Eli Sussman grew up in the Detroit suburb of Huntington Woods. After graduating from Berkley High School, MSU’s James Madison College felt like a natural next step. “One of the great things about James Madison is that the classes are small, and the conversation is lively,” says Sussman. “I thrived in that atmosphere.” Perhaps that’s because lively conversation has always been part of his life. Family was important in the Sussman house, and eating dinner together was a central component in the lives of his large circle. Sussman says it was a long journey from an interest in politics to an interest in food. He always had cooking jobs to make money and worked at Lou and Harry’s in East Lansing as a line cook. “I loved it,” he says. “It was so fun because there was great comradery. It was a hard job, but it spoke to me. The fire was lit at Lou and Harry’s.” After graduation and a study abroad experience at a music management and public relations firm in London, Sussman put this burgeoning interest in cooking aside and moved to Los Angeles to work for five years at an advertsing agency that represented over 90 reocrd labels. “I was enjoying cooking on the weekends more than I was enjoying the weekdays at my desk,” he says. “At the time, the music business was transitioning away from CDs to digital downloads, and my brother, who was a chef in New York City, said to me ‘just come here and try it. You can always return to the music industry if you decide you don’t like cooking.’ “I started back at the beginning and became a prep cook. I knew instantaneously that I had made the right decision and that I would never return to the music industry.” Sussman’s latest project is a neighborhood bistro in Prospect Heights Brooklyn called Gertrude’s that features Jewish and French influences. Eli’s 7-layer chocolate cake, inspired by the 7-layer cake he grew up eating as a child, took on “a life of its own.” It was selected as one of The New York Times Top 8 Dishes of 2023 by food critic Pete Wells. “It’s a nice way to tie my Michigan roots to a New York restaurant.” In addition to going viral with his chocolate cake, Sussman now hosts the popular “Talkinin the WalkIn,” a video series in which Sussman interviews chefs inside of their own restaurant’s walk-in fridge. “The optimal place in the restaurant where people go to hide or get away is the walk-in,” he says. “This is where the meat and potatoes of your thinking happens. The setting tends to lead to compelling conversations.” Sussman encourages today’s students to “be open to the idea that maybe the first thing you’ve chosen doesn’t have to be the be-all end-all. You have many opportunities to reinvent yourself and start over. Focus on what excites you now. And if you don’t know what that is yet, that’s OK.” Soon,Sussman will have a presence in Michigan in the form of Italian-American cuisine. Alo’s, a joint venture with his brother, is slated for 2025 opening in Ann Arbor. “Even though I haven’t lived in Michigan since I was 18, I am a major advocate for Michigan; it’s a huge part of my identity,” he says. “People sleep on how wonderful Michigan is as a produce state—we have incredible farms. My brother and I are really excited about using our restaurant to showcase that Michigan produce is the best in America.” Conversation Highlights: (0:43) – Eli on growing up in suburban Detroit and why he chose MSU for college. (2:31) – Describe your journey from politics to the music industry to the culinary world. And how did your study abroad experience play into the process? (9:01) – How and when do you dive into the food world in New York City? (13:03) – How did your MSU and James Madison College experience impact you? (18:39) – How would you describe the fare you enjoy cooking for people to enjoy at Gertrude’s? (21:18) – What is Talkin in the Walkin, and how did it come about? Why is cooking like being in college? (25:35) – Why do you enjoy “punching up” at the Michelin culture that exists in parts of the hospitality industry? (28:07) – What’s your advice for students today regardless of what they want to do? What two major mistakes do you feel you made? (30:48) – What motivates you and gets you up and going every day? (32:44) – Tell us about your plans to open a restaurant in Ann Arbor. Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.
