A Day in The Life of an Executive Chef

Usually, I wake up about 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning to go to the bathroom. Hopefully I get back to sleep before my mind starts going over the day ahead, but that seldom happens. The next two hours or so consist of me texting myself reminders for the day’s events, checking the upcoming staff schedule and making sure I have everyone in place. If I am lucky, I can fall back asleep just in time for our three dogs to let us know it’s time to go out.

Once my wife and I have finished laying out three bowls of dog food and an additional three of water, I start to get ready for the gym. Three years ago, I never would have thought that I could drop

100 pounds and leave my lifelong food addiction in the dust just with healthy eating and just a little weight training. Not only has the gym allowed me to regain my health, but it is also the only time I feel that is my own. Although I do often share it with my twin sons, it grants me a rare opportunity to not have to think about work for an hour and a half.

Once the workout is over, I race home to shower and get ready for work. I am thankful that I have been able to work with my wife every day for the past five years. We spent the first two decades of our marriage on opposite schedules; it was a big change indeed, but a welcome one, nonetheless. Driving to work consists of me sending emails, taking phone calls, and texting vendors (sometimes all the above) while my wife drives. Pulling into the parking lot is always a nerve-wracking experience, mostly because you never know what you will find. Did the dumpster get picked up? Did the delivery guys bring the correct orders? Is anyone calling out sick? Has a Rabbi set my equipment on fire during the Kosher inspection? (This happened)

Being the chef in a large-scale kitchen is like being the dad of a large family. Kitchen work usually consists of long days and most people are there at least six days a week. As you would expect, we tend to spend more time with our work family than our immediate family, and just like the dad, everyone looks to the chef for guidance and instruction. Makes sense, right?

Making an employee feel good about themselves and the job that they do is my number one most important job on any given day.

I personally visit each employee to question them on their workload, make sure they understand their task, and discuss anything else they might like to share with me, be it good or bad. Every employee knows that everyone else gets this treatment, so no one thinks that I’m playing favorites or trying to get something out of someone. The idea that I care about them makes them care about me, and they find it important to excel at their tasks as a result. We speak about the family in many ways in the kitchen. The food that we cook and feed to the staff at mealtimes is called a family meal, and it’s not uncommon for me or another person of leadership in the kitchen to ask a cook to prepare something for it on a given day.

Organization and control of inventory would be the next most important part of my day. Running a large-scale culinary operation requires us to forecast what people will eat, and this requires copious and tedious record keeping. Once I see that we are stocked and prepared for the day’s events and those for coming days ahead, I might get a chance to cook something.

I have had many culinary experiences in my long career and each one is different in many ways. The shared crux of every job is always leadership and a strong understanding of the medium. Being a chef is a very rewarding career, but it takes deep dedication. It is a lifestyle that must flow in the opposite way to most of society; when most are dining, dancing, and attending social occasions, we are on the other side of the proverbial curtain making sure they can enjoy that experience. I have been in this industry for over 30 years, and to this day family and friends still ask me what my plans are for the weekends or holidays. I am sure you can guess what answer I give them every time.