Bear Lake CC’s Executive Chef learned this important lesson early on in his career.
Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.
Patrick Fagen, CEC, AAC, ACE, is the Executive Chef of Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., a position he has held for the past six years. Prior to this post, he was Executive Chef of Pine Tree Golf Club, Boynton Beach, Fla.
- You’d be surprised to learn that I am an avid motorcyclist.
- If I could trade places with one chef it would be Thomas Keller.
- One of my most memorable meals was at Charlie Trotter’s.
- My go-to drink is Jim Beam Black on a a giant ice ball.
- My last meal would be Peking duck steam cakes with hoisin sauce.
- My worst culinary creation was escargot ravioli.
- If I could change one thing about my club it would be our pool dining area.
- My favorite junk food is white chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
- If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be a boat captain.
- I knew I wanted to be a chef when I was 11 and I worked as a kitchen steward in an Italian restaurant.
- You’ll never see tripe on the menu at my club because of an experience I had with bad preparation and flavor.
- The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was to remove meatballs from the wedding soup.
- I love being a club chef because ever brings a new opportunity and I love the family atmosphere of a club.
- When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m riding my Harley.
- My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was talking more than I was listening.
- I cook fried spaghetti at home, but I’d never cook it at the club.
- If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be Ronald Regan.
- The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was, “Pay attention to the details. They matter in more ways than you know.”
- My favorite celebrity chef is Rachel Ray because She has a fun and is creative and humble.
- The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is my Rational oven.
- I want to learn more about being a life coach because your health is worth your wealth.
- My favorite ingredient is mushrooms. Parsley is the most overrated ingredient. Soy sauce is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest kiwi, and I can’t live without good port.
- I don’t like to brag, but I have two amazing children.
- My most embarrassing moment on the job was when I burnt sugar doing a table side dessert in a packed dining room. It was my first executive chef position at the Tower Club in Ft. Lauderdale.
- If I could have one superpower, it would be to see through walls.
- My favorite cookbook is culinary artistry.
- My favorite kitchen hack is baking clams in the oven to pop them open.
- I am motivated and inspired by culinary artistry.
- The hardest service of my career was Thanksgiving 2020. It was all takeout with three different menus.
- The most popular item on my menu based on sales is pad Thai.
- I’d lose my job if I took our soup and salad buffet off the menu.
- Sharing the Executive Chef’s vision and style with the culinary team is the most important quality in a sous chef.
- My go-to breakfast is fried egg burriot with pico de gallo and avocado.
- When hiring, inaccurate information kills a resume fastest for me.
- My biggest professional pet peeve is poor personal hygiene.
- I will always purchase mozzarella cheese instead of making it from scratch.
- The most important question I ask during the interview process is, “Who is the most important person in the club?”
- The best excuse I’ve ever been given for calling off work is, “I lost my car.” (I told them it was in the club’s parking lot.)
- If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my son because he is so competitive and he never quits.
- The best culinary gift I’ve ever received was a fully paid scholarship to the Culinary Insitute of America.
- The most difficult instructor I ever had was Chef Steiner for intro to hot foods at the CIA in 1986. He loved to create drama like chef Gordon Ramsey. Chef Steiner actually had 11 heart attacks if that helps to explain his intensity.