Elise Kornack
Chef and entrepreneur Elise Kornack vividly recalls the Proustian memory of her childhood home scented with tomatoes, basil and garlic. After honing her craft at the Spotted Pig and Aquavit, she nabbed a spot as a contestant on the Food Network’s Chopped—and won the competition with her creativity, finely tuned sense of flavor profiles and ability to improvise under pressure. Last September, Kornack and her partner founded Take Root, a hybrid business concept combining the ideals of locavore eating with yoga principles. The idea definitely has taken root—and taken off. An offshoot of Take Root is called Brooklyn Rooted, in which Kornack prepares artisanal cuisine for private, unique dinner parties. Recently, she and her partner signed a lease on a commercial space to operate Take Root and Brooklyn Rooted, along with yoga classes and a coffee counter. “Since starting Take Root, we have been touched at the response from our diners and their enthusiasm to join us on our epicurean adventure,” Kornack says, “inspired by our love for one another, our efforts to do what we love and our desire to share that with others.”
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