Great Neckians take great pride in our abundance of material resources – fine public schools, easy NYC commute, beautiful park – but most especially, the humans who live, love and work here. Once local, who has earned the DGN spotlight, is Zachary Neman.
How it Started: Born to Brulee
Zach is a product of Great Neck, growing up in the vibrant enclave of Persian Jewish families here since the 1980s.
“I was fortunate to have a really beautiful childhood,” Zach said, with regular family celebrations revolving around good eats. “I’m talking giant tables filled to the brim with different kinds of rice, meats, stews.”
Zach’s dual identity (Persian/Jewish) “intertwines” (his word) in communal gatherings over food.
“Every Friday night, we have the Jewish tradition of Shabbat dinner, but ours was infused with Persian flavors and customs,” he said.
Holidays like Passover or Rosh Hashanah were festivals of sorts, often attended by multi-generations, extended family, and friends. “At the heart of it all was the food-laden dining room table—abundant, vibrant, and shared.”
Zach shared that fenugreek instantly brings him back home.
“Walking through the front door after school on a Friday afternoon, the blast of ghormeh sabzi (a classic Persian stew) filled the air,” he said. “Fenugreek was always the first aroma that hit me.
From an early age, “my community deeply shaped my palate,” Zach said. “Rich in flavor and steeped in tradition.”
There are some standout Persian restaurants in the area, but also, “a surprisingly large offering of the global food scene, from sushi and Chinese to Mexican and beyond gave me a broad appreciation for ethnic cuisine.”
As Zach tells it, “Great Neck has a kind of sauce culture.”
There is a local obsession with sauces, especially spicy mayo that makes Zach smile.
“People will put bold, flavorful sauces on just about anything — even pizza. It’s one of those quirky, hyper-specific local things that you don’t really see anywhere else,” he said.
Some season until the ancestors whisper, “that’s enough.”
While Zach takes a “no-frills” approach, he is no lightweight when it comes to flavor. His takeaway?
“Food is at its best when it’s family style with the people you love. For me, the best food speaks for itself, the moment you take a bite,” he said.
Zach’s Favorite GN Eateries
Zach was introduced to Chinese food at Chosen Village, which left a big impact.
“Their General Tso’s chicken transports back to my childhood,” he said.
Zach has memories of enjoying some as a special treat as his school lunch, if he was lucky. Another favorite is Kensington Deli. Zach’s favorite bite there is KD’s chicken cutlet sandwich on sesame-studded sourdough club, lettuce, tomato, Russian dressing — “simple but perfect”.
Daruma of Tokyo is another.
“It’s not one of those high-end omakase places you see all over social media… best spicy mayo ever!” he said.
Zach’s hometown food memories are represented in his cuisine as a chef.
“Creating fun, creative condiments and drizzles elevate a dish and bring everything together,” he said.
That it does. Recently, on May 7, Zach did a guest chef event at Dagim Restaurant. Close to 200 foodies came to experience Zach’s craft, innovative menu and celebrate with him on the dance floor.
Zach 101: No Culinary School, just Culinary Cool.
Cooking started out as a hobby, but the summer before Zach’s senior year at the University of Maryland, it all clicked. A computer science student, Zach was rejected from every software engineering internship that he applied to.
Zach became a whisk-taker and pivoted into entrepreneurship. He started a small home business selling meal kits and creative condiments, spending all day cooking, then packing and delivering each order personally.
“That summer changed everything,” he said.
Zach’s Plan B turned into a true passion and his profession, with full credit to his parents, most particularly, his father. Dad was “glued to the Food Network,” and as a kid, Zach would sit beside him, soaking it all in. Zach’s Dad was always experimenting with new dishes, grilling kebabs on Sundays.
“Mom cooked because it was a duty borne out of love for family. Dad cooked and created because he truly loved it,” he said.
Zach emulated his father’s innate joy and curiosity for the kitchen. Still, the first dish Zach ever made solo, with great pride at the age of five, was his mother’s signature saffron and turmeric scrambled eggs. It was a staple weekday breakfast and per Zach,
“I nailed it,”he said. We are so glad you did, son.
Once Zach decided to pursue a career in food, he was uncertain about his path. Zach was inspired to make cooking videos and in that, found his lane. Once again, things started clicking, albeit with their own set of challenges. A novice at filming and editing, Zach figured it all out through trial and error, one video at a time.
“There was a lot of self-doubt in the beginning,” he said.
Zach admits that he got caught up in the views, the likes, the follower count. Slowly, however his confidence built as he tapped into creating content that felt true.
Zach’s Secret Sauce: Mentorship
One of Zach’s most impactful mentors is chef Rodrigo Fernandini, originally from Lima, Peru.
They first connected on Instagram and became fast friends. Thereafter, they started cooking and filming joint videos.
Eventually, Zach was invited to work as a sous chef in chef Rodrigo’s Tribeca restaurant, his first and last professional kitchen experience.
“Working in that environment helped refine my craft, sharpen my skills, and gain a new level of discipline in the kitchen,” he said.
Zach is very grateful to Chef Rodrigo as another cornerstone of his success.
How its Going: Zach the Instagram Star
Zach has come a long way from his humble beginnings in the year of Covid with less than 100 post likes, and steady triple digits in 2022. His personality shines in his IG clips. Today, @cheffinwithzach has 1 million followers, often tens of thousands of likes per post and his legend is growing daily.
Zach proudly highlights his “Persian Jewish” upbringing on IG and we can’t stop kvellling!
Janet Nina Esagoff launched her boutique litigation firm, Esagoff Law Group PC in 2017, in her hometown of Great Neck. Prior to the law, Janet was a special–occasion wear designer for girls and women at her Bond Street boutique. In 2021, Janet founded Destination: Great Neck, a 501c3 community organization. Follow @greatneckbiz
