Chefs At Home: The Meatball Shop's Chernow And Holzman

Though the first Meatball Shop outpost opened in New York City's Lower East Side in 2010, Michael Chernow and Daniel Holzman's history starts well before then. They were both raised on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, but they only met because their mothers' lives crossed paths at a dentist office — one as a patient and one as an employee. The two women discovered their sons went to the same school and the rest is history. Chernow and Holzman took their passion for food to culinary school and have since opened five locations of The Meatball Shop throughout New York City.

Chefs at Home: The Meatball Shop's Chernow and Holzman (Slideshow)

Now, they both live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Chernow resides with his wife and their extremely Instagram-able dog Riley. Holzman is just a few blocks away in a railroad-style one-bedroom apartment. The two spend their days taking calls and going to meetings, but their mornings are sacred. Making coffee and having breakfast is the quiet time before the day starts, whether that's at 9 a.m. or 11a.m. 

The art and antiques that decorate Chernow's apartment are reminiscent of what you'll find inside one of his restaurants. An antique spotlight sits next to his couch, and his pots and pans hang from a vintage wooden sled (totally stealing that idea). In Holzman's apartment, his mother, who you'll see in a photo on his fridge, created the majority of the art on the walls. His knife collection nearly inspires the question, "Chef, or serial killer?" but when you see the shelf of preserves and ferments below, you know you're in a chef's kitchen. Click through our slideshow to see how the men of The Meatball Shop live.

Pouring Coffee

Coffee in the morning is a must, from a French press for Chernow, to a Chemex coffeemaker for Holzman. Both of the guys drink it black.

Making Breakfast

Chernow alternates between eggs for breakfast or fruit and granola. "I usually prefer sweet but now since I've been eating a lot of eggs I prefer savory," he says of his breakfast choices.

Click here to see more Chefs at Home with Michael Chernow and Daniel Holzman.

Jane Bruce is the Photo Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @janeebruce.