Eating Off Duty with T.J. Steele of Claro

“I'm extremely passionate about [Oaxacan food] and have so much love for the food, culture and people. I think Oaxacan food is one of the great cuisines of the world, so any part I can play in raising awareness for it makes me happy,” says chef T.J. Steele of Claro in Brooklyn.

Steele was born into an Italian family in New Jersey, where he grew up cooking next to his mother and grandmother. His older brother owns and operates a building supply company, while his sister is a stay-at-home mom. As early as middle school, he preferred the kitchen to the classroom, and started as a dishwasher when he was just 12 years old. His parents owned a local country store in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, when he was a young teenager, which put him in a fast-paced food environment that attracted him to the idea of working in the culinary industry. Steele says he never wanted to be anything other than a chef.

“I immediately felt a sense of place in the kitchen—it didn't matter who you were, your age, your background, etc. Plus it combined all the things I love—fire, knives and food,” Steele says.

Steele attended The Culinary Institute of America and moved to New York City in 2002. Within three years he was made executive sous chef at Danny Meyer's Union Square Cafe. At 25 years old, he was the youngest to hold that position in the restaurant's history. During this time, he immersed himself in international cuisines—whether in the far-flung boroughs of New York City or in Spain, where he started to make annual pilgrimages to eat.

But Steele’s love story with Mexican food began during a visit to Guadalajara as a teenager. He became enamored with the cuisine, culture and people. He fell hard for Oaxacan cuisine during a culinary research and development trip in 2006, which changed his gastronomic trajectory. He first immersed himself in Oaxacan mezcal and began his own artisanal mezcal line under the name El Buho Mezcal—which is also served at Claro—working with the Jimenez family in Oaxaca who are 5th generation mezcaleros.

He continued to visit and work in Oaxaca for many years until joining tapas restaurant Tia Pol in New York City in 2010. After two years as kitchen manager, Steele's attention once again turned towards Mexico. He left Tia Pol in 2012 and went back to Oaxaca, setting up a residence there to study, eat and travel.

“[I’m drawn to Oaxacan food] because of the flavorful homestyle cooking,” Steele says. “It feels timeless, completely true to itself. When I'm there, I'm fully immersed in the food, culture, environment, etc. It feels like everyone's an artist there, everyone has some sort of craft and they all put so much love into what they do. They share it and they do so with pride, it's special.”

Steele then set off with the goal of opening his own Mexican restaurant in New York City. In the summer of 2017, he opened Claro, the Oaxacan-influenced restaurant in Gowanus, Brooklyn, with an emphasis on seasonal cooking around corn, barbacoa, consommé and mezcal using local ingredients. The restaurant reflects Steele’s time spent in Oaxaca and the community of craftsmen, cooks, farmers and neighbors that have become family to him over the past dozen years. At the restaurant, Steele is dedicated to making everything by hand, including cheese, chorizo, moles and, of course, masa.