Chef de Cuisine at Gramercy Tavern

I studied Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management at The University of Delaware with the intention of focusing on hotel operations, but part of the program was working in the student-run restaurant, Vita Nova. It was my time there coupled with classes learning about food and beverage that really opened my eyes to the possibilities of working in a kitchen and in restaurants. I'm so glad that experience was part of the program because it inspired me to want to become a chef. The rest is history.

In a lot of ways, cooking professionally feels like a masterclass in how to conduct yourself in business and in life. It's critical that you work quickly but efficiently, work hard to accomplish tasks, work with your team around you so prep and service are successful, have mental and physical mise en place (everything in its place) to maximize organization throughout the day, all skills that translate both in and out of the kitchen. But the longer I do this, one thing that continues to ring true is that you get out what you put into it. An experience will be the most rewarding if you come into work putting your best foot forward with a great attitude and a willingness to learn. Mistakes will happen, they always do, but learning and growing from there will take you far.

Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. It's more important to be honest and vulnerable by admitting you need help than to try and feel the need to do everything by yourself.

When we look to build our team, we try to find a great balance between cooks who have experience working in restaurants and want to continue to grow in our kitchen; those who are greener but really excited to learn. This combination creates a wonderful dynamic in the kitchen where we are constantly teaching cooks who are at different points in their careers. It ends up being a cyclical learning curve because the greener cooks mature into our stronger line cooks so when we bring on newer, inexperienced cooks, the cycle of learning continues. Having a great attitude and likable personality are also musts because we're constantly working on creating a healthy environment for our team to learn and grow in.

Like most professionals in the industry, when the pandemic started and we lost our jobs, there was a moment of deep reflection where I questioned whether I wanted to return to the industry. But ultimately, I returned because I love restaurants. And I love what we do as a team and what we can accomplish together. From a technical standpoint, I have learned and grown so much by working in kitchens and from a personal one, I have met some of the best people I know by being in this industry. I know there is still so much that needs to be done to make restaurant culture one to really be proud of, and I hope to be part of that change.

I find inspiration from reading cookbooks, eating at restaurants, and the people around me. Talking about food with other cooks and chefs is fun, keeps the creativity flowing, and often sparks ideas that you may not have thought of on your own.

I could not do what I do without the team. The higher you climb the ladder of success, the more people want to thank the individual chef for why they had a great time at the restaurant. But there is a laundry list of people who contribute to the success of any person's great experience; porters, prep cooks, butchers, line cooks, sous chefs, baristas, servers, captains, maitre d's, hosts, floor managers, sommeliers - the list goes on. It's the team's willingness to work so hard on a daily basis to provide a great experience for the people who walk through our doors that makes this job worth it.