Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Heard.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Sarah Heard grew up just outside of Houston in Conroe, Tx. Her family lived in Jamaica for a little over a year when she was a child, and they ultimately moved to Lockhart, just outside of Austin, in 2000. Sarah began her hospitality career in San Marcos at Red Lobster in 2005, where she pushed to learn every position in the restaurant, finally landing on the line where she felt at home. Sarah moved to Austin in 2007, where she began a 5 year tenure at the Mansion at Judges Hill. Her final 3 years at the esteemed hotel & restaurant were spent as in her first management position, Executive Sous Chef. She spent the subsequent years learning from other chefs in Austin at lauded restaurants such as La Condesa and Parkside, where she met her partner in life and business, co-chef Nathan Lemley. The two purchased Foreign & Domestic in 2017 and opened Commerce Cafe in Lockhart in 2020. They have since received numerous awards, and are focused on maintaining sustainable sourcing, cuisine that is inventive, yet restrained, and stellar hospitality. Sarah is heavily focused on foraging and sustainable practices in her cooking and can frequently be found in a field searching for berries or
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We’ve encountered many obstacles, financial, emotional, and physical. In this industry, there seems to be a new obstacle to overcome daily. Some of our biggest obstacles have been finding the funding to purchase the restaurant, navigating the covid shut down, and staffing changes in availability, mentality, and priorities. Some of our internal struggles have been finding balance in our lives between life, family, and the restaurant.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have always loved working with my hands & creating. My dad is a carpenter, & I spent many hours watching him create beautiful wood pieces. My mother cooked everything from scratch for our family & I loved to help her. My great grandmother was amish and made everything the hard way, but I loved helping her make pies and stocks around the hoIidays. I’ve raised dairy goats for as long as i can remember & I started learning to make cheese, yogurt, & ice cream with our goat milk for my little brother around 8 years old. I gained a strong interest in gardening & raising chickens just out of high school & have felt that my roots in growing & raising food keep me connected to the food I cook. I can often be found in a field picking wild onions, stinging nettle, wood sorrel, dewberries, & nopales during the early summer and in the fall I head to the PNW to forage wild mushrooms. I love practicing sustainability in my cooking by utilizing byproducts like whey in surprising ways. I focus primarily on flavor and excitement, leaving my plating to be a little rustic and natural like the food itself
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Humility is imperative. Knowing when to say, “that was the wrong step, but I can isolate it and fix it for the next time,” is huge.
Pricing:
- $1 east coast oysters tuesdays
- Happy Hour Tues-Sat 5-6pm
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fndaustin.com
- Instagram: @chef.heard
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FNDaustin
