This may be one reason Amaral is such a fan of preserving fruits and vegetables, just like his mother did. When I get to see the kitchen, he's eager to show me that there are thousands of apricots scattered everywhere (he's also eager to show me pictures of the foul his mother used to slaughter in the garage, but that image seems less pertinent at the moment). There are 24 cases of apricots to be exact, and they all need to be jarred today. It's now almost 5 o'clock, and dinner service starts in less than two hours. This task feels more like one for an episode of "Hell's Kitchen." Clearly a jarring enthusiast, he lets me know that they have recently filled 250 Mason jars with pickles.

Even though his title may have been bumped up, the young Chef feels more relaxed than when the restaurant was Susur. "Two people were coming in and spending $1000 on a meal; there's a lot of pressure for everything to be perfect," he says. Now he's cooking more the way that he wants to eat, (his favourite food is pizza after all); a method which allows his creativity to shine. He envisions the place as a lively setting with a busy bar, where people don't feel obliged to have a three course meal, and will want to return to try the seemingly endless menu. With an approachable manner that says, "Here, let me tell you about my family's illegal activities," Madeline's too, is sure to be an approachable restaurant.