The Greatest Kitchen In The World

So as most of you know I have been in the restaurant business for several years now, like 13 years now. I have worked in many different styles of kitchens with hundreds of different menus and recipes. Everything from short order diner style breakfast, to $100 a plate fine dining. Fast food to Chinese. I am now working in a Greek/Italian kitchen. It was featured on the tv show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives about two months or so ago. I have never worked hand in hand as successfully as I am now working with Tony. He is one of the most laid back and talented chefs I have ever known, much less been able to stand in the trenches with. Tony and myself run the kitchen 6 nights a week side by side and handle to masses of North Pole Alaska. We open it and shut it down every time. We are to the point that we work together and never miss a beat. We have our menu and timing, and techniques down pat. I wish I could put into words whats its like when him and I are tossing a $34.95 Filet to each other at the far ends of the cook line. And slinging pizza pies over my head to stretch them out for all the hungry people in town. We jam to the radio and sing and dance the nights away with one of the best crews I have ever seen. This is one of those places that every person has their own particular spot, and the rest of us know that we can't fill that spot. The servers know to stay out of our way and we know to leave their salad counter alone. They keep us filled with drinks all night and we feed them when they get hungry. But anyway on to what I wanted to share with you all. This is the clip of the show that we were featured on and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The Time To Move Again

So there have been many thoughts in my head as to what to do next in life. So far, I have lived on the beaches of North Carolina, the bayou of Mississippi at times, the north Georgia Hills, the mountains of NC and Tennessee, and even as far north as Alaska. Have been a hang gliding instructor, and kayak guide, a short order cook, a pizza guy, flooring installer, go cart man, been there and done a lot. Well its now time to find the something that I am going to do for the next 20+ years. Still don't have a clue what it is but I am sure it will find me one day, I just hope that the one day is soon. I have seen the sunsets in Kentucky, and watch the sunrise come up over the Rocky Mountains. Got to watch the Stone Mountain Goats cross the roads in herds as large as 1000's of animals. Watched Moose chase its calf across the road as to avoid an oncoming car. Been able to relax in the Hot Springs in northwestern Canada. Chased a sunset that I found never went away as I traveled up to Alaska. Saw the sunset that didn't come up again for 2 months. Slept under the stars in Illinois and watched shooting stars curled up with a beautiful woman and the dog and a bottle of wine. I have had to use a hair dryer to thaw out my engine in my truck so I could start it to go to work, btw, that's a 4 hour process. Been able to share food with a scared bear cub that we soon found his dear old mom lingering around the wood line, but thats ok, I bet that cub will remember that can of Dinty Moore beef stew for a long time. Been able to race snow machines (aka snow mobiles) down a frozen river at well over 100+ mph. Chased after the ripples of the Northern Lights on snow machines. Got to race my truck on what we up here call the ice track, which is the frozen lakes in the gravel pits off South Cushman.

I have made the decision to move back to North Carolina. It's been a long thought out decision that has had a lot of prayers and thoughts and many sleepless nights in the making. The only thing about all of this that I can say for sure is that I am ready to be home. I have been away for almost 2 years now, and although they have been some of the most fun times in my life, they have also been some of the hardest. I lost my dad this past march and then in May, my girlfriend passed away. Been up on top and pushed back down the hill as well. So now I think it is time for me to get myself back to the world that I know and am comfortable in and start making the right steps forward for myself. Time to be close to my family and friends that I have known as long as I remember. Can't wait to see you all again soon. I am very much looking forward to some good ole fashioned country ham, collard greens, and sweet tea.

This below is a outline of the trip ahead of me for you all to see. This was you can see just how far I am having to travel to get back home to you all.



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