It's Been A While

It's been over a year now since my last post. Yes, I attribute some of that to laziness, but also the vigorous work schedule I have had over the past 12 months. I'm trying to get back into posting on a more regular basis, and taking more photos in the kitchen to share. Last year I took on a sous chef role at the JW Mariott at Mirepoix restaurant. I took the position to help my friend and colleague Andy(another sous at the same restaurant) while the restaurant was changing concepts and being remodeled by Sage Hospitality. It was a good stepping stone position for me to move into management while still having someone I trusted to show me the ropes along the way. That lasted for about four months until the restaurant closed down for renovation. It is now Second Home Kitchen & Bar. After leaving Mirepoix, I was informed about an opening for Executive Chef at a new restaurant opening early 2008 on South Broadway. I went through multiple interview processes and several cooking demonstrations in order to get the position. It was a lengthy process, but after it was all over I was in the swing of things, designing their menu, kitchen, and doing general consulting work for the restaurant. After months of design, tastings after tastings, I had a mutual difference of opinion with the owners and left the project. It was a lot of hard work that unfortunately didn't pan out into what I wanted it to be. Come December of 2007, I was given a reference by my previous Executive Chef Matt Selby of Vesta Dipping Grill. A member of his DINR(Denver Independent Network of Restaurants) group was looking for a sous chef to bring on board at Black Pearl Restaurant in the Wash Park neighborhood. I interviewed for the position and was hired shortly afterward. After two months as sous chef I filled the role of Chef De Cuisine and became more familiarized with the everday workings of the kitchen, restaurant, and managing a staff. I have been completely involved with the restaurant for the past six months and have had little personal life to speak of. I have been learning a lot along the way about just how intense of a responsibility it is to manage the everydays workings of a professional kitchen. I'm tired, but I know in the end it will all pay off. I will have more photos and updated information about the new and exciting things happening with our ever evolving menu in the near future. Sorry for my absence in posting over the past year. But now I'm back.