pete

I got my start in the restaurant business at the ripe old age of 8 years old. My parents owned a restaurant over which we lived. Oftentimes, if a dishwasher quit, I was drafted into service, at the last minute and during summer vacation I wasn't allowed to go out and play until after I bussed tables for lunch service, all for high wage of $.25 per hour!; Later in life, I tried to avoid the call of the kitchen, bouncing around from college to college and from major to major. Finally, after giving in to the call, I enrolled in New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, VT. I consider culinary school to be the start of my "professional" career, though I already had years of experience, working in various aspects of the restaurant business, both in the Front of the House and in the kitchen. From culinary school, I traveled around the US, working in cities such as New Orleans, Atlanta, and Chicago. My most recent move has taken me from the hectic pace of urban life to a more bucolic existence in rural Southeastern Wisconsin, where I spend much of my free time searching out the best local food products available, from handcrafted beers and cheese to organically raised produce and meats. My wife and I have also belonged to numerous CSA's exploring what the various farmers have to offer.