Bad luck turned into good fortune for Jayson Grossberg.

An aspiring drummer, Grossberg was diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease in 1995, while still a junior at George Washington University. Surgery would stop the pain, but it would limit his mobility. He wouldn't be able to slap a snare anymore.

But he could flip a spatula, and that's just what he has been doing since 2002, when he opened Jayson Michaels Fine Catering in Ardmore. Working alongside his wife Alix, Grossberg has been developing a growing reputation for upscale catering.

Most recently, he has pushed that reputation a step further by opening his own 50-seat restaurant, Alphabet Soup, in Audubon, Camden County.

It's a big move for a man who trained under star chef Jean-Louis Palladin and went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.

Industry insiders say the move could shed a whole new light on Grossberg's catering efforts.

"He's already done the big, now he wants to do the small and maybe even show the public that you can combine big and small without losing quality, presentation or creativity," said David Hall, director of catering at the Loews Hotel in Center City.

If the restaurant strategy aims to put Grossberg's food in front of potential catering customers, it should hardly come as a surprise. From day one Grossberg has sold his catering concept by inviting would-be party planners to sample the wares.

"When we first started, we contacted the broker who sold us our house, who seemed like she knew a lot of people," Grossberg recalled. She invited 10 friends for a party, which Grossberg catered for free. He did this several times, making the rounds, meeting likely local party people.

"We would look for people who had corporate ties, who seemed to know people in the area who would also entertain."

It cost a few dollars to host the festivities, "but we had no problem doing free events at the beginning," he said. When it comes to catering, "you can't get it out there by just putting an ad in the paper."

At his first paying parties Grossberg typically fed 10 or 20 guests. Now it's not unusual for him to be making up plates for 200 or more.

With things already on the uptick, the business got an added boost recently when its proprietors moved from Princeton back to more familiar haunts in Philadelphia. For one thing, it helps to be closer to the client base.

"A lot of people like to know their caterer is nearby. I think they like the familiarity, knowing we are close," Grossberg said.

At the same time, it's nice to have a network. "We know a lot of people here already. We have friends. There are people who are unbelievably supportive," he said. "When we were in Princeton we didn't know anybody."

Those friends are more than ready to sing the praises of Grossberg's Francophile offerings.

"He's creative; his cooking is sublime. It's a special meal and he's a special cook. He has talent, real talent," said Richard Sheerr, a family friend and president of The Wagman Primus Group, a Philadelphia manufacturer of hair extensions and brushes.

Meanwhile, the new restaurant is keeping Grossberg busy as he tries to juggle the needs of both ends of his business. Unwilling to compromise, he insists on attending all catered events. That means that when the company has an outside job, the restaurant shuts down for the night.

It's a balancing act, making sure no reservations are taken for catering nights. On the plus side, 95 percent of business at the restaurant comes through reservation, "so we are not disappointing people who are just walking down the road and hoping to drop by. That very rarely happens."

While Grossberg said his relative youth has not been a stumbling block, he also harbors no illusions. At 33 he still has plenty to learn. "I am certainly going to make a gazillion mistakes along the way. But that's fine, you kind of have to. You hope those mistakes aren't too big, but if you don't make those mistakes there really is not much to learn from."

As for those aching wrists, it's not really a happy story. He's had surgery twice on each hand and no one really knows where things will go from here. His medical problems are far from cured, but Grossberg still counts himself lucky to have the mobility he needs to do the thing he loves.

"Some days if it's cold out my hands hurt worse than others," he said. "But there was no way I would give this up. Cooking feels good, it feels right. I don't feel like I'm working."

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