You, like me, may recognize Chef Sevan Abdessian but not immediately be able to place him. Indulging in Netflix binges of cooking competition shows will expose you to Sevan several times over; he’s participated in Food Network’s shows Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen, FYI’s Man vs. Child, and Anthony Bourdain’s The Taste on ABC. Aside from a playfully competitive nature, Abdessian continually competes in order to bring more attention to his beloved Glendale restaurant, Recess Eatery.
After working for years as a private celebrity chef in Laguna Beach, Abdessian decided to open up shop in his hometown of Glendale, Ca six years ago. Recess, he says, began as a market place/deli/cafe that has expanded into a full restaurant known for its organic fare and charming garden patio.
“Ninety percent of what we serve is organic,” Abdessian says, “and, aside from a small one to house the ice cream, we don’t have freezers here. We don’t use them. Everything is fresh, always.”
Abdessian says that people, especially before Recess opened, had certain expectations of restaurants in Glendale. “People around here just weren’t serving this kind of food, the kind of food I wanted to be making.” The menu at Recess is populated by modern, Californian and European cafe staples, often including produce from the restaurant’s garden, as well as a few nods to Abdessian’s heritage.
Now that Recess has established itself on Glendale’s Brand Blvd, Sevan and his wife and business partner, Tamar, are opening up a second location on Highland Park’s exceedingly popular York Blvd. That under-construction spot you’ve seen right next door to The York? In under a year it will open as the second incarnation of this Glendale favorite.
Recess Eatery is located at 1102 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, Ca 91202. To keep up with Recess, follow them on Twitter and Instagram @recesseatery , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/eatrecess and via their website at www.recesseatery.com