Waypoints: New York City

Makers, artisans, misfits, and those who refuse to do things the easy way.

Waypoints is a new series from Evergoods about the people who choose their own path. The cooks, builders, artists, craftspeople, and obsessives who follow an idea far enough to turn it into something real.

For the first episode, we spent time with Jay Rodriguez, the chef behind HERA NYC. Based in New York, HERA is a pop-up restaurant experience built around creativity and a deep commitment to craft. It doesn’t fit nicely into a traditional restaurant model, and that’s the beauty of it.

Jay approaches food with the same curiosity that seems to drive everything he does. He experiments, adapts, and follows ideas wherever they lead. There’s no prescribed formula or easy route, just a willingness to put in the work led by his relentless passion for food and community.

We went behind the scenes to see what happens when someone decides to build something entirely on their own. What motivates the process? Where do the ideas come from? And, what keeps someone moving when there’s no established path?

The result is a glimpse into Jay’s world and the work behind HERA NYC; not simply the food, but the person, process, and perspective that make it all possible.

Waypoints is about those people. The ones making things, figuring things out, and taking the long way because it’s their way.

Waypoints: New York City.

A series by Evergoods.

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CREDITS:
Featuring: Jay Rodriguez
Director: Santino Martirano
Dp: Tony Czech
Edit: Brian Szymanski
Color: Arlington Peak - Clinton K. Hollister
Sound: Electric Audio Inc. - Jason McDaniel
Additional Photography: Savannah Lauren

Special Thanks:
Peasant NYC, Cameron Philip, Grow NYC, Halal Pastures, Amoon Farms, Michael Laudenslager, Cara Forgione, Mom & Dad :) & Joe Scorsone