A Shift That Shifted It All

I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, but my kitchen story really begins at a Martini Bar in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I was at Dalhousie University working towards a Bachelor of Arts, still unsure what I wanted to be when I “grew up.” I eventually got a job washing dishes, peeling carrots and potatoes, and microwaving the occasional dessert for guests.

Constantly peeking my head onto the hotline, asking questions, and cooking more at home, the rest of the cooks knew that I was interested in learning more. One day during my tenure, one of the line cooks quit, which gave me the opportunity to leave the dish pit behind and strap on an apron. This was the day that my mom remembers as the day that I called to ask, “What would you say if I told you that I wanted to be a chef?”

After graduating from the University with my BA, I immediately enrolled in George Brown Culinary School in Toronto. While attending culinary school, I had the opportunity to work as a Garde Manger at a well-known Italian restaurant. It was during this time that I realized this was my true passion. I remember one time working in my first real scratch kitchen at a restaurant in Toronto.

My chef was going through my fridge. We had a bar menu that never got ordered, and I had some items from the menu that had gone off. My chef found them and told me, “Get a spoon. If it’s in your fridge, it must be good. Taste it.” It was the worst night I’ve ever had in a kitchen. That chef and I became very close after that incident, and my fridge has never been anything short of immaculate ever since.

Following my time at culinary school, I completed an internship at Coi in San Francisco. After that, I received a call from the Corporate Chef of Nobu and spent three years at Nobu Miami, learning the ropes of a large corporation and upholding their high standards.

When my work visas expired, I joined The @fooddudes, a prominent hospitality group in Toronto. I worked at various restaurants and in their catering division, eventually becoming the sous chef at their flagship restaurant, Rasa. I then expanded and managed catering operations in Miami, the city that always draws me back.

I grew up with a pretty old-school mentality, where cooking to perfection was everything — you did whatever it took to make it happen. I really respect that now we’re paying more attention to mental and physical health in kitchens. It creates healthier cooks, and that matters. But I also think sometimes the awareness swings too far, and it becomes an excuse not to show up fully. There’s got to be a balance — taking care of yourself shouldn’t mean letting go of standards or accountability.