Tag: Kitchen Stories
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Thank You, Jeremy & Jeff – My Kitchen Mentors
Before I ever ran a kitchen, I learned how to cook. Stefan taught me the techniques—knife work, flavor building, plating. But technique only gets you so far. It wasn’t until I worked with Jeremy and Jeff that I began to understand what it really means to run a kitchen. They taught me the difference between…
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Gyudon, Negi Maguro Don, and the Joy of Giving
In my family, Japanese family restaurant–style food is more than just dinner — it’s our love language.My son Jou’s favorite is Gyudon, a bowl of thinly sliced beef and onions simmered in a sweet sake-soy sauce, poured steaming over white rice.My daughter Leia’s favorite is Negi Maguro Don, fresh chopped tuna mixed with green onion,…
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My Version of Gyudon – Better Than Yoshinoya
When I was ten years old, my father took me to Yoshinoya for the first time. That bowl of beef and onion simmered in sweet sauce was my introduction to Japanese food — and it stuck with me. Now, when I make Gyudon at home, I do it my way. It’s not the traditional Yoshinoya…
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Negi Maguro Don – My Favorite Japanese Dish You Can Make at Home
Out of all the Japanese dishes I’ve tried, Negi Maguro Don has always been my personal favorite. It’s simple, humble, and deeply satisfying. You don’t need a high-end sushi bar or the budget for sashimi-grade platters — this is a dish you can make at home, and it still carries the same comfort and freshness.…
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Cooking as a Chef: Life Lessons From the Kitchen
The kitchen was never just about food for me. It was a classroom. A place where timing, rhythm, and preparation taught lessons I carried far beyond the stove. Mise en Place — Everything in Its Place Every chef starts with mise en place — the practice of putting everything in order before the cooking begins.…
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Operational Flow: Lessons from the Sugarbush Kitchen
When I first stepped into the kitchen at Sugarbush Golf Club, I didn’t just look at what we were serving. I looked at how we were serving it. Running a restaurant inside a golf club means more than turning out good food. It means keeping pace with tee times, serving members who expect both speed…
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How a Stormy Afternoon (and Spaghetti) Started My Culinary Journey
It was almost 20 years ago. I was a struggling mini-tour player, grinding through events out in Phoenix, Arizona. My game wasn’t in a good place. Every round seemed to bring more frustration than progress, and the pressure of trying to make it wore me down. Back then, the only thing that brought me any…
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How a Better Fish Fry Helped Us Honor Tradition and Improve Service
When Tradition Meets Throughput When I first came on board at one operation I managed, one thing caught me off guard. There was no Friday fish fry during Lent. For a place built on Midwest hospitality, that didn’t feel right.So I asked why. The answer wasn’t about taste.It was about flow. The Constraint No One…
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How the Smash Burger Helped Our Kitchen Breathe
When One Menu Item Controls the Whole Kitchen When I first stepped into the kitchen at one operation I managed, I did what I always do when inheriting a system. Watch closely.Ask questions.Listen for the pinch points. It didn’t take long to find one. Nearly 8 out of every 10 orders were for a single…
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A Cheesesteak Smashed Burger, the Sugarbush Way
Sometimes, inspiration doesn’t come from within—it comes from a YouTube short. I was watching a clip the other night of a burger spot in NYC layering up a cheesesteak smashed burger. It was over-the-top, loud, and looked like the kind of thing you eat with both hands and a few napkins. But more than that,…