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Kyle Bailey & Tiffany MacIsaac: Neighborhood Restaurant Group

How did you two meet?

They first met in New York, worked at the same restaurant, were both dating other people, and were really good friends. They parted ways to go to different restaurants, and Kyle's restaurant needed a new pastry chef. He was actually dating a different pastry chef at the time, but got Tiffany the job instead. (He and the other pastry chef broke up shortly thereafter.) While working there, they were completely forbidden from being a couple—but that didn't stop them from getting together. They were a secret couple the whole time, and when they got engaged after leaving the restaurant, the entire staff was in shock.

How has your relationship affected your work?

We've helped each other out a lot; we're a team. We're known in our group for how hard we both work, and how dedicated we both are to our work. We can really support each other at that level because we're as close as we are. We also have a pact that we're always completely honest with each other, no matter how much it sucks to hear what we have to say—which is really important, but really difficult in this line of work. And we've always had each others' backs: He got me my first gig as a pastry chef, and I got him his first gig as an executive chef.

How has working together affected your relationship?

We fight a lot less than most couples because we've been through and seen so much difficult stuff, that the we really don't sweat the small stuff. When you've just come off of a 40-hour work day or from dealing with a piece of the ceiling caving in, things like who made the bed or whether you put the dishes away just don't really matter anymore.

What are the best and worst things about working together?

Worst:

Tiffany: We both have strong ideas and we both think we're right. We generally agree on things, but every now and then when we do disagree, it can be frustrating because we're both so strong-headed.

Kyle: She's always right about everything—it sucks! The one time I was right, it was really awesome.

Best:

Tiffany: I just couldn't imagine working without Kyle. I don't think I could even work with this group if he wasn't here. In fact, when he first got hired to work for the group, we thought they didn't want me and I was devastated: Working without Kyle was not an option!

Kyle: If one of my cooks were to walk out the door right now, I know that Tiff would go upstairs, put on a coat, and we would work service together. I don't know anyone else I can rely on like that.