An Interview With Martita Mestey
On knowledge: You never finish learning. Even if you think you know everything, there is still more and more out there. Always keep updating your skills. In my own experience, I had to learn how to make chicharron pupusas or handmade tortillas from my line cooks and dishwashers. Be open as someone always will know a better or different way of cooking something.
As a part of our series about the lessons from influential ‘TasteMakers’, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Chef Osvaldo Amelotti.
Chef Osvaldo Amelotti learned his first culinary skills in Córdoba, Argentina where he was raised by a single mother. His early days were spent in the kitchen preparing dinner for her after a long day at work. By age eight, he started working after school a couple days a week at a neighborhood restaurant, Bettini, earning his pay in ice cream and mortadella sandwiches. For the past 25 years, Chef Ozzy has been cooking creative and delicious dishes in Chicago; delivering authentic Italian, Mediterranean, French, Spanish, and American cuisines. Chef Ozzy has found his perfect fit with The Metropolitan as the executive chef displaying his creativity and passion around developing new menus, using innovative ingredients, and his multi-ethnic background in cooking to charm and entertain members and guests alike.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know’ you a bit. Can you share with our readers a story about what inspired you to become a restauranteur or chef?
My story starts back in my city, Bell Ville, in Córdoba, Argentina; a little town that was full of different European immigrants. When I was eight, I worked a couple of days a week after school in an Italian neighborhood restaurant named “Bettini” to learn more about the industry. They paid me with ice cream and a mortadella sandwich, which are two of my most loved foods. Simple, yet tasty. I used to spend time with my grandparents on the weekends cooking and helping prepare their dishes, like rabbit escabeche, Sicilian gnocchi, pastel de acelga, asados and more. This was a multi-pot experience. After my parents divorced, I was raised by a single mother, and I spent most of my time humbly in the kitchen preparing dinner for her after a long day at work, creating dishes from what we had available in our refrigerator. From this experience and my developed passion for food, I decided to move to the United States and attend culinary school.
Do you have a specific type of food that you focus on? What was it that first drew you to cooking that type of food? Can you share a story about that with us?
My family comes from Spain, Italy, and France. I love following my culinary heritage through these cultures, but I often put my own spin on classic and traditional dishes. I like to remember where I came from, with the smell of the food bringing me back to my childhood. Our most important tastes happen as a child. Food, and these nostalgic tastes and flavors can create an amazing impact as a foodie. I prefer to use local farm sources and light, fresh ingredients like my grandparents used to do to create an overall artistic presentation.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that has happened to you since you became a chef? What was the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
I used to have a catering company named “Bites” at the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Rapper Coolio was performing one night, and the stage door was right next to the kitchen. I was cooking for the show, while listening to him performing. He walks into the kitchen mid-performance and asks me over the microphone if he could make his famous chicken sandwich. He prepared it and shared it with me before going back on stage and continuing his performance.
The lesson I took from that story is that as long as you know how to turn on the stove, and put together what you love, the rest becomes magic. Everyone can cook. It is not a science, but rather a habit.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? How did you overcome this obstacle?
As an immigrant in this country, without knowing the language and the culture, everything was difficult, but not impossible. Going to college was one of my biggest challenges because of the language barrier, but I graduated with honors. As long as you know what your goals in life are and have the courage to jump the obstacles and not give up, everything will be fine in the end. In my own experience, my passion for cooking is what makes me keep going. Either you love it or you hate it in this industry. There is nothing in the middle.
In your experience, what is the key to creating a dish that customers are crazy about?
Everyone has different tastes. The key to creating a dish that people love is to balance the ingredients, add the right amount of spice, use the proper cooking technique, keep the quality of the product intact, and keep it simple yet beautiful with the presentation. Chefs will never be able to satisfy everyone, but we can learn how to improve dishes based on customer feedback and preference.
Personally, what is the ‘perfect meal for you’?
My perfect meal is an asado. This dish is an essential part of Argentinian culture, simply grilling different cuts of meat, not too rare or too well done, to the perfect point of tenderness.
At The Metropolitan, my favorite dish on our menu is the Chef’s Heart. It is one of my latest creations we are offering at our Secret Garden Pop-Up experience. The dish has carabinado shrimp from Spain dressed with crab mix, creating this unique crab cake stuffed shrimp with saffron aioli. We invite guests to join us in our beautiful, modern restaurant with incredible lake and city views to enjoy this simple dish with its explosion of flavor. You can’t pass it up!
Where does your inspiration for creating come from? Is there something that you turn to for a daily creativity boost?
It’s hard to say, as everything starts in the moment for me. My goal is to create each dish through my heart and passion. My inspiration comes from within. I also draw inspiration from fashion, art, and culture that I’m exposed to. I try to connect all this with my culinary style, but it’s constantly evolving.
For example, Mr. DeJonghe at The Metropolitan was inspired by a conversation I had with an old friend of mine. He suggested I recreate an old Chicago signature dish, “DeJonghe,” that originated in the late 19th century at DeJonghe’s Hotel and Restaurant on Monroe Street. The recipe has been attributed to the owners, brothers Henri, Pierre and Charles DeJonghe, Belgian immigrants who came to Chicago to run a restaurant at the World’s Columbian Exposition, so I decided to recreate it for The Metropolitan’s menu with my own twist. I focused on an elegant presentation, upscale fresh ingredients, and colorful and exotic flavors. Our version, called the Mr. DeJonghe, features seared scallops, black garlic sherry beurre blanc, candied Meyer lemon crumbs, Peruvian purple potato puree, white asparagus, and nasturtium.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? What impact do you think this will have?
Being in the kitchen, there is always a project to work on. I never stop and I am currently creating new menus and learning about culinary innovation. Food is like fashion, we are constantly working on the next trend yet keeping the traditional and classic, allowing the new generations to experience our creations.
One of these exciting projects is the newly launched Secret Garden Pop-Up at The Metropolitan. This immersive and Instagram-worthy experience has transformed our prestigious Craftsman Lounge into a garden oasis, complete with vibrant orange and green hues that provide the perfect backdrop for any dining occasion. Whether a member or a guest, the pop-up experience has something for everyone, from an immersive chef’s experience to a tantalizing spring tasting to a pre-fixe dinner and more.
What advice would you give to other chefs or restaurateurs to thrive and avoid burnout?
Prioritize taking care of your mental health. This industry can make you feel small and irrelevant or the complete opposite depending on where you stand in your mental health. The best way to become better is to be present and to be able to take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself will give you the tools to properly create and be inspired. Life is too short, and you need to enjoy the moment. Take it one day at a time.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started as a Chef” and why?
Below are examples of what I’ve learned from the culinary industry that I hope to pass on to the next generations of chefs.
On respect: We all deserve to be listened to and accept suggestions. Learn how to have balance, and try to not take things personally. Collaborating with your team shows that you care about them but letting them be part of the change that is a chef’s brigade cuisine.
On mentorship: Keep passing on knowledge. Never keep secrets, as it is better to share with the team. Being a mentor is to bring out the best in people, even if they become better than you. This means that you have done an incredible job.
On earning: You may not get paid what you are worth, but you can eat whatever you can imagine. Value this balance. My first job in the USA was in Florida. I started as a dishwasher and was paid $4.50 an hour. I always gave it my best, understanding that success takes time. Don’t give up; have faith that better things will come up eventually if you keep moving forward.
On time: Most of the time, your coworkers are your other family. You could spend more time with them than your own family. Show up early, and you are getting ready for success. Leave later than your shift so you achieve your goals.
On knowledge: You never finish learning. Even if you think you know everything, there is still more and more out there. Always keep updating your skills. In my own experience, I had to learn how to make chicharron pupusas or handmade tortillas from my line cooks and dishwashers. Be open as someone always will know a better or different way of cooking something.
What is the one dish people must try if they visit your establishment?
I recommend my signature lomito sandwich with seared tenderloin, ham, a fried egg, locally sourced provolone, chimichurri aioli, and a fragile but very crispy cristal Catalan bread. It is a handcrafted menu item that could lead you to grab a coffee at Blueprint, a glass of wine, or a beer at Frame Bar. Nothing beats a good steak sandwich when watching the game, working remotely from the Club, or networking with other members.
If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
After Covid, the world became different, and a lot of people have changed. Food can bring people together, allowing us to collaborate with the communities, help local farmers, cook for homeless people, provide a warm greeting, etc. The first thing you do when you wake up is to eat something. Your appetite will define the rest of the day and can change your mood for better or worse.
I encourage people to be neighborly, share a prepared meal with your community, friends, and family and celebrate the famous quote “Panza Llena, Corazon Contento,” meaning “full belly, happy heart.” We all need compassion and genuine interactions, and food has and always will be the global language that has the power to unite us.
Thank you so much for these insights. This was very inspirational!
Osvaldo Amelotti: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Chef was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.