What role does the food play?
We're most known for seafood and Angus beef. More and more steaks are gaining popularity. Everything is absolutely fresh and for the most part traditionally prepared. I do stretch out a little bit with the specials, maybe offering some East-meets-West dishes. Specific wine suggestions also accompany the specials.

What's your thinking behind such a commitment to variety?
For a while I worked at one of Jeremiah Towers' restaurants, Speedo 690, in San Francisco. At the time the famous columnist Herb Caen had just written a tribute to Stars, Towers' other restaurant. He talked about the place with such reverence and went on and on about how anyone could get just about anything they wanted to eat there and how that's what made it such an institution.

I never forgot that column. So when Shawn and I started at Tuscarora Mill, we wanted to develop that kind of relationship with the community here.

So has it worked?
I have to say we are really loved by our customers. They tell us when we do well, and they tell us when we do poorly. About 80 percent of our customer base is repeat visits. Of that, 40 percent come more then twice a week. They need variety.

But as you see, I'm not a big fan of fusion cooking. I try to stay true to a region and not complicate things on the plate. Instead, we focus on the best ingredients we can get, locally if possible, and let the food speak for itself.

What are some of the other ways that you attract and keep customers?
We work this restaurant at three different price levels - low, medium and high. I think people have come to count on us because we deliver consistently good product at all levels.

How has the concept changed in the 10 years that you and Shawn have worked together at Tuskie's?
Well, the menu evolves as we respond to our customers - within reason, of course. We probably never will do potato skins, for example, though in the cafe we do have high-quality but fairly classic wings and nachos.

We maintain high quality by having a good staff - hiring, training and maintaining strong people. That's the No. 1 thing. We have very low turnover, and I think they are doing a really great job.

We've got better economics now, too. Sales have quadrupled, while I've tried to get a handle on costs. Food cost runs at about 27 percent. But because we still do everything from scratch, labor is still up around 34 percent. Things would be much better if that was down around 29 percent but I don't know how to do it without compromising quality.

We're also a lot better at tracking cash flow, since now we actually treat the bakery as a separate entity where we buy product, instead of accounting for it as a production area.

You're starting to sound like a business major.
Well, I have a finance degree from George Washington University. But when I went on my first interview, they asked me where I saw myself in eight or nine years, and I said I would like to open my own restaurant. Obviously, they didn't hire me. I guess I've always wanted to be in this business.

What's your biggest challenge these days?
Managing staff and keeping them motivated. I think that's the hardest thing for chefs to learn. The cooking is the easy part. If you can't keep your staff happy and keep them with you, then you can't ever move forward and get better. You never will accomplish the larger goals. All your energy goes to hiring and training personnel. Then you're really stuck.

What tools help you manage your staff?
I read all the magazines and watch all the television shows. I eat out as much as I can. I have to be learning all the time. Over the years I've learned to let go of responsibility and rely more on coaching. I've never been a yeller or a skillet-thrower, but I make my employees aware of our standards and what's expected of them.

We also provide opportunities for them to learn outside of the restaurant. If you're full time and stick with us for two years, then we send you to The Culinary Institute of America for a continuing education course. Most run a full week. This really keeps people interested in learning and improving their skills. Complacency is a cancer for any kitchen.