another chef's career (bouillon version)
coming soon, (consommé version) the philosophy and
clarification of a Chef's life
My name is Peter Sanktjohanser (St. John since 83 when I came to the US and
got tired of spelling out the original)
My culinary career started at age 14 in Munich in 1974 as an apprentice in the
busiest downtown Munich Restaurant "Peterhof am Marienplatz" under
Austrian Executive Chef Liebl. I learned everything in this great restaurant,
most importantly the hierarchy in an busy a la carte kitchen with 30 cooks who
put out 800 lunches and 400 dinners 7 days a week. An accident stopped my
apprenticeship for a few month and I assumed it under Chef Maichle at the newly
build Holiday Inn Olympic as a third year apprentice.
Chef Maichle came from Maxim's in Paris where he was Chef Saucier for a
few years. He was Hitler's culinary counterpart in the kitchen and on bad days
would throw a few pans after us apprentices. But he was an awesome cook. We made
our own ice blocks to carve for the nightly Smorgasboard Buffets, Consommés of
everything and his famous Cheese Spätzle and Blaukraut among many others.
I graduated from the Simon Knoll Hotel and Restaurant School at age 17 and went
to a small one Michelin Star restaurant in Munich called "Die Schnecke"
(Snail) It was The former "Ente im Lehel" and the food was
fantastic. There was four of us in the kitchen serving 24-26 guest a night (sold
out) an 8 course menu. We got Rougis Express deliveries daily and I felt like a
kid in the candy store every time they pulled up. Chef Holbeck and Owner Grosser
made me eat my first Sea Urchin alive from the shell, Coquille St Jacques,
Breton Oysters..all so fresh, they are silently moaning when I had to pry them
open, $1000 a lbs truffles from Alba in 1978!. I left when the management went
array.
Chef Holbeck got me my best yet job at the "Hotel Bayerischer Hof"
This was the top hotel in Munich next to the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten. I was so
proud to enter the world of international cuisine in this brigade of 95 cooks.
We had a Director de Cuisine, Executive Chef, Executive Sous Chefs 1, 2 and 3,
two chef's de partie on each of the stations, two demi chefs per station, three
commis and two or three apprentices per station. It was the most classical
brigade I had ever seen, with the Boucherie (Butcher) in charge of everything
meat related, including skinning fresh deer and plugging game birds, productions
of sausages, hams, terrines and pates. Garde Manger was my swing station, as I
was hired as Commis Saucier. They were treated like Gods, rightfully so. Garde
Manger handled all fresh Seafood, all cold food production from salads, sauces,
vinaigrettes, appetizers, Buffet show pieces made of tallow, ice and cheese. I
made Demi Chef Saucier after three month and got drafted to German Army a month
later.
In the German Army I had a good experience, when for the last 6 month of my
15 month duty I was transferred to the Air force Academy in Munich Neubiberg.
Here we served 2500 students a meal period in the most high- tech kitchen I ever
worked in. Amazingly enough, everything was done from scratch, Bread, Pastries,
Soups and Sauces, I was so amazed and actually don't understand to this day how
we did it, since I was confined to Entremetier and Saucier.
Back to the Bayerischen Hof for a year of Demi Chef Saucier and then off to
Berlin after my resume got accepted by Maetre Levy for a short stage, then back
to Munich to stage with Witzigman at Tantris, work as the only native Munich guy
at Bistro Terrine and a small French place from my ex chef from Bayerischen Hof.
I was wanted by the top chefs in Munich and after more then a year of working
three jobs, decide it was time to check out the rest of the world.
Gibraltar, The Ocean Spray Hotel was my first job as Sous Chef. It was quite
an experience, if not so much on the culinary side. After my years contract was
over, my new girlfriend and I went to live in Morocco for six month, helped
opening a small hotel restaurant for a German entrepreneur and then we went back
to Munich.
I did a short six month stint at the Schlosshotel Schleissheim for Mr. Buckel.
Medieval Bavarian Cuisine...wow, medieval Bavarian Cuisine, but not my cup of
tea. Speaking of Tea, I went to London on the urge of some friends I made in
Gibraltar and landed a job at the Hide Park Hilton as Production Chef 2, speak
prep cook. I left after a few month to go to the Bahamas. Sous Chef at the
Nassau Ocean Spray Hotel, I also worked part time at the Loews Harbour Cove with
a mostly German and Swiss Brigade. But my most important stint in the Bahamas
was yet to come ...
America, finally I was here and after a quick marriage I was able to work as
Sous Chef for the Miami Lakes Country Club. I was made Executive Chef after a
few month when they opened the Miami Lakes Inn Hotel and the Executive Chef left
to open that property. What a country, I thought, I am only 23 years old and
cook all the pre- game meals for Don Shula's Miami Dolphins. I didn't even know
football back then, but learned the portion sizes they would devour in a pre
game meal are out of this world. One of my Sous chefs at the Club asked me to
show him around in the Bahamas for his birthday, and so we went for a weekend.
Long story short, I was not supposed to leave the country until I was approved
for green card. My tourist visa to the US was cancelled and I was stuck on the
Bahamas. I told my sous chef to go on and tell them at the club that I was going
to be late ...a few month.
I still had all my friends in the Bahamas and I was invited to stay with my good
friend Gaby from Germany. God was on my side. We became very good friends and
roommates and I got a job as the private chef to the US Vice Ambassador to the
Bahamas. He promise me, if I cooked for all his receptions and family meals, my
wife could pick me up and take me legally back to the US on Christmas Eve... and
so it was.
Alain Petitbon, most visible chef at the time in Ft. Lauderdale, needed a sous chef, I
interviewed and won his heart.
He was the most perfect chef, knew everything, was a very charismatic Culinarian
and person, we had a great year together. His lease run out and I went to become
Sous Chef at the oh so very hot Cafe Max.
Mark Millitello, Chef at Cafe Max, blew my mind from day one. He now was the
biggest thing since sliced bread and we had unbelievable success at Cafe Max. He
was the one that really taught me to open my mind in food. So many awards...I
could not believe it. After one year as Chef and with a sous chef in place (he
is the Oliver in Darrel's and Oliver's Cafe Maxx) I went on to Dallas. Yepee
The Sheraton Park Central gave me everything I needed and I took everything
they had.
They invited me for a test cooking, and I was hired after two days. I guess,
they really like my accent and different approach. David Reardon, Sheratons
youngest Executive chef at 26, became my mentor and showed me how to do food
shows. Under his leadership, I won two Gold medals in hot food presented cold.
We made top 10 in Dallas in six month and top 5 by the Dallas Morning News in 1
year. Best Hotel Restaurant with a view, Top 10 Chef in Dallas etc. by Waltrina
Stovall of the Dallas Morning News. Ron Rugless, Food Critic at The Times Herald
back the gave us the third highest rating. I was doing Cooking shows at Macy's,
radio, tv and food pictures all the time. The Sheraton PR machine at work.
Job offer in the Caribbean
Emil Bichler, the legendary (previous) chef at the Sheraton Park Central, ask me
to go to Antigua with him as Chef de Cuisine for the newly opened Royal Antiguan
Resort and Casino. It sounded great and I liked the ocean... Your own apartment,
transportation (Yahama 500 MC Bike on loan from Emil) Bad move, I returned six
month later to Denver where Emil was set up as Executive Chef of the Brown
Palace Hotel.
The Brown Palace Hotel in Denver
I was hired after several interviews, as the Palace Arms Chef (the fine dining
place in Denver) Emil told me I need 5 stars here quick and he supported me in
anyway a chef possibly can. Emil coached me thru several culinary competitions
and I received several medals. We got 5 stars after one year at the Palace Arms
and I went on to open my first restaurant with two my friends from the wait
staff, Mario and Nunzio, two of the world's great waiters. They know people,
love them and are the friendliest people I have ever seen.
O Sole Mio, Denver
Mario and Nunzio introduced me to Tony and his "do no good dive" on E. Colfax. I
don't know if I am partial or what, but this place received every award in the
book. We were awarded best Italian, best new restaurant, best service, best
appetizers, best chef, best desserts, best everything, Denver loved us , despite
a leaking roof, marginal piano music and faulty swamp coolers in the summer.
Maybe they drove into the parking lot and saw my herb garden, nasturtiums and
squash blossoms, and knew this is it. The crack and whore house just across the
street seemed to bother few. I will always love Denverites for that!
Tango , Denver
I tried to proof my partners how good I am on my own. It was a success for the
first few month,..
After a major bankruptcy, all I can tell you, never ever under estimate the
value of your friends.
Don't get me wrong, high sales, high overhead, but no Tony, Nuncio and Mario to
reason with, I went overboard. Blinded by pride I did not follow my own
instincts, who said, take it easy, one step at a time, etc
With the divorce, one thing followed another, I was broke, lost my home,
business,
car and friends, so I moved to LA...
Cool move, naturally there were a couple of "they hate me jobs",
before I would find the "they love me job". Chef Joachim Splichal
hired and hated me from day 1. I worked 16 hours days for him only to get the
biggest piece of anybodies mind ever after the place was up and running. He
moved the successful catering operation in the same location as his new
Pinot Hollywood restaurant, so I had to accomodate two kitchens and their teams
in one. It was a joke all the way, and I told him so. Hence we parted, what an
Asshole, I can never forgive the guy for what he did to my moral.
Seemingly, I was not the first to give him a piece of advise. Cooks are rarely
applying for his ever changing staff, because he is and remains, the same
Asshole to work for. If it wasn't for his wife, he would be in the gutter. He is
not even a good teacher, he tried to show me how to cook Rabbit with Fettuccine
in Mustard Sauce behind the line, and he totally failed. I lost all my respect
for the guy and knew then, I CAN COOK CIRCLES AROUND HIM! What a whimp! Doesn't
even feel comfortable about cooking his own shit! He for one is a big fake, and
if there is ever a public challenge for me to cook against the King of Potato
dishes, I just smile while diminishing his cooking skills to
nothing. Again, if it wasn't for the wimp's wife, he would be a zero.
to be continued.....
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