After cooking a variety of cuisines throughout the nation, executive chef and general manager of Miami Beach’s A Fish Called Avalon, Chef Joe Monteiro tells the story of his gastronomical education.
Miami Beach, FL – He’s one of those men you just can’t put a label on. Joe Monteiro, executive chef and general manager of the Zagat-rated seafood restaurant A Fish Called Avalon, has an incredibly diverse culinary background.
It all started with time spent in his mother’s kitchen. “She used to make me stir the red sauce, then whack me with the wooden spoon,” he jokes. The Brazilian-born Portuguese chef, now in his mid-30s, knew he would make a career of cooking after his first job in the United States as a pantry cook at the Allendale Bar & Grill in Allendale, N.J. There he learned kitchen basics while becoming familiar with American cuisine.
Six years later he left the restaurant as a line cook to work under Chef Kevin Rathburn, who represents Atlanta’s culinary scene like Emeril Lagasse represents New Orleans, according to industry critics. Chef Rathburn’s restaurant Nava emphasized Southwestern cuisine, another departure from Chef Monteiro’s realm of knowledge, but the then sous chef learned quickly. He explains, “Nava was my ticket to grow.”
His next venture was to work as chef de cuisine at Café Pacific in Dallas. In July 1996, he started learning Pacific Rim cuisine and got more experience at the management level. For one year, he handled the restaurant’s budget, increased the revenue and supervised staff. Though he wasn’t there for long, the experience prepared him to work under Jim Anile, rated one of Dallas’ top chefs, at the Melrose Hotel. “It was one of the best restaurants in Dallas,” Chef Monteiro says, “There, I did everything—changed menus, hiring—it was very high-end.” Under Chef Anile, Chef Monteiro was able to further expand his culinary creativity, blending what he learned about Southwestern style from Nava with Melrose’s Asian flavors.
When the time came to move on, he did it in the biggest way possible: Chef Monteiro became executive chef at Giants Stadium in 1998. “When I got the job offer for the Meadowlands I didn’t want to go back to Jersey,” he explains, “but it was a good opportunity financially and career-wise. It was really high-volume. I learned how to buy, managed more than 50 people… I had many chefs and sous chefs beneath me.” His realm of responsibility included Giants Stadium, the Arena and the Meadowlands Racetrack. At any given event, Chef Monteiro was responsible for feeding celebrities (Bruce Springsteen dined on his creations), athletes and about 3,000 attendees.
Meadowlands was an intense experience, but Chef Monteiro was ready to move on when he was offered the opportunity to work in sunny Miami as an executive chef at Lombardi’s Restaurant in 1999. Cooking under Corporate Chef David Songzoni, Chef Monteiro prepared Northern Italian seafood and supervised the kitchen. Three years later, he headed “upstream” to A Fish Called Avalon in the Deco District’s Avalon Hotel.
“I saw the challenge there and that’s what drives me. I love to be challenged. I did a whole remodel of the kitchen, changed the whole menu, updated the wine list, and built a wine cellar. We won the Wine Spectator Award in 2005 and 2006. I’ve been on Zagat’s since four months after starting. We just got awarded ‘Best Seafood’ again,” he says, proudly.
Today he can be found circling the tables more often than behind the line. “A chef should not be in the kitchen,” he claims. “That’s why you have a sous.” Night after night, Chef Monteiro walks around, checking on each table. “I get straight answers,” he explains. “And people feel important if the chef comes out to say ‘How’s everything?’”
For a chef who never had formal training, his career story has played out like a fairy tale. “I didn’t miss anything,” he says. “Everything I know I learned in the business. My advice? Try to learn as much as you can. People seem to think it’s easy to run a restaurant. It’s a hard industry. Just put your head down and work. And look for integrity… people who want to learn and work.”
###
Media Contact:
Krista Zilizi
Quantified Marketing Group
706-627-3204
407-936-1010
kzilizi@quantifiedmarketing.com
|
|
|
