Haberdish, the mill town-inspired NoDa restaurant owned by restaurateurs Jamie Brown and Jeff Tonidandel, has a new executive chef: Rose Mushe. The Cleveland native took a job as a line cook at Haberdish more than three years ago, and since then, has worked in various roles for the restaurant group, including a line cook and even bartender at Growlers Pourhouse. She returned to the group after the shutdown as sous chef at Haberdish, and replaces opening executive chef Carman Spadaro in her new role.

Mushe, an openly gay woman, has lived here for four years, though her family remains in Ohio. At the end of a 10 to 16-hour work day, she loves to head home to her pets. “There is nothing better than seeing my dogs and giving and receiving that puppy love — and the cats watch and wait to let you know the food dish needs to be topped off,” she says. Below, she shares her plans for the restaurant and how leaving home at a young age led her to her career in restaurants.

UP: How do you describe your style of cooking?
Rose Mushe: My style of cooking can be directly tied to my regional upbringing, as well as the places I have worked for the longest in the past. Being raised in the Cleveland area in Ohio, I lean toward proteins and pierogies. I have worked as a cook my entire life so far and I am 30 now. I grew up watching my stepfather shovel a path in the snow to the grill to cook dinner every night, so I’m no stranger to grilling and really allowing vegetables to shine on a plate.

UP: What kinds of menu changes should diners expect?
RM: There are items that guests love, and I promise they aren’t going anywhere. I am making a few changes to the menu to really lock down flavors and give the people what they want. I am going to be running a Tuesday night shrimp and grit cake special that I truly love. I’m working on changing our kale grits to a sharp white cheddar and mushroom stock — creamy grits with options to get them loaded with house bacon jam, cheese, and shrimp. One other thing to look out for will be the Nashville shrimp and pickles on an appetizer menu coming soon.

UP: What things won’t be changing?
RM: In my time at Haberdish, I know that we have some amazing staples on the menu, such as our fried chicken and the cast iron N.C. trout. We will continue to perfect the menu and give the guests the old razzle dazzle.

UP: What made you want to be a chef?
RM: As a teenager I needed a job. I moved out of my parents’ place young and began to work full time to pay for a two-bedroom apartment with three other people. I very naturally started to work at a pizza place, and then another restaurant job, and another and another. I just realized that I was very good at cooking at some point, and my partner encouraged me to go to culinary school at 24 years old. I have been grinding ever since.
I’m really very proud of how far I have come. It’s not an easy industry to just rise up in, especially as a woman. I am proud to be an Executive Chef. I am proud that my hard work has been valued and noticed. I am trying to continue that same level of energy with my staff.

UP: What would you say is your signature dish?
RM: This is the hardest question for me; working from place to place, the cuisine and the aesthetic changes. In my home life, my best dish is carnitas. I am a taco junky and I believe I have perfected my carnitas. As for Haberdish, my best dish so far came out two weeks ago. It was a blue cornmeal-crusted steelhead salmon with sautéed spinach  and turnip puree and a tomato-jalapeño jam.

UP: What are you most looking forward to as executive chef?
RM: I am excited to show my staff that hard work does pay off and that I am here for them as much as they are here for me. I am excited to continue to cook and create. I am excited to affect real change in some archaic ideals about what it means to be a Chef. I am not here to be feared, but to help build on myself, the restaurant , and my employees that also wish to rise.

UP: What are you most fearful about?
RM: What I am most fearful about truthfully is letting others down and letting myself down. I want to do everything I can to make Haberdish the best place to eat and work at. I want my staff to enjoy their time in the building. I also want to still have the time I need for me as a person and partner to my fiancée Heather Hamilton, who also happens to be the bar manager for Haberdish.

UP: What does it mean to you to be a woman leader in the kitchen?
RM: Another hard question. Women are highly unrepresented in the back of the house. I’ve probably worked with under 10 female line cooks in my life, and only ever had one female sous in my career. I want it to mean everything. This job is an opportunity for me to show people that women can be chefs, that women can be leaders. I am the first female executive chef to work for my restaurant group.  It means everything to be given this opportunity and I want to show my staff that women are strong. This one is for all women who have ever been the inappropriate joke, or the object, or the burden in every professional kitchen or male-dominated profession. I’m doing it. Don’t give up, ladies, give ’em hell!

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