Sinema is a favorite restaurant and Chef Kyle cooked at our third farm dinner back in 2018. Proud to feature him here. Read the story Sinema: Then & Now from 2017.
Q: Has being a chef always been your path?
A: Not really, although now I really can’t see myself ending up in any other field. I think it was inevitable. I was attracted to the romantic notion that [Anthony] Bourdain once said, “The kitchen is the last refuge of the misfit. It’s a place for people with bad pasts to find a new family.” That resonated heavily for me; the professional kitchens had an appeal similar to Neverland, which drew me in.
What has working in a kitchen taught you about life?
Do it right the first time, and you won’t have to do it again.
What is your biggest weakness in a kitchen or something you’re not very good at?
I lack the ability to separate work from home. I tend to carry it with me when not in the kitchen. It’s hard to separate these two headspaces and I find myself constantly thinking about my craft. It remains at the forefront of my mind.
What is your biggest strength in a kitchen?
Hiring team members who are more talented than I am or who have the potential to become more talented. I’d say my greatest strength is identifying what makes every individual good at what they do and putting them into positions or roles that utilize their strengths while trying to help them improve on any weaknesses. I’ve hired a diverse team with many strengths and strive to find people to balance my own.
Dumbest thing you’ve ever done in a kitchen?
Early in my career, when I was a baby cook, we were poaching and resting steaks in a hotel pan of duck fat. At the night’s end, I moved the pan too quickly and spilled a couple of gallons of hot duck fat down on myself. I immediately had to strip down and remove all my clothes. My chef then came around the corner and saw me standing in my boxers. He looked at me with a scoff, winked and then walked away.
Where do your new dishes come from?
A lot of it comes from being inspired by ingredients and creative collaboration with the other chefs. The menu always turns out best when it’s a team effort and everyone has a piece of it. I’m most proud of creating a kitchen culture where everyone has the opportunity to experiment and grow creatively. We typically approach the season with an idea of what we want to accomplish and the vibe we are trying to achieve in the coming months. From there, we start to see what ingredients will be available, from whom and when. Then the real fun begins in [researching and developing] new recipes and dishes.
What is your most memorable childhood meal?
My grandma’s goulash… which was horrible. It was not good, and I swear the sauce was 50% ketchup. However, I still loved it. It was a staple; for better or worse, I’d say it is still the most memorable.
What are three ingredients you can’t live without?
Salt, fire and fat.
What is the end goal? What do you see as success?
Professionally, I feel that I am in my end game. I’ve made partner in a restaurant that I love, and I’m extremely happy with the environment we have created for both our guests and our staff. For me, success is having peace of mind, which comes from knowing I have done my best to become the best I can be.