I was a chef for nearly my whole life up until this point. It was all I ever really wanted to be. I thought about food, wine and cooking constantly. I dined out whenever and wherever I could, the only books I owned were cookbooks and I would even cook in my head when my thoughts drifted. But after nearly twenty years in the industry, moving from dishwasher to executive chef, cooking in run-down holes in the wall, to grand hotels and chef-run hotspots, I started to wonder, is this really the life I want?
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the industry. I think restaurant workers, both front and back of the house are heroes and warriors all. My heart still beats with the love of food and wine, cooking and dining, but I had to face facts: I didn’t want my own restaurant. I wasn’t willing to take the financial risk and I wasn’t willing to give up any more of my time then I was already donating to the work. And the longer I worked at it, the more I realized that I was burnt out, my passion for the job and all the day-to-day minutiae was waning. So, at nearly 40 years old, I’m making a switch. Back to a love I had even before I got swept up in cooking food for other people: writing.
But, of course, all I really know are restaurants and food. So, why not write about the parts of the industry I feel most passionately about? Things like quality of life and mental health for restaurant workers, why tasting menus shouldn’t be attempted by just anyone and how just the thought of a properly executed bucatini all’amatriciana makes me teary-eyed.
So, Why Are We Here?
Well, we’re here so I can talk at you about food and restaurants, mostly. We’re here so we can hopefully engage in discussions about what you love to eat and where you love to go, too. I’ll be providing stories, anecdotes and recipes from a long career in the restaurant industry. The techniques and recipes are the ones I honestly, actually use. So, if you want to cook more like a professional chef on his or her day off, then look no further.
I also want to look, sometimes critically, at the industry I’ve loved for so long. It’s not always pretty, but it has always felt like home. No punches will be pulled, all the stories I tell will be true, you can be sure of that. I won’t come out looking too good in some of them, so that should vouch for their veracity. But, that’s show biz, baby.
Just Who Is This Guy, Anyways?
My name is Zachary Resnick, and I’m an Ottawa kid, born and raised. I’ve done some traveling and working, all in the pursuit of good food and learning to cook better. I’ve spent some time in Toronto, St. Catherine’s and Vancouver. Some of my favorite food destinations have been New York, Mexico (Mexico City, in particular), London and Barcelona. I’ve worked in some great places and some not-so-great ones, but most of my work history is here in my hometown. I still live in Ottawa with my wife Liz, our cat Scarlett, and our two rabbits Sigi and Sven.
I took Chef Training and Restaurant Management about a million years ago at Algonquin College, and just recently completed a course on Food and Travel Writing given online through UBC. Some notable positions I’ve held are Saucier at Signatures @ Le Cordon Bleu, Sous-Chef at Fauna, Chef de Cuisine at Bar Laurel and Restaurant Chef at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, being in charge of their restaurants Wilfrid’s and Zoe’s, as well as their in-room dining program.
I’m also a contributor over at Apt613. I write articles about Ottawa-area restaurants, focusing on the stories of the people behind the places. You can find my body of work here.
Speaking of Apt613, you can find a lovely write up about this very blog if you click here.
My professional portfolio is hosted here.
I invite you to read, hopefully learn and engage if anything you read strikes you to do so. The best things I’ve come across in this world are somewhere between the kitchen and the plate and I’d love to share them with you.
