Four years ago in the great unknown landscape of 2020 Aaron and Victoria Bludorn, Cherif Mbodji, and their team–many imported colleagues from New York City and the Dinex (Daniel Boulud) Diaspora–opened the much celebrated Bludorn restaurant in Houston, Texas.

A little less than four years and two more restaurants later, on July 8th, 2024, Hurricane Beryl hit the Houston area and many homes and businesses were without power for a week or more.

Cherif Mbodji is the COO of Bludorn Hospitality Group, and a week after the storm, we were scheduled to do an interview. As you can imagine, we ended up talking about what was going on in Houston and how their three restaurants were handling the aftermath of the hurricane. We also got to hear the thrilling tale of how Cherif pulled off getting the power back on at their flagship Bludorn.

In honor of Bludorn’s 4th anniversary, this bonus episode takes you behind the scenes of the drama and difficulties that ensue when Mother Nature takes your business out of your hands.

Restaurant operators will recognize the emotional roller coaster of trying to get the electricity back on. Diners and restaurant fans will get some insight into the agility, creativity, and doggedness it takes to re-open the doors of your neighborhood restaurants after a forced closing.

Join us for this special episode, and get excited for Season Two of Maître d’ Diaries, coming soon!