How did
you get into restaurants and food?
After high school, I got a job in
San Diego
as a dishwasher at the Eggery. I moved up from there and enjoyed
myself working in a kitchen; otherwise I would never have been
in the business at all. I went from dishwasher to prep cook to
working on the line, flipping eggs and things like that. Three
months later when I moved back from
San Diego
, I was going to go to college and I thought, I wasn’t really
thrilled about that, so I went to culinary school. (He’s a
graduate of Scottsdale Culinary Institute)
Who
are your mentors?
Basically the three people I spent the
most time with: Christopher Gross is my number one mentor, not
only because of working for him for so long, but I accrued a
wealth of knowledge from him. From him, on an actual cooking
level, basically how to do things from sauces to broiling to
braising, everything and to do them properly with French
techniques. I learned more refined skills from Thomas Keller [of
the French Laundry in
Yountville
,
Calif.
]. And then from Michael [DeMaria of Michael’s at the
Citadel], from working for him for two and a half years, really
helped me learn to be a manager and take the skills that I’ve
got and utilize them and teach them to other people.
Do
you have any hobbies?
Not a lot of time for hobbies. I’ve got
two children and that eats up any available time. I listen to a
lot music, run triathlons. I don’t have a lot of time to keep
up with it. I’ve been a cross-country runner and things like
that since I was young.
What
type of music do you like?
Electronica and modern stuff, but I listen to everything. I’ve
got a lot of jazz, ‘60s R&B, blues.
What’s
the last book you read?
George Orwell’s “Down and Out in
Paris
and
London
.” It’s a true story of him when he was younger, before he
had written anything, as a waiter and busboy in
Paris
…it’s actually very interesting.
Who or
what inspires you?
Honestly, the food inspires me. I really
get a kick out of cooking. I enjoy everything about it, coming
in and getting fresh products and seeing beautiful items that
have been cooked properly. The time that it takes to make a veal
stock. When you do something like that, it means so much to me.
My veal stocks take about three days. When it’s done at the
end and it’s perfect, that’s an amazing process. Then also
just taking something simple like a nice, local organic tomato,
putting a nice olive oil on it and some chopped shallots and
selling it just like that. It’s clean and simple and that’s
beautiful as well. I enjoy cooking. I spend the majority of my
time cooking. I hope to do that for the next 40 years. Beautiful
products inspire me.
Do
you have a favorite meal of the day?
I’m kind of a breakfast hound. I like
fried eggs and bacon, rye bread with butter on it. It’s
breakfast food, but I eat it anytime throughout the day.
That’s one of the reasons I have the omelet on the menu. … I
always wanted a bistro that I could go to at
midnight
and have an omelet.
Do
you cook at home?
Occasionally. I cook for my children when
I have them – very, very simple stuff. I don’t get into real
extravagant cooking.
What’s the best piece of advice your mother
or father gave you?
My
father always has been someone who -- maybe not that he
specifically told me to do this – but through his own actions
was to be just an extremely hard worker. Kind of just put your
head down and go, and good things will come to you. He’s
always done that, and I’ve always admired him for his work
ethic and respected it.
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