Zagat named this Boston restaurateur one of the nation’s top 30 under 30
For the past six years, restaurant reviewing company Zagat has scoured major U.S. markets to find young hospitality heavyweights for its regional 30 Under 30 lists. In 2017, however, Zagat decided to roll out its first-ever national version of the list. The company announced its 30 finalists earlier this week — and one of them is right here in Boston. Irene Li, 27, is the youngest co-founder of Mei Mei Street Kitchen and Restaurant, which she operates with her two older siblings, Andrew Li and Margaret Li. Introduced to the scene as a food truck in April 2012, Mei Mei also now serves up Chinese-American cuisine, from pierogi dumplings to a dish called the Double Awesome, at a Fenway brick-and-mortar location and a Seaport kiosk. Additionally, Mei Mei has a line of bottled sauces.
Clockwise from left, the Fat Schantz sandwich, an order of hand-rolled beef dumplings, and the Chinese rice porridge at Mei Mei in the Fenway.
Li is a three-time James Beard Award semifinalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year, but Zagat reports that “this TEDx talker is most proud of bringing social justice into the kitchen.” Mei Mei is working to outfit the entire staff, which Mei Mei says is majority women and majority people of color, with finance and business management skills. All employees have profit-sharing opportunities and participate in weekly restaurant finance and management classes, according to Mei Mei’s website.
Elsewhere in New England, Melissa Denmark, the 28-year-old executive pastry chef at Gracie’s and Ellie’s Bakery in Providence, Rhode Island, was also named to the final list.
Earlier this year, Pabu Boston’s general manager, Linchul Shin, 27, made it to the semifinals.
