Chef’s Thoughts with Samuel Faggetti

The Executive Chef of Bellerive Country Club says this is the best complaint he’s ever heard.

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Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.

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Samuel Faggetti is the Executive Chef of Bellerive Country Club (St. Louis, Mo.). He began his culinary journey at the CIA in Hyde Park, New York, before working in kitchens in New York City, Maui, Orlando and the West Indies. He has been with Bellerive CC for two years. Prior to this post, he was with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts for 10 years.

1. You’d be surprised to learn that I am a very healthy eater. I count macronutrients and calories daily.
2. If I could trade places with one chef it would be Jose Andres.
3. One of my most memorable meals was at Eleven Madison Park. 
4. My go-to drink is red wine, typically Amarone.
5. My last meal would be dry-aged bone-in ribeye.
6. My worst culinary creation was my first pate en croute.
7. If I could change one thing about my club it would be adding another outlet or a la carte dining option.
8. My favorite junk food is popcorn with MSG, butter and salt.
9. If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be an architect.
10. I knew I wanted to be a chef when I had dinner at Spiaggia in Chicago when I was 17.
11. You’ll never see cottage cheese on the menu at my club because you can eat it at home!
12. I love being a club chef because no two days are ever the same.
13. When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m either working out or traveling.
14. My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was poor people skills.
15. I cook extremely healthy food at home, but I’d never cook it at the club.
16. If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be Anthony Bourdain.
17. My favorite celebrity chef is Massimo Bottura because Italian food is my passion and he is one of the best in the world.
18. The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is the tamis.
19. I want to learn more about people because people are what makes a kitchen, club or hotel special.
20. My favorite ingredient is citrus. Lobster is the most overrated ingredient. Pasta water is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest celery, and I can’t live without peanut butter.
21. I don’t like to brag, but we have fun at work and have a great culture at Bellerive.
22. If I could have one superpower, it would be teleportation.
23. My favorite cookbook is “The Professional Chef.
24. I am motivated and inspired by people.
25. The hardest service of my career was my time in NYC.
26. The most popular item on my menu based on sales is grouper piccata.
27. I’d lose my job if I took cedar salmon off the menu.
28. Trust is the most important quality in a sous chef.
29. My go-to breakfast is oatmeal.
30. When hiring, repeatedly short tenure kills a resume fastest for me.
31. My biggest professional pet peeve is a lack of organization.
32. I will always purchase ketchup instead of making it from scratch.
33. The most important question I ask during the interview process is, “What is your availability?”
34. The best excuse I’ve ever been given for calling off work was when an employee told me they had a court date. It was Saturday.
35. If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my Aunt Pam because she knows how to bang in the kitchen!
36. The best culinary gift I’ve ever received was a Kikuchi chef knife.
37. My favorite guest complaint was, “The wagyu beef was too fatty!”