Making the Chef

Mike and Katrina

I just took a recent and much needed vacation to St. Louis for a dance event, but it's funny how my professional life found a way to come into the picture. First, I got to spend a good amount of time with a restauranteur friend from my college days, Mike Johnson. Mike has been in the industry for over a decade, getting his start by working for Emeril at Commander's Palace and eventually settling near his family in St. Louis. I met him when he was on his first venture in St. Louis, Cafe Mira, which quickly became my third space when I was living there.

Now? Mike's gone through six restaurants in the past six years, keeping the ones he likes and that are profitable enough and closing the rest. He now has a stable of four successful and thriving restaurants: Cyrano's (American style tapas), Momo's (Greek style tapas), BARcelona (Spanish style tapas - the original tapas) and Boogaloo (Cuban style tapas). Notice the theme? He's hit upon a format that works extremely well in the St. Louis area and I was glad to pump him for information. This was the first time I had seen him since I had gotten into the industry and it was instructive to talk with him about operating costs and how to run a profitable place. But I think even more important was the opportunity to spend some time in the kitchen of his newest restaurant, Boogaloo. Just looking with a watchful eye of how the place was laid out, how it was staffed, what went into the menu and the food costs, it was wonderful to see. Mike is the kind of guy that I would love to work for - personable, energetic, always opening up a new place. There would always be new things to do for him, which, to me, is very exciting.

I also happened to meet the former executive chef of Brennan's, New Orleans (another Mike, actually). For those not familiar with the Brennan family, they run a small group of select restaurants in New Orleans that are among the top restaurants in the country. I was able to sit with him for an hour and just talk shop with him, pick his brain for information about advice to be successful cook. It was instructive, reinforcing the statement in my previous post that interpersonal skills are paramount in becoming successful in the business. It was also sad to see a fellow cook with such skills just thrown out of the business. This is a guy that is used to running a classic French brigade-style kitchen producing some of the finest food there is. And now because of Hurricane Katrina? Slinging pasta for banquets in an Italian kitchen in St. Louis. Ouch. I'm sure he'll land back on his feet eventually, but I doubt that will be in St. Louis. Too much meat and potatoes, not enough demi.

posted by LindyChef @ 11:46 AM