An intimate, multi-year portrait of two chefs and their staffs in Washington, DC who struggle to open and maintain their first restaurants. The film begins with each restaurant under construction and follows them through their first year of business. Against all odds, one becomes the most famous new restaurant in America, winning Bon Appetit magazine’s Best New Restaurant award and a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic. The other chef redefines success while his wife mulls leaving her high-paying job to work at the new pizza shop full-time. Official Selection at the **Hot Docs Festival**.