Cool Fish’s Tom Schaudel: Rock Star of Food Scene

Tom Schaudel loves a challenge. In 1968, the underage 15-year-old "lied his way" into a minimum wage job as a dishwasher near his family's Carle Place home as a means to support his musical aspirations. That fortuitous choice set Schaudel on course to becoming a leading local restaurateur and arguably Long Island's premier chef.

"As a teenager I was a guitar player, but buying equipment took money," Schaudel explains, "and that need drove me to the restaurant business." Within a short time he earned a spot as a prep cook, where he found his love for the art of food.

"I chased those two muses–music and food–for a long time," says the straight-talking Schaudel. "Then it occurred to me that a mediocre guitar player wasn't going to make a &%$@load of money."

So, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, graduating in 1973. After working his way through a number of local restaurants, gaining experience and landing his first position as a head chef, he joined with partners in 1983 to open Panama Hatties in Huntington Station.

For many, that would have been the culmination of a dream, but for Schaudel it was only the beginning. Over the years he has cooked in 30 restaurants and was the driving force behind at least 16 more, including Spring Close House (East Hampton), Downtown Grille & Wine Bar (Montauk), 107 Forest Avenue (Locust Valley), Lemongrass (Roslyn), Thom Thom (Wantagh), Rockfish (Huntington), Angelfish (Long Beach), Passionfish (Westhampton Beach) and The Mansion at the Woodlands (Woodbury).

Next up is Schaudel's biggest restaurant yet, at Ruby's Corporate Plaza in Melville, slated to open early next year. He calls it his retirement restaurant.

"Either it'll be so good I'll want to keep it going," he says with a wry grin, "or so bad I have to keep working." And he's still actively involved in Syosset's Cool Fish, as well as A Mano Osteria & Wine Bar (Mattituck) and Ross Schaudel Catering & Event Planning.

"People think I have ADD," says a smiling Schaudel, "but the truth is I enjoy developing the ideas I have in my head." Then he adds, "And after all, Billy Joel doesn't want to only play 'Piano Man' for the rest of his life." One such idea was his line of wines, including the Tom Schaudel "Reserve" label, which are sold only in his restaurants.

He has been featured on TV shows including Gordon Elliot's Doorknock Dinners on The Food Network. His weekly radio show Playing With Fire (Saturdays at 10 a.m. on WHLI) covers food and wine, recipes and cooking tips. It's among the station's top-rated hours.

"It's fun and informative," he says. "We have a good time and get out a lot of helpful information."

In his book Playing with Fire: Whining & Dining on the Gold Coast, an outgrowth of an annual top 10 list of quirky, annoying customers he used to do, Schaudel recounts stories involving some of the unique characters he has come across as a restaurateur.

Schaudel estimates that over the years he's served more than 2 million people. He has been called 'the kingfish of Long Island restaurateurs' and 'the Sean Connery of Cuisine', and was recently honored as the inaugural inductee into the Long Island Dining Alliance's Hall of Fame. But it's not fame or recognition he's looking for.

"It's flattering," he says, "but that's not what gets me out of bed in the morning." Despite his public persona, he maintains, "I'm just a cook trying to get better every day."

He adds, "I'm just happy I found a way to combine two vices–eating and drinking–and make a successful 40-year career out of them," he quips, before concluding on a serious note. "I'm Long Island's son, and I want to thank Long Islanders for letting me do what I love for a very long time."

Visit Tom Schaudel's website to learn more about him.