Industry Insiders: Megan Sheehy, Lady of the Lake

Megan Sheehy, GM of Locanda del Lago and Cafe Bellagio in Santa Monica, pours out a glass of food-shovers, female bosses, and why Wolfgang Puck is still the man.

Where do you go out? In Venice Beach, I like Gjelina because it is a local Venetian eatery with a casual, hip environment where you can eat delicious small plates and enjoy good wine while being entertained by the energetic crowd and decor. In Aspen, I love the Pine Creek Lodge because it starts out as a journey, taking a horse-drawn carriage an hour to the restaurant, then continues on to a culinary journey of very flavorful, fresh game meats that the chef prepares on order for the guests. Lastly, in New York, I enjoy sipping a glass of Champagne or having a freshly muddled mojito at the Rose Bar in the Gramercy Hotel. It maintains a top spot in my heart for its swanky atmosphere, exclusive identity, and truly New York-style posh crowd.

Who do you admire in your industry? I admire West Hooker, my boss and co-owner of Locanda del Lago and Caffe Bellagio, for his consistent dedication to keeping up with the times while maintaining a “tradition over trends” philosophy. He is constantly trying to improve, change, redesign, and polish all areas within the restaurant.

The second person I admire is Wolfgang Puck. To me, he epitomizes the idea of branding one’s business. He started as a small-town Austrian who, through dedication, hard work, and creativity, was able to become a superpower in the culinary field. He has reached people through every facet imaginable, from Spago in Beverly Hills to frozen pizza at Ralph’s to cookbooks and cookware on HSN. He is synonymous with food to the American people. That is the great art of branding oneself.

Tell us about being a woman in your industry. It seems like a relative rarity. I don’t notice a difference in treatment or acknowledgment by guests or colleagues in the hospitality industry. It is a rarity, though, so I suppose it makes me feel even more successful having been able to achieve the accomplishments I have within a predominantly male field.

Have you seen any positive trends in restaurants lately? I am excited by the trend of locally grown, organic ingredients being used by restaurants. I believe, in addition to being healthier for our bodies, it also has people slowing down to appreciate their meals rather than simple eating for maintenance sake. As people become more and more aware of what they are putting in their bodies, they also are taking the time to make choices about what they are eating and then enjoying that meal even more than if they had invested no time and just gone for a quick dollar burger at a fast food joint.

What’s something you’ve seen increase recently in the restaurant world that you don’t like? I see a decline of service standards in general. I enjoy the art of serving and appreciate when someone does it well. When I go out to dine, I am privy to when my server has impeccable timing, when she/he has the knowledge to decide when to interrupt and when not to. This decline has many causes, one I believe is simply that the general population prefers speed and efficiency over grace and hospitality, therefore causing servers to evolve into non-friendly order takers that simply shove the food out as fast as possible.

What is something that people might not know about you? I graduated with honors as an electrical engineer and only began in the restaurant industry to support my collegiate goals.

What are you doing tonight? Working. Then I will go home, fix something scrumptious to enjoy and dine with my sweetheart. Plans yesterday and tomorrow will keep me quiet and peaceful this evening.