It was twenty-three years ago as I stated my first job. The best part was it was about three miles down the road where I grew up in Beaver Brook canyon road or as the main part of it was known as Floyd Hill. The year was 1991 the first job I started out at was Saddleback Summit restaurant. It was there I started my path in this crazy business. I started out as a dishwasher yes a foot in the door like starting on the bottom of the barrel in the kitchen. This first job did not last very long as it was known and the story only better my best Friend Rob Rice was my dishwasher buddy. The best memory of that time was throwing ramekins against the walls of restaurant because they would never come clean. I was only 15 back then lol. It was then I moved on and my new adventure was the Key’s ON THE GREEN restaurant in evergreen. I got hired on there as a dishwasher too. This where I made strides of becoming a chef. I would wash dishes as fast as I could so I could watch the cooks and chefs be at work. The first step was I started getting all my dishes done and I then moved into doing the daily prep list. I remember wrapping baked potatoes and beading coconut shrimp. The next adventure was the funniest I started my culinary school. The restaurant I got a job at was CHART HOUSE. It was like the beginning I started off at low wage and was in the appetizers salad station. This place was so busy I mean I remember getting trained for two days and then I was on my own. The moment of truth I was on my first night alone was like being thrown to the wolves so much to do,bread,salad.oysters on half shell,calamari,seared tuna and coconut shrimp. It took me like six months to move onto the main line were there was saute station oven and broiler station. It was the one the funniest places to work we were in an open kitchen were people could watch you. The best moment working there as being a Bronco fan was the day that Karl Mecklenburg was holding his kid and watching me grill steaks. Then a couple of weeks later waitress comes up to me and says who is Peter Forsberg I said he hockey player why she says o I just carded him for alcohol I laugh said you didn’t know that was Peter Forsberg. It was at this time i was going to the The Art Institute of Colorado for Culinary Arts. This time my life was busy i just got finished with high school and started in July of ninety-four for a two-year program of Culinary Arts. This is the first part of my journey as i became a chef. The second part will come soon for more great crazy chef stories.
Chef Simondsjr 