Catching up with Hyde N Chic's Andy Hyde, Naples first and last name in fine dining
My last face-to-face with Hyde N Chic’s chef-proprietor Andy Hyde was Sept. 30 at USA TODAY’s Wine & Food Experience.
Underneath a spacious tent, he was readying the demonstration of his famous mushroom strudel, a mainstay on his monthly rotating tasting menu.
As one of Naples's most prominent chefs, every seat was already filled. But when the skies opened up with a storm that seemed to be dumping all the rain from an otherwise dry summer into one shot, his presentation became standing-room only.
How did he handle it?
With grace and a deep breath.
It also didn’t hurt that many folks were sipping samples of his delicious warm carrot bisque. Other attendees ran under the tent seeking shelter with wine and cocktails in hand.
During the downpour, “My puff pastry dissolved, and the ovens shut off. I said to myself, ‘story of my life.’ There's always something. And two of my staff members didn't show up that day.”
When the demo shifted gears, he started telling his story.
“I became a U.S. citizen three days prior before, so that was my speech. Everybody cheered.”
On stage, Hyde shared that he was born in Ghana, migrating when 9 to Hanover, Germany, with his father. From 9 to 14, he frequently shuttled between Germany and Chicago because his biological mother resides there.
Chicago’s problematic gang issues led to “finding my own way to create a better life for myself.”
What else is new?
Hyde recently married a gal he met in sixth grade. A mutual classmate messaged Hyde on Facebook in 2019, letting him know that their mutual friend was newly single. Her name is Shekeba, pronounced with the emphasis on chic. Her family had migrated from Afghanistan to Hanover in the 1980s.
“I was the only black man in school, and I had all the attention from many girls. They wanted to touch my hair and whatnot. Back then, she said one day we'll get married, but I didn't see myself being committed at 14 in 1998.”
But he added, “If I ever get married, I hope it’s you.”
The ceremony was held at the restaurant and performed by one of his regular guests.
A vision, not a dream
In 2014, he left his chef de partie position at Grant Achatz’s triple Michelin-starred Alinea and arrived in Naples.
Hyde set one goal: opening his own restaurant in seven years and making a name for himself in Naples.
Open in 2019, Hyde N Chic celebrates five years in September.
“Dreams can change anytime. I think having a crystal-clear goal is much healthier. As a kid, you don't know that, but in your heart, you know what your goal is. My goal is and was to always live a quality healthy life.”
Facing racism head-on as a Black restaurateur
As one of our city's most talked-about chefs, there’ve been some changes in his business model because of social media negativity and racism, posted mostly by people who’ve never dined there nor have the funds to do so.
It hurt.
When he first opened Hyde N Chic, “I could have 300 reservations in advance; maybe 50 of them would show up. We're here to provide a service with value. As our policy says, if you communicate with us by e-mail or calling, we always accommodate that.”
Hyde was the first to require credit cards to hold reservations but would often get last-minute cancellations and no-shows, frequently for large parties. When their cards were charged the deposit fee, some threatened physical violence.
Others took to social media, namely TripAdvisor and Facebook.
“This was the early phase of the restaurant. I lost so much weight and woke up with 1,500 negative comments and reviews saying mine was a ghetto restaurant. I have been physically attacked here, been spat on. Everything is on police records. You can’t make this up. It’s why we lock the doors.”
Instead of fighting back with his fists, he hired an attorney.
We revisited the twerking on tables comment from February 2021, and his reply to me was the same as his rebuttal post on Facebook: “If you knew me, then you would know that I don’t have a booty to twerk. It was a prejudiced review by another restaurant owner.”
From tapeworm as a toddler in Ghana to the threat of Chicago’s gangs, “I have been so challenged in life and learned that the best thing to do when you're cornered is to breathe and focus. That's when I operate best.”
Why pre-payment is required
Hyde now insists on pre-payment for dinner, a somewhat uncommon practice in Naples but par for the course in bigger cities.
He likens the change to asking for a refund at Artis—Naples when a patron is sick and can’t attend a performance.
Since initiating pre-paid reservations, the ignorant backlash has noticeably subsided because only people who’ve actually dined at Hyde N Chic primarily comment. On OpenTable, the restaurant averages 4.9 stars, with most reviews touting the creativity of the food.
And while many trends take decades to arrive in Naples (hello food trucks), Hyde is au courant, introducing caviar bumps the minute that became a foodie thing circa 2022 in big metros.
When prompted, he recalled my plus one’s comment from two years ago about serving what she thought were inferior Croatian truffles, using our chat as an occasion to showcase this year’s bounty of gorgeous large Perigords and those from Hungary. He stores them in bags of rice to absorb moisture so the fungi don’t mold.
What's now & next
When his restaurant first opened, Hyde offered both a la carte and tasting menus, a financially tricky proposition for a 30-seat restaurant when ordering from food purveyors because some guests wanted the full shebang while others wanted one course.
Now there’s a choice between three courses for $99 or five for $139 before tax, service charge, wine or beer. Either way, the dinner experience runs for several hours.
In the next three years, he hopes to expand his space and offer a full bar to drive revenue.
And about that mushroom strudel? Right now, it's the first course on the $99 menu.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Hyde N Chic's Andy Hyde, Naples first and last name in fine dining
