Chef & Owner of Anton’s and Leon's
“I thrive off of the competitive energy in NYC- It keeps me motivated to perform better than I did yesterday. I also derive great satisfaction from seeing young cooks develop into great leaders in our kitchen. Lastly, it’s just great to see someone’s day or week get better because of an experience we were able to create at our restaurant – that goes for both a cook who works for us or a guest who dines with us. Food is a pretty powerful thing when you take it seriously.„
EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
Don’t pick up a hot pan with a moist towel. This seems obvious now, but in my first kitchen job, I made that mistake and steamed myself pretty badly.
"To be successful in any artistic profession, you must be completely impervious to criticism and completely stubborn in your determination to succeed." - Professor David Freedberg, Columbia University
Stretch a lot and strengthen your core. I know I sound like a Pilates instructor, but lower back pain is inevitable in this industry if you don’t do daily maintenance to your body. In my first few years cooking, my body really took a beating.
The most important thing I learned in my first job was to always be cleaning. There is never a moment in the cooking or prepping process where cleaning up after yourself ceases.
It’s the people that keep me going on rough days. I’ve always been fortunate to have a network of inspirational people around me – my family, determined chefs and cooks at work. It’s inspiring to see so many people in one place, all following their passions - Doing what they really want to be doing, not for money, but simply because they love it.
My best internship was working a summer (in college) on the Mercantile Exchange trading floor. It taught me how to perform under extreme pressure and time constraints. It also taught me that I never wanted to work in Finance again and ultimately forced me to pursue an alternate career path – cooking.
Disclaimer: Individuals featured in the Inspirational Career Timelines section have been nominated by peers, colleagues and/or other members of the hospitality industry. It is to the best of our knowledge that each individual has demonstrated leadership and acted as a positive role model for others.
Send Us Your Nominations
If you know of any extraordinary food, beverage and hospitality professionals who inspire others through their hard work and leadership, nominate them now!
Nominate
Search industry jobs here
Get Inspired by Industry Leaders
Explore their unique career timelines and advice about what they’ve learned along the way
- Categories
- CulinaryPastry & BakingWine & BeverageServiceOffice & AdminMedia
- Experience
- Career ChangerInternational ExperienceJames Beard Award