May 14, 2024 • 47 mins
Title: "Crafting Culinary Dreams: An Evening with Chef Garza" In a dimly lit, cozy kitchen in the heart of Las Vegas, the tantalizing aromas of sizzling ingredients waft through the air, painting a vivid picture of culinary mastery in motion. This isn't just any ordinary dinner; it's an intimate gathering with Chef Garza, a culinary virtuoso whose passion for food is as palpable as the flavors he creates. As we settle into our seats, Chef Garza gracefully navigates the kitchen, effortlessly transforming raw ingredients into culinary works of art. The clinking of utensils against pots and pans provides a rhythmic backdrop to our conversation, setting the stage for an evening filled with stories of passion, perseverance, and the pursuit of culinary excellence. As Chef Garza plates each dish with precision and care, he shares with us the journey that led him to where he is today. From humble beginnings at the tender age of 15, when he first discovered his love for cooking, to his role as one of the most sought-after private chefs in Las Vegas, his story is one of determination and unwavering dedication. As he skillfully maneuvers around the kitchen, Chef Garza reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped his career, including the challenges of balancing fatherhood with his culinary ambitions. It was his role as a young father that fueled his drive to succeed, propelling him towards his goal of becoming a culinary powerhouse in the bustling city of Las Vegas. With each dish he presents, Chef Garza offers a glimpse into the world of private dining, where he caters to the whims and desires of both small families and the mega-rich alike. From intimate gatherings in secluded settings to extravagant parties attended by Las Vegas' elite, Chef Garza's culinary creations are as diverse as the clientele he serves. Throughout our conversation, Chef Garza's passion for his craft shines through, illuminating the kitchen with a warmth that is as inviting as the dishes he prepares. As we savor each bite, we can't help but marvel at the artistry and skill that goes into every aspect of Chef Garza's culinary creations. As the evening draws to a close, we bid farewell to Chef Garza, grateful for the opportunity to share in his passion and expertise. From the first tantalizing bite to the final farewell, our evening with Chef Garza was a culinary journey unlike any other, leaving us inspired and eager to explore the endless possibilities that await in the world of food and dining.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Sitting down right, is the drinksupposed to be on the right side,
drink on the left fork? Andhow does that work? Bro right?
Wine and man. So we weren'tin front of the house, so you
know, I was just making surethe food is legit. Make sure you're
doing your job. Still take yourshirt in, hey, hard facts right
(00:23):
now. No one's ever came backto a restaurant just because the silver was
right. You know that is true. Take the ship serious, all right?
Good food, good people. Goddamn, that's it. You hit
the toes. I just want tosay, thank you the chef. Man,
(00:46):
we appreciate you. I'm been afan. Let's enjoy us fine dining,
the chef, thank you for thehospitality. Shout out, shout out
to the Italian vineyards. Baby,let's go. Okay, So I think,
first thing, before anyone takes anybite, Cereal chef, what are
we exactly? Filet mignon carpire Smashedpotatoes with asparaous. Mashed potatoes are trash?
(01:11):
I was gonna say, what didyou call it? Trash? Potatoes?
Potatoes? All right? So whatare you all eating? First?
I gotta be a little trashed potatopurple I'm gonna get the potato first,
well the first thing besides, like, bro, it's just all this color
man, different textures. Like that'sthe thing that's always so fascinating to me.
(01:33):
Even like the stuff that you've madefor me through that wasn't the like,
there wasn't meal preps. I rememberyou made me like a burrito.
It was like it was like allit was like basically a Veggi rab bros.
Phenomenal. I'm like, I'm takinga bite and I'm like, I'm
tasting this. I'm tasting that.I'm tasting this besides the color of it,
but everything was just phenomenal. Youknow, it's like a Skittles bag
mm hm, with like normal fooda savory skittlet Yeah. We all grew
(01:57):
up with like the traditional or nontraditional food on the plate, you know,
in the mac and cheese yellow stuff, And when you see stuff like
that, your head's like, isthat cheese? What is that? You
guys trying the steak of them?M hm. So already already when I'm
gonna say that I enjoy is I'mgetting so many good flavors that I'm like
mixing it in. You got thechar off the asparagus, right, and
(02:21):
then I kind of pile that inon top of the steak and it's just
all it's a flavor explosion. Brother, Jeff, I got a question for
you. I think Chewie give youthe opportunity to run with the menu however
you want. I'm assuming you knowwhen you have a client there is a
request for a type of dish,sometimes they give you the opportunity to run
(02:44):
with it. I would like toknow what would be the most interesting request
you've had to cook they ever havinga request You're like, really, well,
I'm going to make that. Ithink it was more of like the
traditional stuff, like the turkey,the turkey stuff, like the turkey stuff
(03:07):
in in the middle of July.Yeah, in July. I was like,
Okay, is there anything that you'veever been kind of intimidated by?
Like has anyone ever made a requestfor something and you're just like, oh,
damn, I've never done that onebefore. Not intimidated, but like
these implause and organizing. It wasjust like I gotta be I gotta make
sure I'm ready for this, likea beef well and ten so we can
(03:28):
do a beef bullatin with this.That's not going to be something we could
just throw in the oven and callit a day, or do ahead of
time. It can be done aheadof time, but to make that,
you know, Swanye Fresh, Idefinitely shot for ingredients, get it all
together. So you feel that there'sbasically no request that you couldn't handle.
Not true if it was like Asiancuisine something I had and African request and
(03:53):
I'm just like, whoa hold up? Let me contact somebody and like I
said before, like maybe point rightdirection to somebody that's really a professional on
that in that cuisine. You everhit like YouTube university to figure out what
the interest? I have so manyI have so many questions. Brother,
(04:13):
it's just so good though, Ican't get passive. So easy, so
easy. So let me ask you, chef, so obviously you threw you
threw down like this. You knowyou cook for people, you know all
different types of situations. What's alazy day look like for you? If
you're like, you know what Ifeel like doing all this at home,
like just throwing the air fier ordo you even have those type of days?
(04:34):
My lazy days in and out Tacos, got a lot of homies,
I got food trucks and stuff.You know, I'm all about supporting them
too. So I'll go to stopby Grass, some tacos, some beautia,
Yeah, stuff like that. Comfortfood, and that's comfort food for
me. I think playing with theair fryer is something that, like I
said, playing with the air freris something I gotta get better at myself,
(04:58):
because you know, that's a it'san air right, That's that's new
to me, you know, Sowhat can I do with this? I
cooked so much stuff in the airfower, you know, you know my
favor is right now. Yes,I will hard boiled eggs. Do a
hard boiled egg in the air fierin the I just seen that too,
So I've done a whole I broughtit three air friers to a dinner one
(05:19):
time at Red Rock, but Ihad like the burners and everything for the
steak. But I did the veggiesin the air fryer and the potatoes,
and they wanted like chicken tenders andfries for the kids air fryer. And
that's when I was just like,WHOA, it's really work. This really
worked. And at the end ofthe day, I still have two burners
(05:41):
where like the steak was still gettingbanged out, but the chicken tators and
fries were like kids were happy.So I was just like, that's what
you know, if you're hosting adinner or something like that, you definitely
want the kids happy. So Iwas like, air fryer, you ever,
h do you ever have to likeobviously, you know, prepping to
go cook you know, stock numberones, obviously a grocery store, But
have you ever had to, like, you know, you get a request
(06:02):
for something and you're like, youknow, hey, like you know,
I might want to like do atest runt of this practice this you actually
sometimes like make a dish at hometo be like, okay, hey,
like I want to prepare for thisa little bit. I want to see
how I want to do it.Is that like another version of prep that
you do all the time. Solike I probably ran this in my head
(06:25):
a million times, and I probablywanted to play it differently until I put
it on the play So I wasjust like I know what I want to
do until I got here and Iwas just like, okay, let me
switch it up. It'll probably betterthis way. Filling the vibes, I
was like all right, yeah,but yeah, I do play. I
do play with my food. Ihave a I was just scared a brunch
tomorrow, so I'm doing a stuffFrench toast, and I've just been running,
(06:46):
like trying, like playing around withlike I'm gonna do this French toast
could go this way? Can Istand it up? Baby on the side.
I'm on the side. So Ijust had to play around with it
a lot. I was just curiouson how much how much prep you would
do, because like, you know, a lot of these people are going
to be like how you dish somethingup or how you cook is going to
be very different than just like yourtraditional family. So most people are gonna
(07:08):
be you know, pleased and probablyblown away just by whatever you show up
doing. But I was just curiouson like how much prep sometimes you will
do, and like if you'll goto that extent. I try for sure.
I show up eighty percent of thetime, Yeah, eighty percent ready,
like right now, and what Ibrought today, I was about eighty
eighty percent ready. Desert's already alreadycool, already whipped. You know that
(07:30):
that's all part of like my everyday. So minimizing your your prep once
you get to the listation you gotyou that, you know, I think
that's the longest. Yeah, that'sone of the longest things. Shif.
I had a question for you brokeearly. Early when we first started talking,
you had mentioned that well, Ithink I asked you a question about
a video that you posted. Iknow you mentioned like street food a lot.
It was you made like a chef'sversion of graffiti, which I thought
(07:55):
was pretty cool. You do youremember that video? Yeah? It was
like, uh, like I said, you explain it, but I don't
know how I explained. So Ihad an extra dessert Brownies teinc shirts the
chocolate tincture City Trees teacher was actuallylike a liquist cannabis, and I did
(08:16):
a dessert. It was like theO G brownie. But the graffiti part
of it came through. Like mybrother passed away. He was a graffiti
artist and I used to always seehim hit up or stole a slap if
anybody in the graffiti world knows whatthat is. For some reason, when
I was walking around with my littleice chest and stuff like that, was
just like I just want to likegraffiti for some reason. I just want
to like do something. And allI had was food. So I saw
(08:39):
a pole downtown Las Vegas. Ithink it was I don't know what's over
there, but I just saw polllights. It was probably where they did
like one of the music videos.And I just went off on it,
through the brownie, through the chocolate, and just walked away. And I
was like, that's what probably thefeeling that my brother got when he did
graffiti, and that was his typeof art. This is my food feedy,
(09:01):
I called it. So I wasjust like, man, this is
pretty cool. And I just gotthere. I was like, this is
why he loved what he was doing. But he had a different form of
art I think, and it wasn'twith food, but it was graffiti.
Yeah, So then that's how Ikind of came up with it. I
was just like something, just likejust throw it up. The person walking
by was like, am I I'mtripping, there's a delicious brownie. On
(09:24):
this point, I'm a lie broI would have ad it. It's interesting
though, to hear like how youand your brother you had like your own
creative outlet like that you kind ofwent down. I was actually curious.
Tell us a little bit about yourupbringing. Obviously we talked about it.
That you're from the Bay, Butlike what was what was that kind of
like growing up for you? Wasit rough? Like what would you go
through growing up? It was rough? It wasn't eating food like this.
(09:46):
I think it was just creating foodlike this was just when we had the
money or when it did happen.Then we banged out some steaks, got
it inside the grill. You knowwhat I'm saying. Being a father young
age, just moved out to Las, I guess you know. I did
all the sports, did all thatgood stuff. Gang bang. That's my
worst that I ever did in mylife. But I just really want to
(10:09):
change my life for my kid,And falling to cooking wasn't something I really
wanted to do. I wanted tobe a mechanic. But like I said,
being here, not being old enoughto work in the service industry,
like be a blackjack dealer working athotels. It's like I could be a
dishwasher or a cook. You couldbe eighteen. I was ready nineteen,
so I got a dishwashing job,prep cook. I was already working in
a hotel. Do you still workon cars in like your free time?
(10:31):
Like as a hobby. I don'twork on them no more. I just
I have cars, but I justI like I love them, but I
don't have time like to work onthem with my my clientele and everybody I
got going on. I just enjoyedwriting them now, So what's how important
is it to you? Obviously?You know you do a lot of supporting
stuff for like you know, yourfriends, friends of I have other businesses
(10:52):
and stuff, but like it almostfeels like you there's almost like a yo,
I need to go and support myfriend who has this food truck.
I see that a lot cause Ifollow you on Instagram obviously, and it's
like, bro, when there's nota real of you cooking somewhere, it's
like you're shouting out a food truckor shouting out this like tacko fast or
whatever. So it's like, whywhy is that such a big thing for
you to do? Honestly, Ididn't have that support starting what I was
(11:18):
doing. I got shipped on allthe time. Other chefs were just like
your shit's trash, your logos trash. What are you doing? Like you
know what I mean. But thenwhen I would do dinners, people give
me that you know, like yeah, this was the no but you know,
at the same time, it's justlike, man, for everybody else,
like this is this is my style, what I'm doing, I'm gonna
stick to it and just stuck withit and just kept doing it consistently,
(11:39):
and so I came up. Yeah, that's that's fire, dude. I
feel you on that about the supportthing, because that that I feel like
that is the cause and effect ofthat when you don't get a lot of
it, and it's just like anyway that I can try to help someone
else who was like y'all was there. You know. I know what it
feels like when there's like almost noone looking at you and all you need
is like a I kind of knowwhat that talking about. You know.
(12:01):
I pop up on a lot ofpeople that are just like yo, you
came through. I'm just like,I don't want to be treated anyway,
you know what I mean. I'mreally here to support. I want to
eat. I'll give you a straightup critigue, you know what I'm saying.
I'm not going to be a dickabout it, you know what I'm
saying. But I just want toeat. See what you're doing, you
know what I'm saying. I'm nothere like buying anything or anything crazy,
But I just want to see howyou guys are throwing down some tacos.
(12:22):
It gives me the rush, youknow, you know what about like,
is there some challenges within the likecooking industry that you see that maybe you're
looking too you know correct moving forwardfor up and coming chefs. I just
want for upcoming chefs just being consistentin what you're doing, especially with your
business, sticking with your word andwhat you withhold as a business owner,
(12:45):
or like even if you're a chef, like there's no shortcutsing ingredients. Say
you could buy all this ingredients somewherefor a lower price, but at the
same time, the quality and theflavor is not going to be swan ye
or the best. You know whatI'm saying. Definitely spend that extra buck,
go that extra mile, and it'sdefinitely payoff. One question I think
it would be kind of cool totalk through is like, so today you're
(13:05):
obviously, you know, you gethired for you know, someone private like
this, You get hired for anevent, a party, a get together
or whatever. Talk about your youknow, what's your kind of business today?
Who were you all kind of servingas much detail as you like to
go into and then what I thinkthe second part of my question would be
(13:26):
is where do you see yourself fromhere? Where do you see yourself Jeff
Garza in five years, ten years, You got to you gotta kind of
end goal. What's the future hold? So with what I do, I
do cater to a lot more peoplethat are don't have the time to think
(13:46):
about food, if that makes sense. But at the same time, we
have to eat right yeap. Sothat's where I come in and try to
symbolize that creative being you or evenlike see what you like and cook for
you so where you're at the getabout it, or even breaking a sweat
in the kitchen, where you canhave more time for your own business,
if you're working from home, ifyou have a family, you want to
(14:07):
spend some more time with your kids, that's where I come in and take
care of that little stuff that youdon't want to take care of. Or
if you're just a horrible cook andyou need me to come by, I
contact you do that too. Yeah. So definitely, you know, big
crowd from people that are a youngercrowd to older crowds. I get a
(14:28):
lot of inquiries. I don't thinkI have one type of one type of
crowd that it definitely reaches out alot lately, has been brunches and baby
showers lately, so, but Ido everything. My end goal would probably
be a restaurant. I definitely wantto get a restaurant with a private PDR
(14:48):
for like stuff like my people thatI already cook for, where I can
still cater them on the private endwhere they still want to be low key,
but at the same time, nextdoor, I still have a restaurant
still in the work, still goingthrough it, but we have a private
dining room next door where we'll takecare of VIP's and stuff like that.
Yeah, that would be the Imean, I'm sure you have so many
different kinds of food you'd want toserve there, But is there a uh,
(15:11):
if you have like your own privatedining spot, restaurant style, whatever,
what kind of food would you liketo serve. I'm gonna do a
fusion of stuff and just like likeyour normal stuff and just do it my
way. I do a more fusion, more plate stuff, more fun where
it's like photojetic social media friendly stufflike that, where the restaurant's full with
graffiti. Maybe a DJ Boot whereit's just it's vibes, you know what
(15:35):
I'm saying, where you don't haveto be like, oh it's casual,
you know, so it's you know, yeah, is that? Do you
think that's almost like, uh,it works against people that have restaurants because
there's obviously chefs that have different typeof restaurants. That one is like Italian
one is uh steak, one isthis, and that is that? Do
they do that just because is iteasier to just focus on one thing versus
(15:58):
what you said right, like justmake a fusion of different or it's like
is there a better is there?I think if it's the chef, that's
ryan and most half the time it'snot their restaurant. They're working for that
restaurant, so it's already a menuin place, and they have to follow
the menu and what they're supposed tobe doing as their job, unless it's
an actual privately owned restaurant and justlike oh that's his restaurant, that's his
(16:19):
menu, and that somebody else that'sa restaurant group. I see. Yeah,
you know, we all know,like this is a huge city,
so we know a lot of restaurants. Most of these places are like sister
restaurants or chain chain stuff that they'reall incorporated. So yeah, gotcha.
So I don't I don't I knowyou post about it sometimes. I don't
know if I don't think I've everseen you talk about it, but you
(16:42):
do like a lot of THC infusedfoods, cannabis infused dinners, and yeah,
it's crazy. So this mil couldhave been easily infused with which is
delicious. By the way, thankyou. This is phenomenal. Through I'm
not really like why like that,but this is really Yeah, but how
(17:04):
did how did that start? Fromone great year right here? How does
uh? I fucking lost thought whatyou were saying? I guess how did
that come about? Like is that'sbecause I'm assuming that's a whole different lane
of food, right or is itlike is it just that thing where it's
like, no, I could makethis, but if you know, I
could also one step up, Icould make everything. I grew up a
(17:27):
stoner, always been a stoner,So I was just tired of like seeing
brownies, the pot brownies stuff likethat, like what else can we do
with that? So then basically deconstructedis like what's in here butter sugar,
eggs, all this good stuff.Chocolate. Okay, we could infuse it
with the butter. This do thebutter, so we all right, go
get a pound, just start breakingthis up and let's figure out let's make
(17:48):
different butters, oils and what wecan do. And everything has every fat
content, everything has a different smokingpoint and all that stuff and what you
add it into food and just startfrom there. Just yeah, this tink
shurve is a different type of fatfrom coconut oil to clarify, butter to
gee stuff like that. So it'sjust just wanting to play around and making
(18:11):
take your regular stoner stuff into makingit into fine dining. So that's pretty
cool. Yeah, just to elaborateon that. So, like you said,
like this type of a meal,you would do this and it's THHG
infuse. Yeah, absolutely, Solike the puret I could infuse that with
butter. All this could have beenwith the butter or coconut oil, depending
on what type of fat you like. M and are you able to gauge
like how were you going to themoor? Yeah? Yeah, so there's
(18:36):
different race. There's also from fromwhat you put into the butter. You
can also like weigh it out.So when you do a brownie, it's
usually like divide into like, oh, eat this little piece. It's ten
miligrams. It's kind of hard tofigure out that math, but I've been
doing it so long where it's likehave a little little measuring butter thing that
you put it in. It willkind of tell you what where it's at.
(18:57):
So the kind of the tough partis trying to figure out how much
TAC, how high the potlancy is. Some people will be coming out like,
oh, this is five hundred thac, Like how did you get all
that? Fire? Is also likeput you on psychosis? Bro? Everybody
smokingbody smoking operately? No, that'sa lot shit like one hundred. But
(19:22):
there's people out there that come tothe shop that are just always like I
do five hundred or I've been asmoker midnighttoberl my whole life, Like Okay,
it's toy twenty four year at aweek shop right now? Bro?
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah. Welland it used to be different back in
the day too. We all weren'tasking that we like, what are the
turps in there? Like right,bro, it's blue dreams, smell it.
I'm curious when you were younger,Like would you is that kind of
(19:47):
how you would you make like browniesand then just just give them to your
friends or like, yeah, Iwas making in high school. I was,
So you've been cooking, bro,Yeah, I didn't think I was
going to be a chef, Likethis didn't fall like on like you given
me a chef, Like I wasreally a as a dishwasher. I did
in and out, piece of hudall that good stuff in high school because
I was working. I was ahustler, bro, anything I could get
(20:08):
money, and I was just likedoing I even did bounce houses, delivery,
bounce house all the weekend, settingup in your back you know those
houses. Not unlike unusual for me, Like that's like knock on your door,
pulling up like you know, therespect, you know, checking in
the communication. It's not new tome. I really was doing that with
the clipboard working for somebody else.So, so, how long have you
(20:29):
been like a professional chef. I'vebeen cooking since I was nineteen years old.
Okay, I'm thirty four four.Yeah, I've been cooking for a
long time. I want to sayprofessionally. I want to give about like
eight to nine years you know,just through my twenties, I went through
the ringer. I said, dishwashinghad chefs I worked for, throwing plates
at you, like what the fuckis this? Make it again? It
(20:51):
ain't hot enough? Do it right? Service coming back like this is thirty
you know, stuff like that.So it was a shout out to everyone
in the industry. Yeah, yeah, industry. Man, they the backbone
the strip for sure, you know. So yeah, I could do it.
I could only imagine. Man,I have a question, so obviously.
I mean, I don't think Ihave to ask you guys. I
(21:11):
mean I look at our place,right this shit was phenomenal. Has there
ever been a time and if youwant to go ahead, has there ever
been a time? And if therehas been, If there has been,
how do you handle it? Ifyou know, maybe something you made for
them, you know they weren't abig fan of or you know, is
(21:32):
it hard or early on would itkind of message to you a little bit?
Or if that happens now, howdo you handle that? I think
criticism really well. I guess myfacial expression is a little different. I
get people all the time, like, bro, you look mad or you
look upset. When I said thatI'm just like I'm just processing like what
I did, Like I'm going backwards, like how did that end up?
And like I said before, likepeople were in this loge eaters, like
(21:53):
I'm not making it how your grandmamade it. So maybe in your head
you're just like this is too red, grandma to make it really chewy,
you know what I'm saying, welldone, And at the same time,
I'm give me a red steak andyou're just like, no, it's not
done. At the same time,it's just like bro, I restaurant before,
like you know, stuff like that. We all you don't think about
it, but we all have likeeating something, especially like Mexican food,
(22:15):
like, oh, this ain't likerice. At the same time, like
everybody in the city is saying it'sfire, you know. Yeah. Yeah,
So I'm kid you brought up likeyou know like in uh Latino culture,
Bro, what's like one thing thatis super popular and like and uh
like Latino culture food wise that youjust don't like that I don't like or
(22:41):
like you don't understand like why whyis this becoming like a thing right now?
Like food wise, Man, Idon't know what I like everything that's
coming out right now, like theCASA media. Sometimes like the fries,
some stuff is a little just toomuch, what I mean, like like
daw the fry is, well,that's all American. I got a good
(23:03):
one, like you're working on agood meat like media hours something that takes
some greasy ass friye that took twominutes to fry. It is just to
me, is just like why whydid you do that? So I don't
know if there's one out here,but I was just in Phoenix probably like
a month ago, and I'm aI'm a big sushi fan. I love
(23:26):
sushi. Wasn't really born and raisedaround sushi, come from Montana, was
I don't take a sushi restaurant inthe whole fucking state, damn. But
I got into sushi a lot overthe last couple of years, and uh,
one that just sparked my mind whenChey told me this. So I
went to the sushi spot in Phoenix, and it was a Mexican sushi restaurant.
(23:52):
So all of their roles had likethis like Mexican like theme to it,
and it was like all of themhad a like pretty much like very
similar ingredients. But it was justit was one of those things, and
I think it like you know whatChewy's point is is there's all this like
this whole evolvement of like fusion kindof foods and like all these cultures trying
(24:15):
to like cross and you know,do this and that. But like that
was the one to me. I'mnot gonna lie, like I consider myself
like a human garbage disposal. Also, like there's a couple of things that
I won't fuck with, Like Ihate tomatoes for example, Like tomatoes,
like I'll pup that shit out,like I just hate it. But like
sushi and Mexican like they don't mix, you know, like I don't know,
(24:40):
I think it does, like Imean it does some I guess some
roles. But it was like itwas one of those things where it was
like not just like a couple likeMexican fusion type roles or like a portion
of the menu, the whole thing, like literally the whole thing was like
it like Mexican fusion and it wasall literally like more style of roles like
(25:00):
we had like we ordered like Iremember like three four roles and all of
them like tastes like damn, you'reidentical. And I'm like, yo,
like what the what the hell isthis? That's a hard part for sure
to try to get that to tastedifferently. Yeah, but I think that
that's type the fusion is really popular. Like comets. Yeah, that's Mexican.
That's that's like the bogogi and allthat good stuff. But I think
Crean barbecue. There's a lot ofMexicans sushi spots I know of I am
(25:23):
a fan. I'm like about fiftyfifty of a fan, like more traditional
Japanese. But yeah, I thinkthat's a popular fusion. Yeah. Sure,
there's a there's a spot in town. Was there last week. It's
called Warrow and they just started soit was Korean barbecue. And they have
two restaurants in town, Warrow andWarrow two. Uh, Warrow just opened
back up. It was only twofor a while because they did a remodel.
(25:45):
So Warrow now has all their traditionalKorean barbecue. But then now they're
wanting to have like a whole sushimenu, so they're doing essentially sushi and
Crean barbecue. Yeah, some ofthe roles are like I guess Crean inspired
or maybe like a Crean spin toit. But don't my me brottle little
(26:06):
this is really good, dude,want smooth See if I can pronounce this
one. If you're guys starting todrink wine off fantacy, you gotta make
sure to hold the cup right,and you got to make sure to do
the swoof smell. Yeah, Imean fingers that come down right there?
You just spell? That was me, my bad on the table snitching on
(26:33):
them. You do you feel pressureto know about wines and stuff and some
do? I owe him? Sorry? I was like me, why,
like do you I guess obviously that'sdifferent, ight because that's a whole different
part of like, uh, justlike that world. But like, do
you have like a basic knowledge oflike oh this goes with this, It's
(26:53):
gonna go with that? Yeah,a little bit. I'm not gonna be
I'll be told, honest, I'mnot. But there's something like like when
he asked for this, I waslike, yeah, yeah, you know
you have generals right, like aun right, you're not gonna put a
mascot or something. I know,a couple of something I can call and
be like, yo, what isthis? I need some help with this?
(27:15):
You know, need like somebody O. Yeah, absolutely, man,
that's what's up. I think they'rethe best. But yeah, yeah they
hold it down. Man, it'sa lot of work. So they're like,
I say, like the chefts onthe floor really yeah man, they
do opening bottles all day tasting dothose tiktoks do like a lot of a
lot of pressure though when they haveto open the wine and it's the oldest
fun and it's just like I feellike the point of air that could happen
(27:37):
with that is astronomical. Right,Yeah, we were back, so walk
us through as chefs. So wehave some crunch on the bottom, some
biscf, some banana cream custard,and a simple whip cream right on top.
Old gold flake. Bro. Beforethe chef made this dish, I
(27:59):
thought I had the most gold onin this mouth. I felt like a
pharaoh. But now them m hmoh yeahhip is it awkward? Bro?
When people try their stuff and you'rekind of like waiting for them to give
you a response. Used to beprobably before. Yeah, I'm just like
fucked just waiting waiting. I'm like, what's going on? Now? You
know you got the confidence behind you, like I got that shit. Yeah,
(28:23):
I see why you were grabbing spoonfulsof this, Bro. It's delicious.
Yeah, I'm gonna go know noone too, So he's already thinking
about that whole last bucket. Ihave a good one for you. So
have you ever had like, youknow, I think we all have had,
We've all had jobs that, like, you know, just like horror
(28:47):
stories at jobs and just shitty thingshappen. I'm sure you haven't like your
past career and just like you know, her jobs in your early twenties and
you know whatever, but in yourprofessional career, you ever had just an
event or some a job that youtook that like you're just like this did
not go as planned, like thisis an absolute fucking disaster, like yeah,
(29:11):
and I got and I left,okay, So so yeah, so
talk me through it. I justbecause I can imagine as a cook,
you know, as a chef,whether it's awkward situations, difficult people,
weird environment. I think there's somany things that could come into play here.
So anyway, I just would loveto hear. So I was working
(29:33):
on the strip, real comfortable,you know, strip life, and I
really was just I had a chefhit me up. I was like,
yo, open up a restaurant overhere, like you want to come?
I was just like, do Iwant to go? I'm pretty much set.
I'm good over here. Yeah,trying to kill that comfort zone feeling.
I was just like, you knowwhat, let's do it. Left
did everything I think the chef got, he got shit can like probably two
(29:57):
three weeks no, I left,Yes, gone. I was just like,
yo, what's up? And they'rejust looking at me like are you
leaving? I'm just like I leftbecause to be here with him, to
work here under him, see whatwas cracking. And they end up letting
him go. So that was justlike a slap in the face, see
you. But then that was thatkind of started off like what I'm doing
(30:18):
now because it was like twenty eighteenCOVID, you know, So I was
just like, okay, let's gohard time to do what I'm doing,
was doing it, and COVID happened, So I was just like damn.
But at the same time, Ihad twenty eighteen twenty nineteen try to build
up a clientele to already pick thisup already. So when twenty twenty happened,
(30:40):
I was going from Cali Beverly Hills. I actually was working at a
grocery store. I was like,what can I do to get the plug
on this. So everybody was like, oh, things are closing. Everything
was closing early. I was like, what can I do? So I
started working for a smart and Final. You would show up at one in
the morning. Everybody was worried aboutthe toilet paper. I was in produce,
trying to figure can I get myhands on like some chicken, some
(31:02):
beef, produce whatever I could getahold of. This is twenty yeah,
when COVID like shut down. SoI started working for Smarting Final and I
was the guy in the bag.Just no way I would worry about toilet
paper. We had a toilet paperplugs and so I was just like,
nah, I'm gonna go get Iwant to get chicken, get beef.
So I had clients hitting me up. I was just like, yo,
can't do this. And that's whenthe mill preps started coming or just boxing
(31:22):
up food because people didn't want toleave. They were scared. And during
that situation, we didn't know.I member riding around like La Babley Hills,
going to that traffic, no trafficfor the first time. We're riding
around like what is going on?Like there is nobody out on the street
and there there. I was inmy little work card just dropping off like
(31:42):
forty pounds of chick into a family. Yeah, like that, just because
that's where you're the personal chef,your neighborhood chef came about. Shout out
to Smart and Final for hiring mefor and I think I was like thirteen
dollars an hour. Yeah, soI was just like what can I do?
Cause everything was shut down? Iwas going from Vegas, Henderson to
(32:04):
Cali. Damn. That's wild,dude. I have I have a question.
You don't have to say who,but what's it like with like you
just you know in your in yourin your mind right there, and you
know the most exclusive, Like youknow, Bougie is richest person that you
ever went to make a meal for. How does that differ from for example,
this, Sometimes they kind of wantthis, They want that comfort.
(32:29):
They kind of want to be out. They kind of want to bring what
they would have out on this strip, the luxury at home. They kind
of want to share it with theirfamily. Most time, it's either a
business meeting someone that they really don'twant to talk to, or the fruits
getting cold because they're they're talking,they're tripping it up at the same time.
It's just sometimes they want a meallike this at home that's hot with
(32:49):
their family, enjoyable, being enjoyedwith their family. Have you ever had
to sign an NDA? Oh?Yeah, facts all the time. That
happened quite a lot sometimes depending onwho I'm working for. I did cook
for the Juice Rip Juice OJ,but he was kind of tough guy to
cook for. But Yo, don'tyou know No, I mean I saw
(33:14):
him all the time. You usedto hang out at Jing time, and
that was my well, he usedto always be at Grape Street anywhere downtown,
That's where he was at. That'show I met him. My brother
worked at Grape Street. He's Icome through and I was just like,
that's how I kind of started off, like picking up a client tel just
because like this is Vegas. Anythingthat was here, everyone's coming through a
(33:35):
convention, so I would just likestack him. Back then it was business
cards, so I thought stack ofbusiness five thousand went down to any convention,
you know, either suited how Iam now or casual, and I
would see somebody like card card,card card, just handing them out,
hanging them out, same thing likeI was doing with my resume and every
now and then someone would hit meup and I'm like, oh then,
so it was like the end.I'm like, where'd you get that all
(33:58):
of this from this person? Orhad your card? You remember we met?
Like dang that was years ago orI don't even remember that sure that
passed out three hundred that day?Are you able to talk about how it
was like cooking pro j or thethere was there there too, But yeah,
I'm just saying like just how hewas just like what he wanted was
just totally different. You want tosh rare rare, but that he was
(34:22):
just like something you know, somebodyyou know, how somebody, how,
somebody matter, how you here,how somebody is in their house comparative when
you see him out, you knowwhat I mean. So it's just yeah,
not air him out like that,but you know people act differently or
how they are more comfortably in theirhome. Of course, you know,
so you did cook it at hishome? Yeah, gosh, that's wild.
(34:45):
That's pretty cool. So did hekill her? You imagine bro in
his house is probably got some crazyship. I mean that would be he's
just cooking him dinner and OJ justlooks at him pulls off the glove.
He's like, no, no,no, a chef, I did that.
Yeah, but that's what I'm saying. Imagine imagine, like he's like,
(35:07):
all right, well you signed thisNBA. As soon as he signs,
like finally I could tell somebody brotme. He's like, chef,
make yourself a play, Bro,I gotta tell let me ask you a
question, Chef, you ever hada girl? Just non stop talk bro.
Robin Leech, he was a goodone working in the hotels. The
(35:28):
Wayne's Brothers, the Waynes Brosne justlove that show. You're watching the show
and you're Coolia was dope, didsome stuff off his cookbook. Okay,
shout out to the DJ homies thatput me on on that so wow aigh
profile. Yeah, I'm curious,bro, because like just like as a
barbar Ba sometimes cutting like really highprofile people. For example, like there's
(35:49):
a lot of like rapper crossover withlike Barber's like kind of just getting hit
up on Instagram and stuff. Sometimes, Bro, like I haven't said I
haven't had to sign in days withlike rappers or some like like athletes.
I'll be honest, Well, sometimesthat just sucks. You know what.
I mean like it's it's fucking terrible, like they're they're you're dealing with their
entourage, bro. Like sometimes likethey don't respect your time and ship like
that, and when it comes tolike you know, it comes to payment
(36:10):
time, they're trying to low ballyou ship like that. Like that ship
sucks. But like I'm curious andif you've if you've ever had to deal
with them like higher profile, Uhyeah, I did. Well I cooked
for Trump for a while. Thatis over time ago, wrap this ship
up. That was the best.They're like the whole the whole process from
(36:36):
him coming out with it, theinauguration, that for everything was just during
his time. Yeah, it waslike turning. It was insane, Like
how is not where'd you cook atat the hotel? Oh? So he
was at his hotel here. Yeah, so as he was president, so
he would come through there with otherchefs that you know, we all got
down and we all participating in makingthe meal. But it's just it was
(36:59):
a whole I want to say fiasco. That sounds like madness, but yeah,
it's just we all had to makesure we had everything. Yeah,
everybody in the hotel. You know, you had the president coming through the
president. Imagine, bro, President, if you've got the highest chit today
in that hotel, just like backin the day. I remember his shows
(37:21):
back in the day. Yeah,so all those people there yes saying like
shout out of Trump. Yeah,hell yeah, Bro, that's crazy.
Let's go Mexican Trump. Bro,let's Latinos for Trump. Bro, ya
budd eCos in the house through Latinos. Damn dude. That I'm still trying
to like. Wow, dude.So that was like a more group like
(37:42):
a collaborat effort between you and afew shops. Yeah, that was not
solely me. It was just thewhole restaurant. That was a whole That
was a whole hotel thing. Likewhen he came like that, we had
to make it happen. Like thatwas all hands on deck. We had
to make it happen. We hadto stay at the hotel. We had
to stay at the hotel. Itwas just more it was just more accommodating
that way, just because us leavingthen we had to get checked by Secret
(38:04):
Service all that. When he putsup to the spot, there's no joke
like that, bro, employees.Just like he did that thing with Hillary,
he was just like he's on hisway. What are we throwing down?
Can you find out what he wantsto eat? And it's just to
make sure we were in the elevator. The chef that was taking up the
food had to be up there inthe elevator at the exact same time and
meet up at the same spot.Wow. Like that's just how we had
(38:25):
to see service everywhere, Services everywhere, bro, any little Higgins spot I
knew of there there, I waslike, what's up? It was crazy,
bro, Like the hotel was justshut down. Everything was cool,
but it was madness. Like eveninauguration, like people were like that whole
area was filled. Have you everbeen in there. It's a small restaurant
(38:47):
in the lobby and that was justjam packed. If I if you could
cook for one person alive, gottarunning back of OJ you know, you
need one that you maybe like lookup to or just like I mean,
just like anyone that you think wouldbe like, damn, I would love
(39:09):
to cook the meal for that guy. Man. You know what coolio?
That was straight up vibes. Yeah, that was like something that was like
the whole like how we I methim. He was doing another show in
a mansion during COVID. Then Iremember I was invited to go from the
DJ Homies, DJ G Minors,Super James. They're like, yo,
(39:30):
come through, we're doing something.I was like, all right, cool,
So I came in just to watch. As you can see, I
always have that. I always havethat box with me ready to work.
Whenever he saw me, he wasrunning late. He saw me, He's
just like, get your ass uphere. Like I was like, what's
up? And he's just like,let's cook. Just something like him seeing
me from the mansion before and hewas just like, let's get down,
(39:52):
let's cook. What are we workingwith. I was like, all right,
well, what are you doing.He's well, I'm doing this,
have the cookbook. Let's make ithappen. So I was like, all
right, cool myself. So Iyeah, in the car, pots pans
all that, he was just chillas hell. He was dope man,
and he smoked you out. Yeah, he was a al right smoker.
I think we drank a lot moretime. Yeah. Shots cool, that's
(40:14):
crazy. That's a dope story.Like the Robin Leech. He was cool
at the hotel. You you havea cooked Freddy Rappers Uh. Dennis Rodman
Roman it was dope because I methim at the bar while I was just
like walking through. You know,I thought I was hot ship, you
know what I mean, just walkingthrough and I was just like Dennis Rodman,
(40:36):
Dude, I was like, thiswould be my shot right here.
I just went inside of what's up? And you know, I was like,
damn okay. You know. Itwas just a funny topic about Dennis
Robin. But I always saw,like, I think it's so dope.
But Kim Jong un loved the ChicagoBulls growing up, and so he invites
Rodman out to again North Korea regularlylike the horse. Yeah, you can
(41:01):
do whatever you want, Bro,you want any girl on this fucking piece
in the world, any girl.Yeah, I was great, you know.
You know, actually it's funny tobring up. I heard this story
about King Jong with that dude andBro, so he had a uh it
was like a sushi chef from fromJapan, like the best dude ever.
(41:23):
He's like, yo, come overhere, make food and you know he
will pay you whatever. And thatdude ended up going and cooked from for
like two years. But he's like, bro, and I don't know if
he wrote a book or he didan interview whatever, but it's really interesting.
B He was like, you know, he was just like the sweetest
guy. He's just giggly laughing,but when he was in a bad mood,
heep be in a bad mood andthe person interviewed him was like,
(41:45):
oh, what do you mean?He was like, he's like, what
the fuck is up with this guy'shaircut? Get him out of here?
Like when you get him out hereis like yeah, so he imagine that
he's slicing up fucking you know,Shashimi and shiit and he's just like,
I just saw this guy get youknow, I don't know, but it's
crazy. But obviously, like somestuff you can't talk about, but like
I'm sure you see some crazy ship, right, I've seen some stuff in
(42:06):
the industry. It was just like, oh, the chef has just been
let go and he's walking through thatdoor and the new chef is walking by
like some shade. Damn, damn. This is how we do stuff like
that. A lot of yell Ilike you mentioned the yelling or having someone
straight up or even doing an interview, people stopping like like it's correct this
(42:30):
real quick, or it's bothering theperson that they're interviewing, you know.
Yeah, so no names, butyeah, for sure. Like I said,
everybody's a little different when they're intheir own comfort in their house.
Yeah, it's interesting, isn't itLike seeing I don't know, I think
it's even more interesting. Uh justseeing how even like like I'm going to
(42:52):
go cut people right and like seeinghow they interact with you know, they're
whoever else is in the house,and it's just like a little bit of
me was like, yo, isthis is this really you? Or it's
like are you playing because I'm here? I mean, it's like sometimes it's
like a I don't know how toexplain. It's it's like are you trying
to do this as like a powermove because I'm here? Or it's like
you just really kind of like this, you know. I mean, I
(43:12):
don't know. That's it's it's reallyinteresting. I see. I could only
I could only imagine it with foodtoo, where it's like, you know,
are you really gonna like if youdon't like this, you're gonna be
rude to me? Or it islike are you just doing that cause you're
here? Like I don't know,it's interesting. On that note, have
you ever had a time where youjust really fucked up a meal. Oh
that's a good question. Yeah,but I think already I fixed it.
You recovered, Yeah, I recovered. We know what I fucked up.
(43:37):
Yeah, but I think I wasfrying fish and I kind of skipped the
first method. It was battery inflower first, so it was just like
eight washed in batter. So itwas just falling apart in the basket.
I was like, what the fuck. I was like, what's going on?
It's I was just like and Ihad the exact around of fish.
Then someone else came through and theywas like, yoh, chef, he's
(43:57):
he's here for dinner. Someone elsecoming through it. I was just like,
damn, I'm not going to makethis work. And I made it
was being a big pace, cutit off, watched it made it happen.
But yeah, that was a fewyears ago, and it's just like,
yeah, I still think about that. I was just like, you
know, you know, what's comfortingto me that your biggest fuck up was
that your batter was flying off.I was expecting, like, yeah,
that fish was undercook. Motherfucker.Had you forgot? Yeah? The batter
(44:23):
was fallowing off, all right?I'll do that up. You know,
have you ever cooked for somebody butyou didn't meet them, or like you
don't know who you cooked for?Uh who I cooked for? Where it's
like, you know, like hehad a henchman come pick up some ships
like no where it's like, uh, hey, we want you to come
make this, this and this,you know this day, this time,
(44:45):
we'll pay you this and then yougo and you're in the kitchen and like
but you don't see like when youget the food you hand to someone and
they're like, we don't want you, like we don't want you to play
and see who's in the room.But just make it and then you're good
to go. You can leave.That happened sometimes in the hotels, especially
with people that were meeting that whochecked them in. They would let us
know, like yo, it's exclusivitytype thing. Exclusive Just make the food
(45:08):
in the butler's area and just leaveit and go. Whoever they're with will
bring it out to them. That'sbetter, That's what. Yeah, I've
heard, I've heard of stuff likethat. Yeah, I've dealt with that
before. I done it with like, oh my thing is like, oh
they're expecting me and they're not thereand they're just like, oh, just
box it up. I'm just likein my head is like, damn,
this is gonna be a horrible warmup. Or you know, it's just
(45:30):
like you would have told me thatit was going to be a warm up.
We could have just you know,you know, worked around it or
made something different, because you know, steak chicken doesn't really warm up well,
or some people don't know how towarm it up. You know,
it's not going to be like thefirst time you have it on the plate,
right, So stuff like that.What's the best way to reheat steak
because like sometimes I won't finish mymy tomahawk or come home, k just
(45:52):
put it thirty five seconds in themicrowave and it's fucking So if it's like
stone cold a little bit to likeloosen it up. I would suggest Chef
Mike, I like to call himChef Mike. But throw in the microwave,
pull it out where it's not stonecold, where it's just a little
looser. So now you could likethrow it on a nice hot pan,
So stow back on the pan.Man. Yeah yeah, Mike away forty
(46:15):
five seconds. But that's what Isay. So like normally because like how
you cooked it obviously was perfect.But I like it when it's cooked like
that because if you have to warmit up, then you you get start
getting closer to the medium, youknow what I mean. But so you
cook it under. Yeah, servicefor a while too. So someone order
a burger or steak is just likein a box going to the elevator on
a Friday night. It's gonna beat least thirty five to forty five minutes.
(46:37):
So you're just like, damn,So we had to cook it a
little under because remember it's gonna becontinued to cooking in the box. Yeah,
ah, I see that's interesting.Anything else, boys, we're good,
man. I think we took upenough Chef's time for sure. We
appreciate you, man. I lovethe podcast, man, I'm a huge
fan. I'm subscribed, So everybodyelse goes subscribe, driving out all of
(47:00):
our plates empty, stomach full.Yeah, I'm taking a nap after this,
bro. Y'all see yourself out.Hey, make sure you guys go
follow Chef guards on every single platformthat he has. Go show some love.
Tell him we sent you. Weappreciate you. See on the next
one. Pez
Sitting down right, is the drinksupposed to be on the right side,
drink on the left fork? Andhow does that work? Bro right?
Wine and man. So we weren'tin front of the house, so you
know, I was just making surethe food is legit. Make sure you're
doing your job. Still take yourshirt in, hey, hard facts right
(00:23):
now. No one's ever came backto a restaurant just because the silver was
right. You know that is true. Take the ship serious, all right?
Good food, good people. Goddamn, that's it. You hit
the toes. I just want tosay, thank you the chef. Man,
(00:46):
we appreciate you. I'm been afan. Let's enjoy us fine dining,
the chef, thank you for thehospitality. Shout out, shout out
to the Italian vineyards. Baby,let's go. Okay, So I think,
first thing, before anyone takes anybite, Cereal chef, what are
we exactly? Filet mignon carpire Smashedpotatoes with asparaous. Mashed potatoes are trash?
(01:11):
I was gonna say, what didyou call it? Trash? Potatoes?
Potatoes? All right? So whatare you all eating? First?
I gotta be a little trashed potatopurple I'm gonna get the potato first,
well the first thing besides, like, bro, it's just all this color
man, different textures. Like that'sthe thing that's always so fascinating to me.
(01:33):
Even like the stuff that you've madefor me through that wasn't the like,
there wasn't meal preps. I rememberyou made me like a burrito.
It was like it was like allit was like basically a Veggi rab bros.
Phenomenal. I'm like, I'm takinga bite and I'm like, I'm
tasting this. I'm tasting that.I'm tasting this besides the color of it,
but everything was just phenomenal. Youknow, it's like a Skittles bag
mm hm, with like normal fooda savory skittlet Yeah. We all grew
(01:57):
up with like the traditional or nontraditional food on the plate, you know,
in the mac and cheese yellow stuff, And when you see stuff like
that, your head's like, isthat cheese? What is that? You
guys trying the steak of them?M hm. So already already when I'm
gonna say that I enjoy is I'mgetting so many good flavors that I'm like
mixing it in. You got thechar off the asparagus, right, and
(02:21):
then I kind of pile that inon top of the steak and it's just
all it's a flavor explosion. Brother, Jeff, I got a question for
you. I think Chewie give youthe opportunity to run with the menu however
you want. I'm assuming you knowwhen you have a client there is a
request for a type of dish,sometimes they give you the opportunity to run
(02:44):
with it. I would like toknow what would be the most interesting request
you've had to cook they ever havinga request You're like, really, well,
I'm going to make that. Ithink it was more of like the
traditional stuff, like the turkey,the turkey stuff, like the turkey stuff
(03:07):
in in the middle of July.Yeah, in July. I was like,
Okay, is there anything that you'veever been kind of intimidated by?
Like has anyone ever made a requestfor something and you're just like, oh,
damn, I've never done that onebefore. Not intimidated, but like
these implause and organizing. It wasjust like I gotta be I gotta make
sure I'm ready for this, likea beef well and ten so we can
(03:28):
do a beef bullatin with this.That's not going to be something we could
just throw in the oven and callit a day, or do ahead of
time. It can be done aheadof time, but to make that,
you know, Swanye Fresh, Idefinitely shot for ingredients, get it all
together. So you feel that there'sbasically no request that you couldn't handle.
Not true if it was like Asiancuisine something I had and African request and
(03:53):
I'm just like, whoa hold up? Let me contact somebody and like I
said before, like maybe point rightdirection to somebody that's really a professional on
that in that cuisine. You everhit like YouTube university to figure out what
the interest? I have so manyI have so many questions. Brother,
(04:13):
it's just so good though, Ican't get passive. So easy, so
easy. So let me ask you, chef, so obviously you threw you
threw down like this. You knowyou cook for people, you know all
different types of situations. What's alazy day look like for you? If
you're like, you know what Ifeel like doing all this at home,
like just throwing the air fier ordo you even have those type of days?
(04:34):
My lazy days in and out Tacos, got a lot of homies,
I got food trucks and stuff.You know, I'm all about supporting them
too. So I'll go to stopby Grass, some tacos, some beautia,
Yeah, stuff like that. Comfortfood, and that's comfort food for
me. I think playing with theair fryer is something that, like I
said, playing with the air freris something I gotta get better at myself,
(04:58):
because you know, that's a it'san air right, That's that's new
to me, you know, Sowhat can I do with this? I
cooked so much stuff in the airfower, you know, you know my
favor is right now. Yes,I will hard boiled eggs. Do a
hard boiled egg in the air fierin the I just seen that too,
So I've done a whole I broughtit three air friers to a dinner one
(05:19):
time at Red Rock, but Ihad like the burners and everything for the
steak. But I did the veggiesin the air fryer and the potatoes,
and they wanted like chicken tenders andfries for the kids air fryer. And
that's when I was just like,WHOA, it's really work. This really
worked. And at the end ofthe day, I still have two burners
(05:41):
where like the steak was still gettingbanged out, but the chicken tators and
fries were like kids were happy.So I was just like, that's what
you know, if you're hosting adinner or something like that, you definitely
want the kids happy. So Iwas like, air fryer, you ever,
h do you ever have to likeobviously, you know, prepping to
go cook you know, stock numberones, obviously a grocery store, But
have you ever had to, like, you know, you get a request
(06:02):
for something and you're like, youknow, hey, like you know,
I might want to like do atest runt of this practice this you actually
sometimes like make a dish at hometo be like, okay, hey,
like I want to prepare for thisa little bit. I want to see
how I want to do it.Is that like another version of prep that
you do all the time. Solike I probably ran this in my head
(06:25):
a million times, and I probablywanted to play it differently until I put
it on the play So I wasjust like I know what I want to
do until I got here and Iwas just like, okay, let me
switch it up. It'll probably betterthis way. Filling the vibes, I
was like all right, yeah,but yeah, I do play. I
do play with my food. Ihave a I was just scared a brunch
tomorrow, so I'm doing a stuffFrench toast, and I've just been running,
(06:46):
like trying, like playing around withlike I'm gonna do this French toast
could go this way? Can Istand it up? Baby on the side.
I'm on the side. So Ijust had to play around with it
a lot. I was just curiouson how much how much prep you would
do, because like, you know, a lot of these people are going
to be like how you dish somethingup or how you cook is going to
be very different than just like yourtraditional family. So most people are gonna
(07:08):
be you know, pleased and probablyblown away just by whatever you show up
doing. But I was just curiouson like how much prep sometimes you will
do, and like if you'll goto that extent. I try for sure.
I show up eighty percent of thetime, Yeah, eighty percent ready,
like right now, and what Ibrought today, I was about eighty
eighty percent ready. Desert's already alreadycool, already whipped. You know that
(07:30):
that's all part of like my everyday. So minimizing your your prep once
you get to the listation you gotyou that, you know, I think
that's the longest. Yeah, that'sone of the longest things. Shif.
I had a question for you brokeearly. Early when we first started talking,
you had mentioned that well, Ithink I asked you a question about
a video that you posted. Iknow you mentioned like street food a lot.
It was you made like a chef'sversion of graffiti, which I thought
(07:55):
was pretty cool. You do youremember that video? Yeah? It was
like, uh, like I said, you explain it, but I don't
know how I explained. So Ihad an extra dessert Brownies teinc shirts the
chocolate tincture City Trees teacher was actuallylike a liquist cannabis, and I did
(08:16):
a dessert. It was like theO G brownie. But the graffiti part
of it came through. Like mybrother passed away. He was a graffiti
artist and I used to always seehim hit up or stole a slap if
anybody in the graffiti world knows whatthat is. For some reason, when
I was walking around with my littleice chest and stuff like that, was
just like I just want to likegraffiti for some reason. I just want
to like do something. And allI had was food. So I saw
(08:39):
a pole downtown Las Vegas. Ithink it was I don't know what's over
there, but I just saw polllights. It was probably where they did
like one of the music videos.And I just went off on it,
through the brownie, through the chocolate, and just walked away. And I
was like, that's what probably thefeeling that my brother got when he did
graffiti, and that was his typeof art. This is my food feedy,
(09:01):
I called it. So I wasjust like, man, this is
pretty cool. And I just gotthere. I was like, this is
why he loved what he was doing. But he had a different form of
art I think, and it wasn'twith food, but it was graffiti.
Yeah, So then that's how Ikind of came up with it. I
was just like something, just likejust throw it up. The person walking
by was like, am I I'mtripping, there's a delicious brownie. On
(09:24):
this point, I'm a lie broI would have ad it. It's interesting
though, to hear like how youand your brother you had like your own
creative outlet like that you kind ofwent down. I was actually curious.
Tell us a little bit about yourupbringing. Obviously we talked about it.
That you're from the Bay, Butlike what was what was that kind of
like growing up for you? Wasit rough? Like what would you go
through growing up? It was rough? It wasn't eating food like this.
(09:46):
I think it was just creating foodlike this was just when we had the
money or when it did happen.Then we banged out some steaks, got
it inside the grill. You knowwhat I'm saying. Being a father young
age, just moved out to Las, I guess you know. I did
all the sports, did all thatgood stuff. Gang bang. That's my
worst that I ever did in mylife. But I just really want to
(10:09):
change my life for my kid,And falling to cooking wasn't something I really
wanted to do. I wanted tobe a mechanic. But like I said,
being here, not being old enoughto work in the service industry,
like be a blackjack dealer working athotels. It's like I could be a
dishwasher or a cook. You couldbe eighteen. I was ready nineteen,
so I got a dishwashing job,prep cook. I was already working in
a hotel. Do you still workon cars in like your free time?
(10:31):
Like as a hobby. I don'twork on them no more. I just
I have cars, but I justI like I love them, but I
don't have time like to work onthem with my my clientele and everybody I
got going on. I just enjoyedwriting them now, So what's how important
is it to you? Obviously?You know you do a lot of supporting
stuff for like you know, yourfriends, friends of I have other businesses
(10:52):
and stuff, but like it almostfeels like you there's almost like a yo,
I need to go and support myfriend who has this food truck.
I see that a lot cause Ifollow you on Instagram obviously, and it's
like, bro, when there's nota real of you cooking somewhere, it's
like you're shouting out a food truckor shouting out this like tacko fast or
whatever. So it's like, whywhy is that such a big thing for
you to do? Honestly, Ididn't have that support starting what I was
(11:18):
doing. I got shipped on allthe time. Other chefs were just like
your shit's trash, your logos trash. What are you doing? Like you
know what I mean. But thenwhen I would do dinners, people give
me that you know, like yeah, this was the no but you know,
at the same time, it's justlike, man, for everybody else,
like this is this is my style, what I'm doing, I'm gonna
stick to it and just stuck withit and just kept doing it consistently,
(11:39):
and so I came up. Yeah, that's that's fire, dude. I
feel you on that about the supportthing, because that that I feel like
that is the cause and effect ofthat when you don't get a lot of
it, and it's just like anyway that I can try to help someone
else who was like y'all was there. You know. I know what it
feels like when there's like almost noone looking at you and all you need
is like a I kind of knowwhat that talking about. You know.
(12:01):
I pop up on a lot ofpeople that are just like yo, you
came through. I'm just like,I don't want to be treated anyway,
you know what I mean. I'mreally here to support. I want to
eat. I'll give you a straightup critigue, you know what I'm saying.
I'm not going to be a dickabout it, you know what I'm
saying. But I just want toeat. See what you're doing, you
know what I'm saying. I'm nothere like buying anything or anything crazy,
But I just want to see howyou guys are throwing down some tacos.
(12:22):
It gives me the rush, youknow, you know what about like,
is there some challenges within the likecooking industry that you see that maybe you're
looking too you know correct moving forwardfor up and coming chefs. I just
want for upcoming chefs just being consistentin what you're doing, especially with your
business, sticking with your word andwhat you withhold as a business owner,
(12:45):
or like even if you're a chef, like there's no shortcutsing ingredients. Say
you could buy all this ingredients somewherefor a lower price, but at the
same time, the quality and theflavor is not going to be swan ye
or the best. You know whatI'm saying. Definitely spend that extra buck,
go that extra mile, and it'sdefinitely payoff. One question I think
it would be kind of cool totalk through is like, so today you're
(13:05):
obviously, you know, you gethired for you know, someone private like
this, You get hired for anevent, a party, a get together
or whatever. Talk about your youknow, what's your kind of business today?
Who were you all kind of servingas much detail as you like to
go into and then what I thinkthe second part of my question would be
(13:26):
is where do you see yourself fromhere? Where do you see yourself Jeff
Garza in five years, ten years, You got to you gotta kind of
end goal. What's the future hold? So with what I do, I
do cater to a lot more peoplethat are don't have the time to think
(13:46):
about food, if that makes sense. But at the same time, we
have to eat right yeap. Sothat's where I come in and try to
symbolize that creative being you or evenlike see what you like and cook for
you so where you're at the getabout it, or even breaking a sweat
in the kitchen, where you canhave more time for your own business,
if you're working from home, ifyou have a family, you want to
(14:07):
spend some more time with your kids, that's where I come in and take
care of that little stuff that youdon't want to take care of. Or
if you're just a horrible cook andyou need me to come by, I
contact you do that too. Yeah. So definitely, you know, big
crowd from people that are a youngercrowd to older crowds. I get a
(14:28):
lot of inquiries. I don't thinkI have one type of one type of
crowd that it definitely reaches out alot lately, has been brunches and baby
showers lately, so, but Ido everything. My end goal would probably
be a restaurant. I definitely wantto get a restaurant with a private PDR
(14:48):
for like stuff like my people thatI already cook for, where I can
still cater them on the private endwhere they still want to be low key,
but at the same time, nextdoor, I still have a restaurant
still in the work, still goingthrough it, but we have a private
dining room next door where we'll takecare of VIP's and stuff like that.
Yeah, that would be the Imean, I'm sure you have so many
different kinds of food you'd want toserve there, But is there a uh,
(15:11):
if you have like your own privatedining spot, restaurant style, whatever,
what kind of food would you liketo serve. I'm gonna do a
fusion of stuff and just like likeyour normal stuff and just do it my
way. I do a more fusion, more plate stuff, more fun where
it's like photojetic social media friendly stufflike that, where the restaurant's full with
graffiti. Maybe a DJ Boot whereit's just it's vibes, you know what
(15:35):
I'm saying, where you don't haveto be like, oh it's casual,
you know, so it's you know, yeah, is that? Do you
think that's almost like, uh,it works against people that have restaurants because
there's obviously chefs that have different typeof restaurants. That one is like Italian
one is uh steak, one isthis, and that is that? Do
they do that just because is iteasier to just focus on one thing versus
(15:58):
what you said right, like justmake a fusion of different or it's like
is there a better is there?I think if it's the chef, that's
ryan and most half the time it'snot their restaurant. They're working for that
restaurant, so it's already a menuin place, and they have to follow
the menu and what they're supposed tobe doing as their job, unless it's
an actual privately owned restaurant and justlike oh that's his restaurant, that's his
(16:19):
menu, and that somebody else that'sa restaurant group. I see. Yeah,
you know, we all know,like this is a huge city,
so we know a lot of restaurants. Most of these places are like sister
restaurants or chain chain stuff that they'reall incorporated. So yeah, gotcha.
So I don't I don't I knowyou post about it sometimes. I don't
know if I don't think I've everseen you talk about it, but you
(16:42):
do like a lot of THC infusedfoods, cannabis infused dinners, and yeah,
it's crazy. So this mil couldhave been easily infused with which is
delicious. By the way, thankyou. This is phenomenal. Through I'm
not really like why like that,but this is really Yeah, but how
(17:04):
did how did that start? Fromone great year right here? How does
uh? I fucking lost thought whatyou were saying? I guess how did
that come about? Like is that'sbecause I'm assuming that's a whole different lane
of food, right or is itlike is it just that thing where it's
like, no, I could makethis, but if you know, I
could also one step up, Icould make everything. I grew up a
(17:27):
stoner, always been a stoner,So I was just tired of like seeing
brownies, the pot brownies stuff likethat, like what else can we do
with that? So then basically deconstructedis like what's in here butter sugar,
eggs, all this good stuff.Chocolate. Okay, we could infuse it
with the butter. This do thebutter, so we all right, go
get a pound, just start breakingthis up and let's figure out let's make
(17:48):
different butters, oils and what wecan do. And everything has every fat
content, everything has a different smokingpoint and all that stuff and what you
add it into food and just startfrom there. Just yeah, this tink
shurve is a different type of fatfrom coconut oil to clarify, butter to
gee stuff like that. So it'sjust just wanting to play around and making
(18:11):
take your regular stoner stuff into makingit into fine dining. So that's pretty
cool. Yeah, just to elaborateon that. So, like you said,
like this type of a meal,you would do this and it's THHG
infuse. Yeah, absolutely, Solike the puret I could infuse that with
butter. All this could have beenwith the butter or coconut oil, depending
on what type of fat you like. M and are you able to gauge
like how were you going to themoor? Yeah? Yeah, so there's
(18:36):
different race. There's also from fromwhat you put into the butter. You
can also like weigh it out.So when you do a brownie, it's
usually like divide into like, oh, eat this little piece. It's ten
miligrams. It's kind of hard tofigure out that math, but I've been
doing it so long where it's likehave a little little measuring butter thing that
you put it in. It willkind of tell you what where it's at.
(18:57):
So the kind of the tough partis trying to figure out how much
TAC, how high the potlancy is. Some people will be coming out like,
oh, this is five hundred thac, Like how did you get all
that? Fire? Is also likeput you on psychosis? Bro? Everybody
smokingbody smoking operately? No, that'sa lot shit like one hundred. But
(19:22):
there's people out there that come tothe shop that are just always like I
do five hundred or I've been asmoker midnighttoberl my whole life, Like Okay,
it's toy twenty four year at aweek shop right now? Bro?
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah. Welland it used to be different back in
the day too. We all weren'tasking that we like, what are the
turps in there? Like right,bro, it's blue dreams, smell it.
I'm curious when you were younger,Like would you is that kind of
(19:47):
how you would you make like browniesand then just just give them to your
friends or like, yeah, Iwas making in high school. I was,
So you've been cooking, bro,Yeah, I didn't think I was
going to be a chef, Likethis didn't fall like on like you given
me a chef, Like I wasreally a as a dishwasher. I did
in and out, piece of hudall that good stuff in high school because
I was working. I was ahustler, bro, anything I could get
(20:08):
money, and I was just likedoing I even did bounce houses, delivery,
bounce house all the weekend, settingup in your back you know those
houses. Not unlike unusual for me, Like that's like knock on your door,
pulling up like you know, therespect, you know, checking in
the communication. It's not new tome. I really was doing that with
the clipboard working for somebody else.So, so, how long have you
(20:29):
been like a professional chef. I'vebeen cooking since I was nineteen years old.
Okay, I'm thirty four four.Yeah, I've been cooking for a
long time. I want to sayprofessionally. I want to give about like
eight to nine years you know,just through my twenties, I went through
the ringer. I said, dishwashinghad chefs I worked for, throwing plates
at you, like what the fuckis this? Make it again? It
(20:51):
ain't hot enough? Do it right? Service coming back like this is thirty
you know, stuff like that.So it was a shout out to everyone
in the industry. Yeah, yeah, industry. Man, they the backbone
the strip for sure, you know. So yeah, I could do it.
I could only imagine. Man,I have a question, so obviously.
I mean, I don't think Ihave to ask you guys. I
(21:11):
mean I look at our place,right this shit was phenomenal. Has there
ever been a time and if youwant to go ahead, has there ever
been a time? And if therehas been, If there has been,
how do you handle it? Ifyou know, maybe something you made for
them, you know they weren't abig fan of or you know, is
(21:32):
it hard or early on would itkind of message to you a little bit?
Or if that happens now, howdo you handle that? I think
criticism really well. I guess myfacial expression is a little different. I
get people all the time, like, bro, you look mad or you
look upset. When I said thatI'm just like I'm just processing like what
I did, Like I'm going backwards, like how did that end up?
And like I said before, likepeople were in this loge eaters, like
(21:53):
I'm not making it how your grandmamade it. So maybe in your head
you're just like this is too red, grandma to make it really chewy,
you know what I'm saying, welldone, And at the same time,
I'm give me a red steak andyou're just like, no, it's not
done. At the same time,it's just like bro, I restaurant before,
like you know, stuff like that. We all you don't think about
it, but we all have likeeating something, especially like Mexican food,
(22:15):
like, oh, this ain't likerice. At the same time, like
everybody in the city is saying it'sfire, you know. Yeah. Yeah,
So I'm kid you brought up likeyou know like in uh Latino culture,
Bro, what's like one thing thatis super popular and like and uh
like Latino culture food wise that youjust don't like that I don't like or
(22:41):
like you don't understand like why whyis this becoming like a thing right now?
Like food wise, Man, Idon't know what I like everything that's
coming out right now, like theCASA media. Sometimes like the fries,
some stuff is a little just toomuch, what I mean, like like
daw the fry is, well,that's all American. I got a good
(23:03):
one, like you're working on agood meat like media hours something that takes
some greasy ass friye that took twominutes to fry. It is just to
me, is just like why whydid you do that? So I don't
know if there's one out here,but I was just in Phoenix probably like
a month ago, and I'm aI'm a big sushi fan. I love
(23:26):
sushi. Wasn't really born and raisedaround sushi, come from Montana, was
I don't take a sushi restaurant inthe whole fucking state, damn. But
I got into sushi a lot overthe last couple of years, and uh,
one that just sparked my mind whenChey told me this. So I
went to the sushi spot in Phoenix, and it was a Mexican sushi restaurant.
(23:52):
So all of their roles had likethis like Mexican like theme to it,
and it was like all of themhad a like pretty much like very
similar ingredients. But it was justit was one of those things, and
I think it like you know whatChewy's point is is there's all this like
this whole evolvement of like fusion kindof foods and like all these cultures trying
(24:15):
to like cross and you know,do this and that. But like that
was the one to me. I'mnot gonna lie, like I consider myself
like a human garbage disposal. Also, like there's a couple of things that
I won't fuck with, Like Ihate tomatoes for example, Like tomatoes,
like I'll pup that shit out,like I just hate it. But like
sushi and Mexican like they don't mix, you know, like I don't know,
(24:40):
I think it does, like Imean it does some I guess some
roles. But it was like itwas one of those things where it was
like not just like a couple likeMexican fusion type roles or like a portion
of the menu, the whole thing, like literally the whole thing was like
it like Mexican fusion and it wasall literally like more style of roles like
(25:00):
we had like we ordered like Iremember like three four roles and all of
them like tastes like damn, you'reidentical. And I'm like, yo,
like what the what the hell isthis? That's a hard part for sure
to try to get that to tastedifferently. Yeah, but I think that
that's type the fusion is really popular. Like comets. Yeah, that's Mexican.
That's that's like the bogogi and allthat good stuff. But I think
Crean barbecue. There's a lot ofMexicans sushi spots I know of I am
(25:23):
a fan. I'm like about fiftyfifty of a fan, like more traditional
Japanese. But yeah, I thinkthat's a popular fusion. Yeah. Sure,
there's a there's a spot in town. Was there last week. It's
called Warrow and they just started soit was Korean barbecue. And they have
two restaurants in town, Warrow andWarrow two. Uh, Warrow just opened
back up. It was only twofor a while because they did a remodel.
(25:45):
So Warrow now has all their traditionalKorean barbecue. But then now they're
wanting to have like a whole sushimenu, so they're doing essentially sushi and
Crean barbecue. Yeah, some ofthe roles are like I guess Crean inspired
or maybe like a Crean spin toit. But don't my me brottle little
(26:06):
this is really good, dude,want smooth See if I can pronounce this
one. If you're guys starting todrink wine off fantacy, you gotta make
sure to hold the cup right,and you got to make sure to do
the swoof smell. Yeah, Imean fingers that come down right there?
You just spell? That was me, my bad on the table snitching on
(26:33):
them. You do you feel pressureto know about wines and stuff and some
do? I owe him? Sorry? I was like me, why,
like do you I guess obviously that'sdifferent, ight because that's a whole different
part of like, uh, justlike that world. But like, do
you have like a basic knowledge oflike oh this goes with this, It's
(26:53):
gonna go with that? Yeah,a little bit. I'm not gonna be
I'll be told, honest, I'mnot. But there's something like like when
he asked for this, I waslike, yeah, yeah, you know
you have generals right, like aun right, you're not gonna put a
mascot or something. I know,a couple of something I can call and
be like, yo, what isthis? I need some help with this?
(27:15):
You know, need like somebody O. Yeah, absolutely, man,
that's what's up. I think they'rethe best. But yeah, yeah they
hold it down. Man, it'sa lot of work. So they're like,
I say, like the chefts onthe floor really yeah man, they
do opening bottles all day tasting dothose tiktoks do like a lot of a
lot of pressure though when they haveto open the wine and it's the oldest
fun and it's just like I feellike the point of air that could happen
(27:37):
with that is astronomical. Right,Yeah, we were back, so walk
us through as chefs. So wehave some crunch on the bottom, some
biscf, some banana cream custard,and a simple whip cream right on top.
Old gold flake. Bro. Beforethe chef made this dish, I
(27:59):
thought I had the most gold onin this mouth. I felt like a
pharaoh. But now them m hmoh yeahhip is it awkward? Bro?
When people try their stuff and you'rekind of like waiting for them to give
you a response. Used to beprobably before. Yeah, I'm just like
fucked just waiting waiting. I'm like, what's going on? Now? You
know you got the confidence behind you, like I got that shit. Yeah,
(28:23):
I see why you were grabbing spoonfulsof this, Bro. It's delicious.
Yeah, I'm gonna go know noone too, So he's already thinking
about that whole last bucket. Ihave a good one for you. So
have you ever had like, youknow, I think we all have had,
We've all had jobs that, like, you know, just like horror
(28:47):
stories at jobs and just shitty thingshappen. I'm sure you haven't like your
past career and just like you know, her jobs in your early twenties and
you know whatever, but in yourprofessional career, you ever had just an
event or some a job that youtook that like you're just like this did
not go as planned, like thisis an absolute fucking disaster, like yeah,
(29:11):
and I got and I left,okay, So so yeah, so
talk me through it. I justbecause I can imagine as a cook,
you know, as a chef,whether it's awkward situations, difficult people,
weird environment. I think there's somany things that could come into play here.
So anyway, I just would loveto hear. So I was working
(29:33):
on the strip, real comfortable,you know, strip life, and I
really was just I had a chefhit me up. I was like,
yo, open up a restaurant overhere, like you want to come?
I was just like, do Iwant to go? I'm pretty much set.
I'm good over here. Yeah,trying to kill that comfort zone feeling.
I was just like, you knowwhat, let's do it. Left
did everything I think the chef got, he got shit can like probably two
(29:57):
three weeks no, I left,Yes, gone. I was just like,
yo, what's up? And they'rejust looking at me like are you
leaving? I'm just like I leftbecause to be here with him, to
work here under him, see whatwas cracking. And they end up letting
him go. So that was justlike a slap in the face, see
you. But then that was thatkind of started off like what I'm doing
(30:18):
now because it was like twenty eighteenCOVID, you know, So I was
just like, okay, let's gohard time to do what I'm doing,
was doing it, and COVID happened, So I was just like damn.
But at the same time, Ihad twenty eighteen twenty nineteen try to build
up a clientele to already pick thisup already. So when twenty twenty happened,
(30:40):
I was going from Cali Beverly Hills. I actually was working at a
grocery store. I was like,what can I do to get the plug
on this. So everybody was like, oh, things are closing. Everything
was closing early. I was like, what can I do? So I
started working for a smart and Final. You would show up at one in
the morning. Everybody was worried aboutthe toilet paper. I was in produce,
trying to figure can I get myhands on like some chicken, some
(31:02):
beef, produce whatever I could getahold of. This is twenty yeah,
when COVID like shut down. SoI started working for Smarting Final and I
was the guy in the bag.Just no way I would worry about toilet
paper. We had a toilet paperplugs and so I was just like,
nah, I'm gonna go get Iwant to get chicken, get beef.
So I had clients hitting me up. I was just like, yo,
can't do this. And that's whenthe mill preps started coming or just boxing
(31:22):
up food because people didn't want toleave. They were scared. And during
that situation, we didn't know.I member riding around like La Babley Hills,
going to that traffic, no trafficfor the first time. We're riding
around like what is going on?Like there is nobody out on the street
and there there. I was inmy little work card just dropping off like
(31:42):
forty pounds of chick into a family. Yeah, like that, just because
that's where you're the personal chef,your neighborhood chef came about. Shout out
to Smart and Final for hiring mefor and I think I was like thirteen
dollars an hour. Yeah, soI was just like what can I do?
Cause everything was shut down? Iwas going from Vegas, Henderson to
(32:04):
Cali. Damn. That's wild,dude. I have I have a question.
You don't have to say who,but what's it like with like you
just you know in your in yourin your mind right there, and you
know the most exclusive, Like youknow, Bougie is richest person that you
ever went to make a meal for. How does that differ from for example,
this, Sometimes they kind of wantthis, They want that comfort.
(32:29):
They kind of want to be out. They kind of want to bring what
they would have out on this strip, the luxury at home. They kind
of want to share it with theirfamily. Most time, it's either a
business meeting someone that they really don'twant to talk to, or the fruits
getting cold because they're they're talking,they're tripping it up at the same time.
It's just sometimes they want a meallike this at home that's hot with
(32:49):
their family, enjoyable, being enjoyedwith their family. Have you ever had
to sign an NDA? Oh?Yeah, facts all the time. That
happened quite a lot sometimes depending onwho I'm working for. I did cook
for the Juice Rip Juice OJ,but he was kind of tough guy to
cook for. But Yo, don'tyou know No, I mean I saw
(33:14):
him all the time. You usedto hang out at Jing time, and
that was my well, he usedto always be at Grape Street anywhere downtown,
That's where he was at. That'show I met him. My brother
worked at Grape Street. He's Icome through and I was just like,
that's how I kind of started off, like picking up a client tel just
because like this is Vegas. Anythingthat was here, everyone's coming through a
(33:35):
convention, so I would just likestack him. Back then it was business
cards, so I thought stack ofbusiness five thousand went down to any convention,
you know, either suited how Iam now or casual, and I
would see somebody like card card,card card, just handing them out,
hanging them out, same thing likeI was doing with my resume and every
now and then someone would hit meup and I'm like, oh then,
so it was like the end.I'm like, where'd you get that all
(33:58):
of this from this person? Orhad your card? You remember we met?
Like dang that was years ago orI don't even remember that sure that
passed out three hundred that day?Are you able to talk about how it
was like cooking pro j or thethere was there there too, But yeah,
I'm just saying like just how hewas just like what he wanted was
just totally different. You want tosh rare rare, but that he was
(34:22):
just like something you know, somebodyyou know, how somebody, how,
somebody matter, how you here,how somebody is in their house comparative when
you see him out, you knowwhat I mean. So it's just yeah,
not air him out like that,but you know people act differently or
how they are more comfortably in theirhome. Of course, you know,
so you did cook it at hishome? Yeah, gosh, that's wild.
(34:45):
That's pretty cool. So did hekill her? You imagine bro in
his house is probably got some crazyship. I mean that would be he's
just cooking him dinner and OJ justlooks at him pulls off the glove.
He's like, no, no,no, a chef, I did that.
Yeah, but that's what I'm saying. Imagine imagine, like he's like,
(35:07):
all right, well you signed thisNBA. As soon as he signs,
like finally I could tell somebody brotme. He's like, chef,
make yourself a play, Bro,I gotta tell let me ask you a
question, Chef, you ever hada girl? Just non stop talk bro.
Robin Leech, he was a goodone working in the hotels. The
(35:28):
Wayne's Brothers, the Waynes Brosne justlove that show. You're watching the show
and you're Coolia was dope, didsome stuff off his cookbook. Okay,
shout out to the DJ homies thatput me on on that so wow aigh
profile. Yeah, I'm curious,bro, because like just like as a
barbar Ba sometimes cutting like really highprofile people. For example, like there's
(35:49):
a lot of like rapper crossover withlike Barber's like kind of just getting hit
up on Instagram and stuff. Sometimes, Bro, like I haven't said I
haven't had to sign in days withlike rappers or some like like athletes.
I'll be honest, Well, sometimesthat just sucks. You know what.
I mean like it's it's fucking terrible, like they're they're you're dealing with their
entourage, bro. Like sometimes likethey don't respect your time and ship like
that, and when it comes tolike you know, it comes to payment
(36:10):
time, they're trying to low ballyou ship like that. Like that ship
sucks. But like I'm curious andif you've if you've ever had to deal
with them like higher profile, Uhyeah, I did. Well I cooked
for Trump for a while. Thatis over time ago, wrap this ship
up. That was the best.They're like the whole the whole process from
(36:36):
him coming out with it, theinauguration, that for everything was just during
his time. Yeah, it waslike turning. It was insane, Like
how is not where'd you cook atat the hotel? Oh? So he
was at his hotel here. Yeah, so as he was president, so
he would come through there with otherchefs that you know, we all got
down and we all participating in makingthe meal. But it's just it was
(36:59):
a whole I want to say fiasco. That sounds like madness, but yeah,
it's just we all had to makesure we had everything. Yeah,
everybody in the hotel. You know, you had the president coming through the
president. Imagine, bro, President, if you've got the highest chit today
in that hotel, just like backin the day. I remember his shows
(37:21):
back in the day. Yeah,so all those people there yes saying like
shout out of Trump. Yeah,hell yeah, Bro, that's crazy.
Let's go Mexican Trump. Bro,let's Latinos for Trump. Bro, ya
budd eCos in the house through Latinos. Damn dude. That I'm still trying
to like. Wow, dude.So that was like a more group like
(37:42):
a collaborat effort between you and afew shops. Yeah, that was not
solely me. It was just thewhole restaurant. That was a whole That
was a whole hotel thing. Likewhen he came like that, we had
to make it happen. Like thatwas all hands on deck. We had
to make it happen. We hadto stay at the hotel. We had
to stay at the hotel. Itwas just more it was just more accommodating
that way, just because us leavingthen we had to get checked by Secret
(38:04):
Service all that. When he putsup to the spot, there's no joke
like that, bro, employees.Just like he did that thing with Hillary,
he was just like he's on hisway. What are we throwing down?
Can you find out what he wantsto eat? And it's just to
make sure we were in the elevator. The chef that was taking up the
food had to be up there inthe elevator at the exact same time and
meet up at the same spot.Wow. Like that's just how we had
(38:25):
to see service everywhere, Services everywhere, bro, any little Higgins spot I
knew of there there, I waslike, what's up? It was crazy,
bro, Like the hotel was justshut down. Everything was cool,
but it was madness. Like eveninauguration, like people were like that whole
area was filled. Have you everbeen in there. It's a small restaurant
(38:47):
in the lobby and that was justjam packed. If I if you could
cook for one person alive, gottarunning back of OJ you know, you
need one that you maybe like lookup to or just like I mean,
just like anyone that you think wouldbe like, damn, I would love
(39:09):
to cook the meal for that guy. Man. You know what coolio?
That was straight up vibes. Yeah, that was like something that was like
the whole like how we I methim. He was doing another show in
a mansion during COVID. Then Iremember I was invited to go from the
DJ Homies, DJ G Minors,Super James. They're like, yo,
(39:30):
come through, we're doing something.I was like, all right, cool,
So I came in just to watch. As you can see, I
always have that. I always havethat box with me ready to work.
Whenever he saw me, he wasrunning late. He saw me, He's
just like, get your ass uphere. Like I was like, what's
up? And he's just like,let's cook. Just something like him seeing
me from the mansion before and hewas just like, let's get down,
(39:52):
let's cook. What are we workingwith. I was like, all right,
well, what are you doing.He's well, I'm doing this,
have the cookbook. Let's make ithappen. So I was like, all
right, cool myself. So Iyeah, in the car, pots pans
all that, he was just chillas hell. He was dope man,
and he smoked you out. Yeah, he was a al right smoker.
I think we drank a lot moretime. Yeah. Shots cool, that's
(40:14):
crazy. That's a dope story.Like the Robin Leech. He was cool
at the hotel. You you havea cooked Freddy Rappers Uh. Dennis Rodman
Roman it was dope because I methim at the bar while I was just
like walking through. You know,I thought I was hot ship, you
know what I mean, just walkingthrough and I was just like Dennis Rodman,
(40:36):
Dude, I was like, thiswould be my shot right here.
I just went inside of what's up? And you know, I was like,
damn okay. You know. Itwas just a funny topic about Dennis
Robin. But I always saw,like, I think it's so dope.
But Kim Jong un loved the ChicagoBulls growing up, and so he invites
Rodman out to again North Korea regularlylike the horse. Yeah, you can
(41:01):
do whatever you want, Bro,you want any girl on this fucking piece
in the world, any girl.Yeah, I was great, you know.
You know, actually it's funny tobring up. I heard this story
about King Jong with that dude andBro, so he had a uh it
was like a sushi chef from fromJapan, like the best dude ever.
(41:23):
He's like, yo, come overhere, make food and you know he
will pay you whatever. And thatdude ended up going and cooked from for
like two years. But he's like, bro, and I don't know if
he wrote a book or he didan interview whatever, but it's really interesting.
B He was like, you know, he was just like the sweetest
guy. He's just giggly laughing,but when he was in a bad mood,
heep be in a bad mood andthe person interviewed him was like,
(41:45):
oh, what do you mean?He was like, he's like, what
the fuck is up with this guy'shaircut? Get him out of here?
Like when you get him out hereis like yeah, so he imagine that
he's slicing up fucking you know,Shashimi and shiit and he's just like,
I just saw this guy get youknow, I don't know, but it's
crazy. But obviously, like somestuff you can't talk about, but like
I'm sure you see some crazy ship, right, I've seen some stuff in
(42:06):
the industry. It was just like, oh, the chef has just been
let go and he's walking through thatdoor and the new chef is walking by
like some shade. Damn, damn. This is how we do stuff like
that. A lot of yell Ilike you mentioned the yelling or having someone
straight up or even doing an interview, people stopping like like it's correct this
(42:30):
real quick, or it's bothering theperson that they're interviewing, you know.
Yeah, so no names, butyeah, for sure. Like I said,
everybody's a little different when they're intheir own comfort in their house.
Yeah, it's interesting, isn't itLike seeing I don't know, I think
it's even more interesting. Uh justseeing how even like like I'm going to
(42:52):
go cut people right and like seeinghow they interact with you know, they're
whoever else is in the house,and it's just like a little bit of
me was like, yo, isthis is this really you? Or it's
like are you playing because I'm here? I mean, it's like sometimes it's
like a I don't know how toexplain. It's it's like are you trying
to do this as like a powermove because I'm here? Or it's like
you just really kind of like this, you know. I mean, I
(43:12):
don't know. That's it's it's reallyinteresting. I see. I could only
I could only imagine it with foodtoo, where it's like, you know,
are you really gonna like if youdon't like this, you're gonna be
rude to me? Or it islike are you just doing that cause you're
here? Like I don't know,it's interesting. On that note, have
you ever had a time where youjust really fucked up a meal. Oh
that's a good question. Yeah,but I think already I fixed it.
You recovered, Yeah, I recovered. We know what I fucked up.
(43:37):
Yeah, but I think I wasfrying fish and I kind of skipped the
first method. It was battery inflower first, so it was just like
eight washed in batter. So itwas just falling apart in the basket.
I was like, what the fuck. I was like, what's going on?
It's I was just like and Ihad the exact around of fish.
Then someone else came through and theywas like, yoh, chef, he's
(43:57):
he's here for dinner. Someone elsecoming through it. I was just like,
damn, I'm not going to makethis work. And I made it
was being a big pace, cutit off, watched it made it happen.
But yeah, that was a fewyears ago, and it's just like,
yeah, I still think about that. I was just like, you
know, you know, what's comfortingto me that your biggest fuck up was
that your batter was flying off.I was expecting, like, yeah,
that fish was undercook. Motherfucker.Had you forgot? Yeah? The batter
(44:23):
was fallowing off, all right?I'll do that up. You know,
have you ever cooked for somebody butyou didn't meet them, or like you
don't know who you cooked for?Uh who I cooked for? Where it's
like, you know, like hehad a henchman come pick up some ships
like no where it's like, uh, hey, we want you to come
make this, this and this,you know this day, this time,
(44:45):
we'll pay you this and then yougo and you're in the kitchen and like
but you don't see like when youget the food you hand to someone and
they're like, we don't want you, like we don't want you to play
and see who's in the room.But just make it and then you're good
to go. You can leave.That happened sometimes in the hotels, especially
with people that were meeting that whochecked them in. They would let us
know, like yo, it's exclusivitytype thing. Exclusive Just make the food
(45:08):
in the butler's area and just leaveit and go. Whoever they're with will
bring it out to them. That'sbetter, That's what. Yeah, I've
heard, I've heard of stuff likethat. Yeah, I've dealt with that
before. I done it with like, oh my thing is like, oh
they're expecting me and they're not thereand they're just like, oh, just
box it up. I'm just likein my head is like, damn,
this is gonna be a horrible warmup. Or you know, it's just
(45:30):
like you would have told me thatit was going to be a warm up.
We could have just you know,you know, worked around it or
made something different, because you know, steak chicken doesn't really warm up well,
or some people don't know how towarm it up. You know,
it's not going to be like thefirst time you have it on the plate,
right, So stuff like that.What's the best way to reheat steak
because like sometimes I won't finish mymy tomahawk or come home, k just
(45:52):
put it thirty five seconds in themicrowave and it's fucking So if it's like
stone cold a little bit to likeloosen it up. I would suggest Chef
Mike, I like to call himChef Mike. But throw in the microwave,
pull it out where it's not stonecold, where it's just a little
looser. So now you could likethrow it on a nice hot pan,
So stow back on the pan.Man. Yeah yeah, Mike away forty
(46:15):
five seconds. But that's what Isay. So like normally because like how
you cooked it obviously was perfect.But I like it when it's cooked like
that because if you have to warmit up, then you you get start
getting closer to the medium, youknow what I mean. But so you
cook it under. Yeah, servicefor a while too. So someone order
a burger or steak is just likein a box going to the elevator on
a Friday night. It's gonna beat least thirty five to forty five minutes.
(46:37):
So you're just like, damn,So we had to cook it a
little under because remember it's gonna becontinued to cooking in the box. Yeah,
ah, I see that's interesting.Anything else, boys, we're good,
man. I think we took upenough Chef's time for sure. We
appreciate you, man. I lovethe podcast, man, I'm a huge
fan. I'm subscribed, So everybodyelse goes subscribe, driving out all of
(47:00):
our plates empty, stomach full.Yeah, I'm taking a nap after this,
bro. Y'all see yourself out.Hey, make sure you guys go
follow Chef guards on every single platformthat he has. Go show some love.
Tell him we sent you. Weappreciate you. See on the next
one. Pez
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