them for years.

Turns out there's a big difference between doing marketing for a restaurant and actually running one.

what's always in your pockets or bag

My phone, unfortunately.

It's always ringing, and there's always something happening at Michael's.

At this point, if it stays quiet for too long, I start getting suspicious.

a chef or food person whose work you always pay attention to

Sorin Stoica. I really like his work and the way he approaches food. There's something very honest about the way he cooks, without overcomplicating things or trying too hard to impress.

what's something slightly questionable that you secretly love

Fried chicken. I could eat it pretty much any day.

Not much of a secret, either.

what have you changed your mind about recently

How difficult it is to run a restaurant.

I used to think I had a pretty good understanding of hospitality because I'd worked in marketing for restaurants.

Then I opened one.

You start noticing all the little things that have to happen before someone can sit down and enjoy a meal. I have a lot more respect for the people working in this industry now.

describe your lock screen

A black-and-white photo of my kitchen team.

It's a nice reminder of the people I spend most of my days with.

last google search

Tasting room by ethic wine

last photo you took

Yesterday, when we introduced matcha at Michael's through a collaboration with Green Dream.

last thing you bought

I'm constantly buying things for the restaurant. The very last thing? A coat rack. The old one broke.

last thing you saved on Instagram

A fried chicken recipe.

I realise this is becoming a theme.

what are you a beginner at these days

Lately, I've been getting more interested in bread-making. I want to understand the process better, especially when it comes to making a really good bagel.

I'm happy with what we're making now, but I don't think you ever really finish learning how to make something better.