Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Kemp.
Alex, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My culinary endeavors started as a kid when my sister gave me a book called The Soul of a Chef. There was something about the loose discipline behind culinary arts that attracted me. Up to this point, I had loved art, but had never found a medium that mixed creativity with intense perfectionism.
I credit most of my early training to Food Network, occasionally supplemented by my favorite. The creations began pouring out of me. My first original dish was an ancho grilled chicken breast stuffed with roasted peppers and onions that I topped with a lemon béchamel. That was in Seventh Grade and I kept going from there. My notebooks were becoming more recipe sketches than they were class notes.
The summer before high school I got a job through a friend. It was as a prep cook for the buffet of a new arcade. II learned a lot. The professional kitchen was a scary place, but there was still a rush that vibed throughout the entire team each day. It was addicting, to say the least.
My first private dinner party was a product of my mother’s doing. She entered me into a silent auction that she and her friends were attending and they won it, of course. I completed the six-course meal solo and loved the satisfaction of pleasing 12 palates within my own domain.
I took a brief break from the culinary world when I left high school two years early with my (now) fiancé. We attended a dual enrollment program at Johnson and Wales University in Denver, Colorado. As awesome and rebellious as it was, that adventure lasted very short while due to my dysthymia.
The next few years I did private dinner parties on and off while attending a business management program. I got a job as a Sous Chef under Chef Sharron Barshishat of the late Paninoteca Maggio. This guy was insanely talented and I owe him and his partner Linda Ta for all they taught me while running the restaurant. They both convinced me to pursue my dream of being on MasterChef Season 3 and I had the opportunity to cook for Gordon Ramsay, Graham Eliot, and Joe Bastianich because of it!
About 5 chef jobs later, I decided that the restaurant environment was not for me. Yes, I loved the rush of the kitchen every day but I was a complete wreck when I got home. That is when I formed Weekend Gourmet Food. It was a way for me to share my artistry with others (in a calm environment) and I haven’t looked back since!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I was diagnosed with dysthymia in high school. It wreaked havoc on me over the years and, at times, the one thing that kept me grounded was food.
My resume speaks volumes about the road to where I am, I have 14+ job titles on that puppy. I couldn’t hold a job when I was being yelled at or when an intense commitment was demanded of me. Even under Chef Sharron, I left 3 times; each time he was there to take me back in.
I’ve found a balance in being an entrepreneur. Owning your own business comes with unexpected turbulence but, for me, the benefits definitely outweigh the costs.
I’ll admit, I am not just a chef. I own a couple companies and am also an avid investor. That’s the beauty of being an entrepreneur – by nature, you have to be an artist. If one thing isn’t working you have to create something to solve that gap in your services… or your income! It’s a rough road but taking your time to do things right and avoid the potholes helps keep yourself level-headed.
I am by no means a self-made millionaire but I am happy.
Please tell us about Weekend Gourmet Food.
Weekend Gourmet Food is a private chef service that specializes in dinner parties for up to 12 people. We provide a 5-star dining experience in the comfort of your own home.
We do not specialize in any one cuisine. Removing the boundaries of cuisine-specific dishes allows us to simply create. You’d be surprised at how many ingredients are cross-cultural and mingle well.
What sets us apart is our customized menus. Upon request, we create a personalized menu to fit your specifications; from the ambiance to the color palate. If you don’t like the first menu we go back to the drawing board again and again until it is perfect.
Everything we do is seasonal, local, and as sustainable as possible. That is what I am most proud of. We stick to what we believe in.
I am addicted to farmers markets (Los Alamitos Bay on Sunday is the best if you’re in OC/LBC). Being able to talk with farmers and support those who grow locally in California is special and I know it translates into our food.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I can remember as a kid my mother would take my brother, sister, and I to Canada. She grew up in Duncan, British Columbia which is on Vancouver Island. The landscape there is everything a kid needs to have a seemingly endless summer.
In the summer, it gets very hot and dry and I can remember hiking down to the Cowichan River with my cousins. The grass would grow as tall as I was. Its sweet aroma still reminds me of those endless Canadian summers. All you could hear was the rushing river and the light breeze blowing through the grass.
There were always wild huckleberries growing too. Not big purple huckleberries like you may know; they were little bright-red berries that burst with a sweet tang. We would spend whole afternoons collecting them and, the ones that didn’t end up in our mouths were brought home for the aunts to make pies with for supper.
The culture and locality of Vancouver Island is a dream for any chef; I would recommend it to everyone.
Pricing:
- Seasonal Menu Option: $85 per person ( 4 Person Minimum)
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.weekendgourmetfood.com
- Phone: (657) 215-0802
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @kempacook
- Facebook: facebook.com/wgprivatechef
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/weekend-gourmet-food-westminster?osq=private+chef (just launched)
Image Credit:
Kemp Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
