Amanda Turner

But the more I thought about it and the more I got to experience other restaurants, I became very fascinated by the concept of cooking professionally.

Sometimes it takes time to find spaces where you will fit in and work well alongside the team. Now that I design the teams, I am very considerate of how people get along together.

We always have staff meal available every day, and cater to people’s unique dietary needs. We also provide low-cost healthcare and mental healthcare services through a local non-profit called the Mike and Sherry Project.

From service to food, production to the line, it takes a very tight knit crew to be able to get on the same page in this way. It’s been very inspiring!

A good pair of clogs is a game changer!

When I am traveling, I love to see what other chefs are creating and engaging with them about what they are working on and why. I also read a lot of books that aren’t culinary books (not cookbooks) but may inspire me in other ways.

There just aren’t enough black women being represented in culinary on a large scale, especially in fine dining. So having visibility on myself and knowing that I can be inspiring for others keeps me wanting to be in positions where people can see how it is possible to achieve your dreams.

I do believe it takes 2-3 years to really gain a good understanding of a restaurant, and if you are hopping from one job to another in quick succession, you’re probably not going to be a good fit for us and the team.

In fine dining specifically, there are less women or people of color typically working on the line or prep teams. I am proud to say that our team is made up of mostly women, people of color, and we have great queer representation as well. I think it makes our work place more dynamic, and people don’t experience the feeling of “otherness” as often because we are all unique and accepting of everyone’s different backgrounds.

I considered the chef teams and their achievements, as well as specifically what I was looking to gain from an experience. Whether it was pastry, baking, or whole animal butchery, I specifically sought opportunities to learn those specific skills under chefs I thought would teach me well.

Once I became a server, I was really engaged in the work environment. I loved not sitting at a desk all day (I had previously worked some entry-level data jobs). I started to aspire to be in the kitchen, and from the first time I got to work in a professional kitchen I was hooked! Doing a craft that allows me to think on my feet & outside the box and every day being different really made me fall in love with cooking.

The Japanese hospitality culture is so unique and inspiring, I really took a lot away from my experience.

I try to keep the mood light - we listen to music during our production time and do a “power hour” of hype music before service to get everyone ready to roll! We also do post-shifts where the team discusses the day and if we had any challenges or unresolved issues, so we can come back better the next day. Encouraging cooks to branch out and dine around town, or prepare fun and unique staff meals also helps with motivation.

I enjoy tabletop gaming, and my weekly Magic the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons group helps keep me grounded. There is nothing like decompressing with make believe.

Just simply believing you are in the places you are because of the work that you have done is very valuable. Especially for femmes and chefs of color. Imposter syndrome is real.

When the weather changes and those first strawberries show up, it’s always exciting. Trying to envision new ways to utilize our local produce and products is always a good time.

People that don’t need to be told every little detail of what we expect of them and are capable of thinking on their own. For example, I don’t want to have to spell it out for an employee that they should be sweeping the floor often; that should be something they want to do if they want to work in a clean environment. I shouldn’t tell you to sharpen your knives, they should be sharp, etc.