June 17, 2010

Written by: Joe Harvey

Emerging chefs June 17th, City Club, Cleveland

Folks love reality TV. As was mentioned several times today during the chat with Cleveland’s Emerging Chefs, most folks think of chefs as rock stars, largely due to reality TV. We love to witness not only the struggles and triumphs of others but also to learn about the journey. The Cleveland Foodie, Michelle Venorsky, once called this a “a peek behind the curtain”. She’s right. Those in attendance today experienced 5 Wizards of Oz.

Heather Haviland, Chef/Owner - Lucky’s and Vine & Bean
Chris Hodgson and Jeremy Esterly, Chefs/Owners - Dim & Den Sum
Matt Mathlage, Chef/Owner – Light Bistro
Mike Nowak, Chef/Owner – Bar Cento

Following a wonderful plated lunch from the City Club and some amazing bites from each of the chefs, we were prompted to prepare for the presentation as the chef’s were seated on a small stage in the front of the room.

Michael DeAloia (Cleveland’s former Tech Czar and now a practice leader at LNE Group, Cleveland) moderated the event. Michael had some great questions that prompted very straight answers from the chefs, allowing us a peek behind that curtain. Questions were based on: Education, Passion, Awareness, Business, Finance and Flavor.

By now you know that Dim & Den Sum is Cleveland’s first food truck, specializing in locally sourced food prepared  prepared with an Asian twist.Michael DeAloia started the presentation and as he introduced Chris from Dim  (seen in picture on right, serving) and mentions the truck, Chris’s face changes, as if a bulb went on in his head. Without hesitation, he shouted to the audience: “That reminds me… can someone go feed the meter outside before our truck gets towed?” Everyone laughs. Chris doesn’t. “I’m serious!” His sister approached the stage to grab the coins in his outreached arm.

This is how the presentation starts…everyone is already laughing.

The passion in the chefs is visible. They talk about the common driving force of their chosen paths. Pleasing people. It’s repeated many times. They love to see the smiling faces of the customers in their restaurants. Or, in Chef Matt Mathlage’s words: the affirmations. They talked about sourcing their food locally, supporting the farmers. Supporting the employees and their families. Community.

When Chef Heather Haviland (Lucky’s) talks, you feel the stories come to life with passion and humor. She talked about the sense of entitlement that some culinary grads have. About how she earned her stripes by simply working hard and starting low. When she says she wants to take culinary students under her wing and “wake them up to the process” you feel her passion. She wonders about her “rock star” status when she’s scrubbing a walk-in floor. She shows humility. A tough winter meant challenges during payroll. When she wondered why payroll seemed lighter this time around, she discovered that her employees decided to work less to save some money and to support the business. They calculated their minimum needs to survive, and adjusted. Amazing. Her words: “I’m blessed”. Seems she earned that blessing to me. Don’t know how, don’t know her. But what a story. She might just be a Rock Star.

Chefs Chris Hodgson and Chef Jeremy Esterly (Dim and Den Sum) were the dynamic duo. Shockingly energetic considering the 20 hour work days. Chris tells us about the dream he’s had of changing the Cleveland food scene. He concedes that although Mike Symon may have already completed that with finer dining, he still has hope for local, affordable, high quality food in the community. It’s a magnetic energy when these two chefs talk about their commitment to the dream. Jeremy talks about the ingredients. The connection to the food. Transforming the way people look at food. They tell us about the risks, both personal and financial, but laugh about it as they share it. Vision.

Chef Matt Mathlage (Light Bistro) talks of his past as well. The struggles, the finances, the long hours. Once again, however, the dream takes over. You can hear the excitement in his voice as he tells us about the recent remodel at Light Bistro and the addition of a wine shop. Pride shows when he mentions Chefs like Doug Katz and Karen Small and how they’ve trained many of the current and most likely, the future chefs of Cleveland. He explains that the costs of opening a restaurant in Cleveland are more reasonable than other big cities, which has helped chefs from all over consider Cleveland a great place to take a risk and hang a sign. He seems glad he did just that.

Mike Nowak (Bar Cento) seems the stoic chef of the group. But not when he talks. Mike (pictured on right) talked about the many locally owned, eclectic restaurants that fill our communities, and welcomes more. He tells us about the excitement of the changing seasons and how it affects the creative process of creating new menus. He reminds many in the audience that the culinary world in which these chefs live is dynamic, and changes based on product availability. You hear the excitement in his voice as he talks about working with new ingredients, creating new dishes at 2:00 a.m, after a long shift. Passion.

All of these Chefs were humble, hard-working, smart, funny and a little crazy.

Two questions were asked that stuck with me… the first was from the moderator, Michael DeAloia, who wondered if any of the chefs would let him see their kitchens. It seemed like a real curiosity to him.He wanted the glimpse behind the curtain, too.

The other was from a gentleman in the audience. “Are all chefs also comedians?”

Everyone laughed. I thought to myself, no, not all are comedians... but many are Rock Stars. I met five today.

Kathy Carr, Crain's Cleveland Business also attended...