Owner:
Tim Chen, a native New Yorker, bored with being a civil engineer, changed careers in 1997 by enrolling at the New York Restaurant School (now Art Institute).  This led to an externship at Upper East Side, three-star-rated March Restaurant, and a line cook position under Chef Wayne Nish.

With the desire to learn about the workings of the front of the house, Tim accepted a busboy position at the newly opened West Village restaurant Blue Hill in 2000.  Shortly afterward he was promoted to runner/expediter and worked closely with Chef Dan Barber and Chef Alex Urena.

When Chef Urena left Blue Hill to open Marseille in the theater district in 2001, Tim followed to support this young and talented chef.

In 2002, Tim joined the team at the opening of Washington Park, which led to a mentorship under Chef Jonathan Waxman.

With the opening of Mix in New York in 2003, Tim joined in the collaboration between Chef Alain Ducasse and Jeffrey Chodorow.  He was also reunited with long time friend Chef Doug Psaltis, whom he had worked with at March and Blue Hill.

The spring of 2004 brought a new challenge, working at two Manhattan restaurants simultaneously.  One restaurant, Mas (farmhouse) in the West Village with Chef Galen Zamarra, offered white tablecloth fine dining.  The other restaurant, Barbuto, served casual meals in an industrial garage-like setting in the trendy Meatpacking District.  It was at Barbuto that Tim conceived the idea for Quaint restaurant with the counsel of Chef Waxman.

Other contributors:
Graphic identity and website design
Michelle W. Lee and Charles Nix

Photography
Thomas Jackson

Writer/Copyeditor
Tania M. Lambert