Who are those people working furiously behind the kitchen doors at your favorite restaurant? You rarely see them. You almost never know their names. They are the Executive Chef, Sous-Chef, Pastry Chef and others responsible for that fabulous food you're enjoying. They are the creative energy and talent behind the restaurant's cuisine. They are the reason you're there.
"Meet the Chef" is a new category on the Hendersonville Epicurean blog where local chefs will be featured. We'll get to know who they are, what motivates them, what their goals are and ultimately - who to send our compliments to.
A recent article in the NY Times: "Behind Every Great Chef Is Another Great Chef" talks about kitchen hierarchies and which chef does which job.
The first chef featured on Hendersonville Epicurean is Executive Chef Rob Keener of Flight Wood Grill and Wine Bar, Hendersonville, NC.
Growing up with extended family in Hickory, NC, Rob helped both his grandmothers with their large gardens. Being part of the process from planting to the use of garden-fresh ingredients for daily cooking, especially the big family meals every Sunday, made an impression on Rob.
When asked when he first became interested in food, Rob says that he can still remember the smells of different foods from his childhood, but the most specific memory is of dining at the Fontainebleau in Miami when he was 13 years old. In fact, he added "The Wedge" - an iceburg wedge with Roquefort cream and crispy pancetta - to Flight's menu to memorialize that meal.
At 14 years old, Rob began working with classically trained chefs serving the international clientele of the Hickory Furniture Market. He also worked at well known restaurants in Raleigh.
While attending college at NC State as an engineering and then geology major, he worked for Guy Branaman, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who had externed with Paul Prudhomme. During these years Rob also traveled extensively in Europe where the preparation and choice of the freshest ingredients was remarkably similar to his grandmothers' style, albeit with different sauces. The parallels made French Haute cuisine easy to understand.
As soon as Rob graduated from State, he went to Vail, Colorado to ski and cook. He then went back to Hickory and worked at 1859, a French bistro, where he met his wife Mandi (a massage therapist). Still trying to decide what he wanted to do for a lifetime career, Rob and his wife moved to Hendersonville when he was offered a position there as a commodity trader.
After 7 years as a successful money manager, the call back to the stoves was overwhelming. "I missed the creativity, the art and skill of food preparation and presentation. I had 20 years of food experience and I wanted to be back in the kitchen". Rob also feels that his other non-cooking business experiences have been a big help to him in his role as Executive Chef.
Rob started out at Flight working a few nights a week and quickly moved up to the Sous Chef position and then Executive Chef.
Chef Keener has always been intrigued by various culinary ethnicities. Curiosity and intrigue drive his desire to explore different disciplines. Although he has worked mostly in classical French fine dining restaurants, he has managed to introduce Asian and Hispanic influences to all those kitchens.
Rob especially likes working with seafood, getting much of it for Flight's menu shipped next-day-air from Hawaii. His favorite dish is fresh fish with a big flavorful sauce - delicate contrasting with salty/sweet/sour.
"Necessity is the mother of invention when it comes to creating new dishes", says Chef Keener. He first selects ingredients he wants to work with (having an idea in mind) then he experiments a bit, combining them in different ways until he gets the result he wants.
Chef Keener was gracious enough to answer some specific questions put to him by the Hendersonville Epicurean:
HE - Have you had a cooking mentor?
Chef Keener - I've worked for some hard hitting chefs, but mostly am self taught. I was always a little too free of spirit for someone to say "let me take you under my wing". I like the hard work it takes to succeed on my own.
HE - Have you been influenced by other chefs?
Chef Keener - I like Escoffier, Pepin and the new celebrity chefs. Heston Blumenthal is impressive as is Wylie Dufresne.
HE - What's your favorite cookbook?
Chef Keener - "Culinary Artistry" (paperback) by Andrew Dornenburg
HE - Do you entertain/cook for friends and family at home or when visiting?
Chef Keener - Yes. I enjoy cooking and feeding people - clients and friends - it all goes together.
HE - What words of wisdom do you have for up-and-coming chefs?
Chef Keener - Be ready to work hard and be judged constantly. Each person you feed is a critic.
HE - Do you have a personal goal?
Chef Keener - Continue to improve the experience at Flight. I want to be creative in the kitchen. I believe I have the ability to develop food combinations that are dynamic and interesting to the palette, but I have a keen respect for our patrons and our community. I want Flight to offer the kind of cuisine that true foodies will know how much time and effort went into a dish and appreciate that, but will also please the person who is simply hungry.
HE - Any goal in mind for Flight?
Chef Keener - I'd like to get more national recognition for Flight, perhaps becoming the first restaurant outside a large city to earn a Michelin star!
HE - What excites you about food?
Chef Keener - The reaction on peoples faces when they have a great meal. Flight's open kitchen offers instant gratification. We can see people enjoy the food we've just prepared.
*some background material courtesy of Nancy Hayes Neill of Flight
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