Mara Jaffe

There was a restaurant in my neighborhood growing up that my parents dined at frequently. As they got to know the Chef, they told him I was interested in cooking. He said when I turned fourteen I could come in for a stage. Once I started, there was no turning back. I learned very quickly that I loved working in the kitchen and I loved how I fit in with the crew and was energized to learn something new every day.

I was headed down that path of working at fine dining restaurants when I was given the opportunity to become the Corporate Chef for an up-and-coming Glamping/Outdoor Hospitality group out of California. This really changed my perspective and helped me find other areas of the industry that I was interested in and good at. It was a combination of luck and good connections that landed me that job, but I ended up learning that I really enjoyed working with multiple different restaurants within a company and looking at the bigger picture as opposed to being in the day-to-day focusing on perfecting each plate and mis en place item.

Once I got to Chicago, I decided I wanted to Stage at the Girl and the Goat and see if I could work there in addition to my official internship. I walked in and Stephanie Izard happened to be there and I nervously handed her my resume and asked for a stage. I ended up working there throughout the summer and ultimately got to work a station during service. I was completely thrilled to be there every moment I was there. Even though it was a short time period, being part of such a busy, focused, fun and positive work environment has had a lasting impact on me.

Even though my current role doesn't require a huge amount of slicing and dicing anymore, being caught without a sharp knife when you need one is the worst! Everyone working in the kitchen should always have at least one sharp knife they feel comfortable using.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Jeremy, the founder and CEO of Heirloom, really does love all human beings and values diversity. It's really impactful to work for a company where the CEO not only accepts everyone, but really loves everyone. Our corporate leadership at Heirloom is over 50% female so it feels great to be in that environment in an industry that is so traditionally male dominated.

This project has impressed on me how important having a well-rounded team is. We have a really great balance of creative and dreamer types combined with people who are organized and committed to getting things done. This project would not be preparing to open right now without all of the valuable players on the team.

I tend to practice self-care by taking him for a long walk that involves a pup cup for him. My fiancee would say he gets too many, but it's very good for my mental health to give him pup cups!