Damn you, Anthony Bourdain, for getting my hopes up.
Allow me to set the scene.
A few weeks back, we hosted the chefs who were set to participate in CL’s annual Meet the Chefs event at CW's Gin Joint for a round table talk, headshots, the whole nine yards. The group talk was followed by one-on-one sit-downs giving me the opportunity to have an intimate meeting with the heavy hitters behind some of Tampa Bay’s hottest food concepts.
I wanted to get the scoop on where they eat, drink and party around the city. To my surprise, this group was extremely chill. Yes, it does sound like I’m complaining, but I’m in it for the juice after all.
As much as I wanted these professionals to live up to the partying hype, a strange wave of pride washed over me knowing that those who are influencing our food culture around Tampa Bay are taking their careers, and their health, very seriously. Either they’ve aged out of the after-service partying, or have never been tempted with the booze-fueled nights followed by early morning prep.
When I first inquired about the transition of the partying culture in the kitchens of Tampa Bay, I was met with blank stares and a few awkward laughs.
James Beard semifinalist and chef-owner of Rooster & the Till, Gallito and Nebraska Mini-Mart Ferrell Alvarez was quick to address the question.
“I try everything in my power with all of my restaurants and employees to break those cliches.”
In 10 years, the chef predicts the culture will transition to resemble any other profession, where excessive drinking and drugs aren’t the norm.
The charming chef carried on, explaining why he has never felt better although his schedule has been packed as ever. Working out in the mornings before prep, integrating a healthy diet (with the occasional indulgent date night) and a set sleep schedule. Alvarez isn’t playing any games here, people.
It's yet another reason why Rooster & the Till and his other concepts continue to thrive: His staff has a down-to-earth chef who keeps it real when it comes to discipline in and out of the kitchen.
The most stunning transformation of them all is that of executive chef from Roux, Gary Pyrus.
Initially, I was hoping I'd found my one party animal in Pyrus, as every time I brought up drinking he would sport a mischievous smile and laugh. To my surprise, when I got the chef in a one-on-one setting and pried for details, he was on a completely different wavelength when it came to living his best life.
“When I leave work, 9 times out of 10 my first stop is the gym. Not too long ago I weighed 340 pounds.”
My jaw dropped and Pyrus proceeded to explain how prior to working with Roux, he was a traveling chef for Landry’s Inc., on the move six days a week and eating whatever he could whenever he had the time.
But now, that’s changed, and his focus is on being positive and finding balance in his chef lifestyle.
“If you’re overworking yourself, you’re overworking your people and I can’t have that,” Pyrus explained.
Truly inspiring, but dammit, these chefs are really poking holes in everything I thought I knew about chef culture.
Moving on.
Another James Beard semifinalist, the executive chef of The Library in the ‘Burg, Rachel Bennett is on the fitness wave. The avid Orange Theory goer can be found posting her fitness journey on her Instagram on a regular basis. Her reason for her limited experiences with hangovers in this chapter in her life? Experience.
“I’m 32, I don’t drink to rage anymore. You learn how to drink so you don’t get hung over.”
Bennett went on to explain her patented formula to avoid the morning shakes after a night of drinking, followed by her appreciation that The Library is a no-smoking property thanks to being located on the grounds of John Hopkins Hospital.
“I love being able to say, ‘Oh, you’re just taking out the trash and not smoking a cigarette for 30 minutes? Cool.'”
Although this seems like a solitary case, you can feel the shift in the demeanor of the chefs. Yes, they’re exhausted from the long hours on their feet, but the days of partying after each shift are winding down, or already gone.
Executive Chef Richard Anderson from Oxford Exchange firmly believes in being hyper-aware of his kitchen employees’ schedules, from management to line cooks, to prevent overworked staff. Even the concepts’ hours allow for the entire staff to be home for dinner seven days a week.
Other restaurants accommodate their staff by focusing solely on dinner service or being closed for one day out of the week to reset and prepare for the next six-day work week.
Self-care is being taken seriously, and that could be a driving factor as to why Tampa Bay chefs are in the national spotlight and continue to get acclaim from not only the food industry but from locals who can’t get enough of what they are dishing out.
Want to know everything going on with Tampa Bay's food and drink scene? Sign up for our Bites newsletter.
This article appears in Jun 13-20, 2019.