As soon as Louis Moskow sits down, he's off and running, not even waiting for a question, talking rapidly about his new Railyard Restaurant with palpable intensity. He points to David Barker, whose company owns the property, having lunch a few tables away. "He eats here so often, I started doing specials so he won't get bored with the menu.
Specials to make a single customer happy? That's Louis. At five foot six, with blond hair, dressed in Santa Fe casual, the thirty-something man could easily blend in with the crowd. But here his presence practically commands the restaurant floor at the height of lunch with a full house. "I'm passionate about everything, he declares. "I speak in superlatives. Everything's either the best or the worst. Friends of his, like fellow food and wine enthusiast Rhoda Sherry, back this up. "He's passionate about everything he gets involved with, she says.
Today Moskow is focused on the things in life that resonate with him. "It's a noble thing to run a restaurant. It's a service. A lot of people say love, or security, is the most important thing in life. For me it's purpose. If someone comes to my restaurant and it's the high point of their day, that's great. I've succeeded. Moskow has been creating high points in Santa Fe since 1999, when he bought 315, now one of the city's well-established fine dining spots. "There are a lot of things in the world that bring people down. That's not my job. I've got the other job.
Again and again as he discusses his roles as chef and restaurateur, he returns to the importance of service. Maybe that's because, as he maintains, it's easier for him to give than receive. "There are a lot of restaurants with bad food and good service that succeed. There are no restaurants with bad service and great food that succeed. Early in his career, after training in New York City restaurants and graduating from the Culinary Institute of America (1989), he felt compelled to teach people how to eat. "Really, that's serving yourself. Although still conscious not to load up diners on foods high in cholesterol and fat, he now works to make others happy.
He's fiercely loyal to his staff, determined to provide them steady work in which they can learn, grow, and make a decent income. Augusto "Titin Delprado, his chef at 315, is representative when he says that Louis "appreciates my work. He takes care of me. He trusts me a lot. That means a lot to me. The result: low turnover, good service, and community support. "Santa Fe wanted the Railyard to succeed, Moskow believes. "I felt that they were behind me on this. I didn't build this to line my pockets. I wanted to do something that Santa Fe wanted. A lot of tourists go to 315. The Railyard is for locals. It was designed for the customers. That's the whole thing.
Moskow can't talk about food without bringing up wine. "It's my biggest passion. I read about it every morning, I get on the Internet in the afternoon, I talk about it with friends, I drink it at night. Food should be wine friendly, he believes, and 315 has long been known for its excellent wine list. When he was younger and forging an identity as a chef, he talked about food so much it bored people. "I was even annoying myself. He says the world of wine has rounded him out. Wine enthusiasts will probably agree, but others might find his zeal obsessive. He loves many fruit juices, coffee, and more. "But there's nothing in the world's beverages as expansive as wine. Having lived and traveled in Europe, he has a special love of French wines. "God lives in Burgundy, he propounds.
"Business is the next step for me. I can service a greater cause by focusing on it. His creativity requires that he no longer be "chained behind the stove. Instead, he creates dishes, then teaches his willing kitchen crew to prepare them. He's searched himself for what was behind the motivation to open a second restaurant. "Am I addicted to the adrenaline? If I am, is that bad? Maybe not, he thinks. "Do I have greed? He sees that more negatively. In any event, the Railyard--creating its concept and experiencing its success--has changed his life, and at some point he might consider expanding even further.
Moskow's world, and his passion for it, extends well beyond the realms of food and wine. He found an antidote to his purpose-driven life years ago, when he became "obsessed with fly fishing, a catch-and-release sport he still enjoys. He ties his own flies, and luxuriates in spending a day on the river with his dogs. "I hang out. I listen to the river. I look up. It's the ultimate counterproductive thing to do. He moved west for the snow, and is an avid snowboarder and skier who's been chasing powder in Colorado this winter.
"When I moved out here, I was high strung. I'm still an intense person, but I want my intensity to be positive, not negative. Every other day I exercise religiously, like clockwork. That's what keeps me balanced. I do twenty minutes of yoga, run for forty minutes, then do calisthenics. He's also a music lover, with interests ranging from classical and jazz to rock and pop. He's considering live music for the Railyard after dinner hours. "I'm getting more into art. If I have an hour to kill, I'll go to a gallery. I like art where you can see the skills of the artist. As proof, he points to the ultra-realistic paintings on the walls by Daniel Morper that came from his own home.
Speaking of which, he jumps into talking excitedly about his house. "The view is awesome. And I'm very happy with my cappuccino machine. I wake up in the morning, see the view, it's great.
Louis, by nature a social individual, is well-suited for his highly interactive job as restaurateur. Yet ironically, the one area of his life to suffer from his passionate immersion in existence has been his love life. A four-year relationship with a girlfriend ended recently because he couldn't put the energy into it that his partner needed. "It was painful. I still love her. He considers the loss a sacrifice caused by his devotion to his businesses. "When people tell me how much they appreciate what I'm doing here, that completes me. He says that he needs to give at least that much to a lover. If he's too preoccupied, it's better not to be in a relationship.
Another example of his all or nothing stance toward life? Maybe so. But it's the only way he knows to live life, which is both an asset and a limitation. It has brought him success without the sense that he's met any final goal, kudos with only momentary contentment, accomplishment accompanied by continuing restlessness. He doesn't mind. Some people face the future--new projects and possibilities--with caution, like the skier who tests the snow on bunny slopes before trying a moderate cruiser. Louis comes barreling out of the gate like a racer on an expert run, confident that if the going is slippery, he can still negotiate the twists and turns.
315 is located at 315 Old Santa Fe Trail in Santa Fe. 505.986.9190. The Railyard Restaurant and Saloon is located at 530 South Guadalupe in Santa Fe. 505.989.3300.
