Morristown High School ’15 Alum, AJ Sankofa, is an Executive Chef, Founder and Owner of ESO Artisanal Pasta. AJ was part of the early college challenger program when he spent his last semester taking 12 credits at County College of Morris. Six years later, we were able to catch up with AJ to learn more about his remarkable career and memories of Morristown High School.

MEF: Tell us a little about your journey since high school?

AS: In November of my senior year of high school, a friend told me about a job opening at Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen to make extra money. I always had a strong work ethic, so no matter what I did I wanted to be the best. I started as a busboy and after showing extreme interest and dedication to the job, Executive Chef Kevin Sippel gave me more responsibilities in front of the house and I worked my way up to the Captain's Assistant position before I started working extra shifts in the kitchen. I was working full time as a Captain's Assistant and part time as a Line Cook during Sunday brunch and as often as I could during the week. But throughout my time there, I was always amazed by the pasta making station and really fell in love and wanted to learn all I could about how to make all the pasta varieties.

In June 2016, I wanted to travel to Italy to learn from the best and found the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners (ICIF). Kevin actually graduated from the ICIF Master’s Program in 1998, so as an alumni of the school and an acclaimed former Two Michelin starred Chef in New York, he wrote my letter of recommendation to help me get accepted.

After seven months I received my Master’s Degree in Culinary Arts/Chef Training and returned to the U.S. to continue honing in on my craft. I continued at Jockey Hollow for another year, but in order to continue to advance my Italian culinary skills, I traveled to Buffalo, NY to work with Chef Kevin at the Buffalo Club. He always urged me to learn more and after 2 ½ months I shifted to Manhattan to work at Legacy Records.

I returned to ICIF in April 2019 to learn the art of making Pizza, then worked with Michelin starred Chef Andrea Larossa at Ristorante Larossa who I completed three months of my internship under while at ICIF back in 2016.  I learned an immense amount, working 100 hours a week where back home I usually maxed out in the 80s.

I stayed until October when my visa ended and returned home where I began working full time at Legacy Records. It was here where I was thrilled to make my debut on the pasta station to showcase all I had learned over the past four years. I was working at Legacy Records for a few months when the Coronavirus came to a head. So I would come home to Morristown on the weekends to see my family and quickly convinced my girlfriend – now my fiancé – Kristina Gambarian, to move out of Brooklyn back home.

MEF: Tell us how ESO Artisanal Pasta came to be?

AS: After the first two weeks of quarantine, we knew we had to get back to work – do something. Kristina, who also worked as a cook at Legacy, always wanted to open a bakery, so using her culinary skills she created Babushkas Pies baking out of a commercial kitchen in Orange and delivering in New York and New Jersey. Seeing how people craved fresh food but weren’t able to go out to eat, I had the idea of bringing high-quality products that people could enjoy at home. A Michelin star meal right in your home.

So I reached out to my two good friends – also MHS alumni – Joel Camarillo-Diaz and Isaiah Findley-Pinnock to bring it to life. We started by promoting on social media and attending Black Lives Matter events in Morristown and in New York with fresh pasta and sauces. Word of mouth spread and we began taking online orders in June and offering meals three days a week at the Artist Baker in Morristown, thanks to my friend, Andrea Lekberg, who was Executive Pastry Chef when I was at Jockey Hollow. We’re proud to offer fresh, scratch-made pasta and sauces highlighting the authentic flavors of Italy for our customers to prepare and enjoy at home. It’s all about the simple ingredients – less is way more!

MEF: How does it feel to be doing what you love in your hometown?

AS: It’s just unreal. I’ve truly come full circle from my time at MHS and at Jockey Hollow to realizing my dream and making it happen where it all began. It’s so important at this time as food has always been at the center of quality time with my family. The restaurant business is extremely demanding so I’m so fortunate to be able to do what I love and still be able to enjoy time with my loved ones.  

MEF: What are you most proud of?

AS: Positively impacting the community. It makes me so happy to serve my friends, family and former teachers – many as regulars! Seeing them really enjoy the food, especially those who are gluten free or have refrained from eating pasta in the past, can now benefit from our fresh and simple ingredients with pasta that actually tastes good! I am so thankful for their continued support.

MEF: What inspires you?

AS: My family. Working in the restaurant industry is extremely demanding. And prior to ESO, I was working 100 hours a week easy and not being able to enjoy my family. With ESO, I’m not only focused on delivering high-quality food, but spending quality time with my family and friends. They drive me.

MEF: What are your favorite memories of Morristown High School?

AS: Probably photography class field trips with Mr. Kievning or History class with Mr. Fletcher. Both of those teachers really went against the grain and insisted that we as students think for ourselves and question the system!

MEF: What of your successes would you attribute to your experiences at MHS?

AS: All of them! I came to Morristown in 8^th grade and of course as a kid, I didn’t appreciate how privileged I was to go to such a phenomenal school district. So many teachers pushed me and gave me amazing opportunities to broaden my horizons – specifically Mr. Butler who allowed my friends and I to make music in the WJSV studio for fun and Mr. Kievning who still to this day I use what he taught me in photography class to take photos of my food and showcase them in the best light.

MEF: What advice would you give an MHS student?

AS: Mindfulness is key. Looking back, I wish I realized how blessed and fortunate I was to be able to experience everything Morristown had to offer. From its diversity in students and committed teachers to the challenging curriculum and programs, it’s important to reflect and appreciate the gift you have to create the foundation of your education.

MEF: What’s next?

We’re thrilled to have opened our own space on Elm Street in Morristown five days a week! It maintains our original pasta and sauce concept, and we added a retail concept where customers can purchase quality ingredients imported from Italy to cook with at home such as jarred tomatoes, olive oil, and flour, a market concept where I will make things outside of the pasta and sauce world like spreads, salad dressings, pickled vegetables, broths, etc. Babushkas Pies joined the lineup where Kristina is preparing Italian desserts that customers can grab and eat on the go like Panna Cotta and Tiramisu, and finally we will be doing takeout again by partnering with a local Morristown restaurant!

MEF: Anything else you'd like to add?

I'm just thankful for all the support. The Morristown community is the best and I'm honored and humbled by everyone for helping to make my dreams reality.