Frenchman’s Reserve CC’s Executive Chef says you’ll never find this on the menu at his club.
Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.
Joe Longo is the Executive Chef of Frenchman’s Reserve Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Prior to this post, he was Executive Chef of Broken Sound Club in Boca Raton, Fla., for more than 17 years.
- You’d be surprised to learn that I am afraid of heights.
- If I could trade places with one chef it would be Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
- One of my most memorable meals was at Le Cirque. I was 13 years old and was blown away by the table side Caesar salad, pasta, and dessert.
- My go-to drink is Hendricks Gin, ginger beer and lime.
- My last meal would be a Whole Grandma Pie at L&B Spumoni Garden in Brooklyn, finished with a Spumoni, a Tiramisu and a Cappuccino from Veneiro’s.
- My worst culinary creation was a shrimp fried rice salad. (I know. It was strange.)
- If I could change one thing about my club it would be a bigger kitchen.
- My favorite junk food is ice cream—although I don’t necessarily agree that it’s “junk food.”
- If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be a writer.
- I knew I wanted to be a chef when I got my first restaurant job at age 15. After the first service, I knew this was where I belong and I felt like my purpose was to become part of the culinary arts.
- You’ll never see a special that’s not special on the menu at my club because our members deserve the best.
- The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was cooking for a party of 20 Swedish Diplomats. We served up a beautiful pasta course when suddenly a pale-faced server came into the kitchen to tell the chefs they all wanted ketchup. It was the first time I saw a chef have a true meltdown.
- I love being a club chef because I love the quality of life it gives me.
- When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m paddleboarding.
- My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was trying to do everything myself.
- I cook overcooked chopped-up spaghetti for my son at home, but I’d never cook it at the club. (He likes it, and nothing makes me happier than making him happy.)
- If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be my Granny, who passed away. I would love for her to see my family and hear about our lives.
- The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was, “Be of service.”
- My favorite celebrity chef is Emeril because he is the OG.
- The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is my chef’s knives.
- My favorite ingredient is really good extra-virgin olive oil. Truffle oil is the most overrated ingredient. Pasta water is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest goat cheese, and I can’t live without coffee.
- My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was when I ripped my pants in the middle of service and had to wear an apron in the front and the back.
- If I could have one superpower, it would be flying. (I’d love to have an easier commute.)
- My favorite cookbook is Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, by Marcella Hazan.
- My favorite kitchen hack is freezing avocados to keep them fresh for months. When ready, run hot water over it and let it sit out on the counter. In a few minutes, you can cut it open and the avocado will be perfectly ripe inside.
- I am motivated and inspired by my wife and our four children.
- The hardest service of my career was when I got word of a best friend’s passing during the rush.
- The most popular item on my menu based on sales is chicken parm.
- I’d lose my job if I took Mama’s Meatballs off the menu.
- The ability to communicate effectively is the most important quality in a sous chef.
- My go-to breakfast is a Peanut Butter Berry Protein Smoothie.
- When hiring, someone jumping from job to job kills a resume fastest for me.
- My biggest professional pet peeve is lateness.
- I will always purchase cheese blintzes instead of making it from scratch.
- The most important question I ask during the interview process is, “Why do you want to work here?”
- The best excuse I’ve ever been given for calling off work was when one guy told me he needed to get “Frank” out of jail.
- If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my wife because she has an amazing work ethic and business savvy, and it would allow me to spend more time with her.
- When I retire, I want to work as a mixologist at a seaside bar during the day shift.