Ken Oringer

I have been reading his cookbooks since I was a little kid, and now consider him a friend. He has the most relentless dedication to research and quest for knowledge of anyone I know in the restaurant industry. To me, he is the most knowledgeable food personality and chef. He is 80 and still out foraging mushrooms, raising his own chickens, and cooking everyday. I could not admire anyone more. Jacques Pepin truly walks the walk and talks the talk.

From cooks to servers to management, I am surrounded by people who are interesting, passionate, and have incredible work ethic. It’s an absolute joy to collaborate with all of these people. Without them, there is no way I would succeed.

I knew right from the beginning. I was always obsessed with food (prior to the internet and food culture explosion), I spent hours in libraries reading cookbooks and watched as many Julia Childs' shows as possible. I’ve been fortunate enough to been able to follow this path ever since. 40 some odd years later, I’m still just as excited to get out of bed every morning and jump back into the restaurant.

While experience is valuable, I don’t consider it as essential as a person’s commitment to learning, and dedication to their craft.