An Interview With Martita Mestey
Don’t go after the money. If you are doing what you love and do a good job, the money will follow.
As a part of our series about the lessons from influential ‘TasteMakers’, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Chef Alan Vargas.
Chef Alan Vargas is a New York City based Chef with 30 years experience in the industry. He was the head Chef of Masa, a 3 Michelin, 4NYTimes star restaurant. Currently Chef Vargas is the Executive Chef/partner at Recette and The Consulate.
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 father was a great cook. He used to have a big get together with all his friends and family every Sunday in the Dominican Republic and from a very early age, I would be his helper in the kitchen. Growing up, I had a very wide knowledge of food and once I moved to New York at the age of 14, my palate became a bit more diverse as I tried all the different cuisines New York has to offer.
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?
After becoming an Executive Chef, I was drawn to a Modern American or Contemporary American style of cooking. I chose that specific style because I don’t feel tied to a specific type of cuisine or cooking. I can add to my menu any type of cuisine or cooking technique from any particular area of the world just by putting my own twist on a recipe. I am constantly thinking about food and I am always looking for new dishes to try or to make. That’s why you will find a number of daily specials on my menus to choose from. It keeps my creativity going and it also keeps the kitchen staff interested in their job because they’re not cooking the same dishes every day.
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 have a pretty serious shellfish allergy. Yes, I don’t know what seafood tastes like, but I know how to make it taste good. One of my former coworkers became the head chef of a famous Japanese restaurant and I went to have dinner there. He started sending dishes over to my table (since he worked next to me for years, I thought he would remember about my allergy). I tried something which I recognized as crispy mushrooms but turned out to be crab. Once I realized what happened, I took my allergy pen and went home to call someone to take me to the emergency room. When the person came over to pick me up and I opened the door, I will always remember the look on their face when they saw me. My face was 3 times its regular size. I looked like a real life Mr Potato head. That experience taught me to always ask what you are about to eat if you don’t know what it is.
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?
When I went back to school for Culinary and started working in the kitchen, I had to start working from the bottom up for a minimum wage income. Coming from a successful career prior to that, it was a bit of a reality check. I worked hard and worked my way up the ladder as fast as I could, becoming a Sous Chef then executive Chef. I also worked as a private Chef for some time.
In your experience, what is the key to creating a dish that customers are crazy about?
Most of the time you will know that will happen before you make the dish. You know they will love it.
Personally, what is the ‘perfect meal for you’?
The perfect meal for me is one I can tell someone put a lot of love and care into every step of the way. It makes it very enjoyable.
Where does your inspiration for creating come from? Is there something that you turn to for a daily creativity boost?
I am always reading and watching videos, but most of it comes from whatever is new for the season or new from my purveyors, which makes it exciting to make something new once it arrives at the restaurant.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? What impact do you think this will have?
I am currently working at our newest Consulate restaurant location that just opened and I know it will be a destination in midtown Manhattan.
What advice would you give to other chefs or restaurateurs to thrive and avoid burnout?
Try to enjoy what you do and don’t take life too seriously. Try being more relaxed. Go out and enjoy someone else’s cooking and see what the world has to offer.
Thank you for all that. Now we are ready for the main question of the interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started as a Chef” and why?
- Most chefs back in the day screamed at the cooks and everyone in the kitchen, not anymore, but I caught the last of that in my early years.
- The hours. Most chefs and restaurant owners work all the time and there is little to no time for regular friends who are not in the industry because we work around the clock.
- There is a big difference between being a boss and a friend to your employees. Once you figure out the difference, you can be a better leader.
- Make time to go to the gym and make it a part of your daily routine. It will help you in the long run.
- Don’t go after the money. If you are doing what you love and do a good job, the money will follow.
- The most important thing I wished someone had told me was to “pick an easier career for god’s sake!!!!”
What’s the one dish people have to try if they visit your establishment?
Most people will say our short rib cavatelli, but I always say try the specials. It is what I will be excited to be cooking that day.
You are a person of enormous influence. 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.
Don’t ever judge people based on first impressions. People will surprise you most times. You never know what someone can offer you just on first impressions or by reading their resume. Always trust your team.
Thank you so much for these insights. This was very inspirational!
Chef Alan Vargas Of The Consulate: 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.