influential-magazine.com
translate. We hope our guests say Charcoal Venice is a great restaurant which uses produce in season, tries to give a sense of intrigue for the taste buds, and changes often enough to make return visits enticing. How do you explain your consistent success? Once I determine what it is I want to pursue, I place concerted effort to achieve my best. In short, it’s my frame of mind. Congratulations on being named Chopped: Grill Master Champion and StarChefs Rising Star 2017. Nowadays, it seems many chefs are appearing on reality television. What’s your take on this trend toward celebrity? Notably, the culinary industry has shifted from a “chef in a kitchen” to a “chef as a celebrity”. There’s a trend toward chefs being more than just people, they’re successful global brands. Most likely chefs, who’ve become a big name, amassed a massive track record and a team, presumably won’t have those financial start up issues. But, whether you have a big name or not the restaurant industry is tough for everyone and in order to success long term, consistency of service and the quality of the food are paramount. What terms would you prefer people use to describe you? Because of my work ethic and my approach to everything I pursue, I hope I’m viewed as ambitious but grounded, determined, focused, and very level headed. menu and, in concert with execution from the kitchen, deliver tasty dishes and mouth-watering cocktails. For us, maintaining a human connection is very important. What do you hope guests appreciate most about dining at Charcoal? We hope our guests appreciate the attention to details we demonstrate consistently. Our menu is wellbalanced and does not just consist of a list of whatever’s currently on-trend. We pay great attention to ensure our menu has appealing dish descriptions that are concise but with enough information to know whether the dish is something they might like rather than requiring 30 minutes and a gastronomic dictionary to
What is your perfect meal? I’m pleased to say I have experienced, what I would appoint, a perfect meal. The perfect meal is one where, I, as a guest, have no expectations. The meal doesn’t necessary have to be elaborate, in fact, it can be quite simple. But, it’s so elegantly prepared and presented that I can‘t wait to enjoy another bite. The entire dining experience is one where all I’m left to say is “wow”. Are you living your best life? When it comes to my career, I’m absolutely living my best life. I’m living my best life because I’m doing exactly what it is I enjoy. l NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
FLUENTIAL 139