Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske share many things in common. They both attended the International Culinary Center (albeit separately), they love to travel, and the love the kitchen. They both took advantage of their travel to meet and work with world known chefs (Jean-George, Johnny Iuzzinni, Giovanni Passerini), and when they finally came back home, a future together was in the stars.

After nearly two years of work and traveling internationally, the two chefs finally returned to New York—though timing was still not quite right—each accepting temporary consulting and private dining jobs as they planned to open their first restaurant together. Finally, in 2013 the duo opened Contra in the Lower East Side neighborhood, showcasing a regularly-changing tasting menu-style format—Stone in charge of the savory dishes while von Hauske helmed the dessert and bread program. The restaurant was a welcome addition to the city’s diverse restaurant scene and was recognized by the New York Times’ Restaurant Critic Pete Wells, who named Contra one of “The 10 Best New Restaurants of 2014.” Wells professed, “The great achievement of Contra is that it’s both highly ambitious and resolutely accessible.”

Two years later, they opened their second just a few doors down called Wildair—a casual bistro with an expansive wine list focused on natural wines. The restaurant has received critical acclaim, garnering accolades such as New York Times’ “Top New Restaurants of 2015, Fabian being named Forbes “Thirty Under Thirty”, as well as Jeremiah and Fabian being named Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs 2016.”