From New Orleans to Around The World: Chef Paul Gaskins & The Inn at Celebration

Chef Paul Gaskins shares his culinary journey influenced by Southern roots and global flavors while navigating a major renovation at the Inn of Celebration. He emphasizes the importance of innovation in dishes while leading and motivating his culinary team to embrace change and excellence.

• Chef Paul introduces himself and his culinary background 
• Highlighting innovative dishes like Lamb Benedict and Chicken Karaage 
• Discussing the impact of hotel renovation on team dynamics 
• Fusing California freshness with Louisiana flavors 
• The role of mentorship in the kitchen 
• Encouraging exploration of various dishes on the menu 
• The importance of positivity and connection in culinary leadership

IG @chef.paulg 

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Chapters

• 0:51 Culinary Excellence With Chef Paul Gaskins
• 9:16 Culinary Journey and Career Reflections
• 17:50 Culinary Adventures and Challenges
• 26:12 Culinary Journey and Family Support
• 38:37 Social Media Collaboration With Chef Paul

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:51

Hello Food Fam. This is the Walk Talk podcast where you will find the perfect blend of food fun and cooking knowledge. I'm your host, carl Fiodini. Welcome to the number one food podcast in the country. We're recording on site at Ibis Images Studios, where food photography comes alive and I get to eat it. Here's a humble request to give a follow on Instagram at walkintalkshow, please, and thank you, chefs and food buyers, try Aussie Select's fully cooked, pasture-raised Australian lamb. Enjoy flavors like agave, rosemary, tikka masala and more. Available sliced or whole. Discover this incredible product at AussieSelectcom.

Speaker 1: 1:32

Okay, so today we're diving into the culinary world with the incredible Chef Paul Gaskins. Born in Los Angeles and rooted in the vibrant flavors of Louisiana, which is piled under snow right now, chef Paul embodies Southern cuisine, where dishes like gumbo and jambalaya are family traditions. A proud summa cum laude graduate of Johnson and Wales University, chef Paul's journey spans from New Orleans to Las Vegas. His impressive resume includes stints with Marriott and the Patina Group, where he showcased his culinary talent at events like the Emmys and Governor's Ball. Now, as the executive chef at the Inn of Celebration in Orlando, florida, chef Paul has mastered cooking while navigating a hotel renovation and it was a big one too. I've seen it. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for innovation, he has overseen a remodel that redefines culinary excellence.

Speaker 1: 2:24

Today, we'll explore what it's like to bring a culinary vision to life amidst construction, menu planning and team dynamics inspired by his worldly travels and support of his lovely wife, chef Paul, welcome to the program. Thank you for having me, man, you know. Look, here's the deal. First of all, your cooking chops are off the wall. It was good, amazing. I mean that sincerely too, by the way.

Speaker 2: 2:53

Thank you very much.

Speaker 1: 2:55

You had a helper today. I don't want to forget Chef Jesse over here. Chef Jesse, my right hand, I don't want to. Don't think you were getting left out, baby, you know what I mean. Okay, let's talk about the dishes. You did two dishes today Spectacular, talk about it.

Speaker 2: 3:09

First dish that I did was a spinoff of a classic Benedict. Basically, I took the lamb. We had a tomato, harissa, bacon jam on top of a pumpernickel toast with a poached egg, arugula, a little bit of homemade hollandaise sauce and then topped with a slice of a fresno chili. Underneath all that was the wonderful lamb that you provided for us. So that was wonderful. That cured lamb pastrami was amazing.

Speaker 2: 3:37

Believe me, that's going to the hotel I heard that you're gonna tell me twice you hear that jackie and the second dish was our chicken karaage, which is currently on our menu right now, and it's a corn. Milk puree is the base, and we take that corn, fresh corn, and we steep it in the ears themselves and milk. We take the meat off the ear or the elote, whichever version you want to call it, and then we steep that with a wonderful flavors of chicken stock and some, you know, garlic, salt pepper and some herbs. Of course that's the base, and then we top that with a zucchini muffin that we make from scratch. And then on top of that we have karaage chicken, japanese chicken, and we kind of spin it, we pound out a chicken breast and then fry it up, finish it up top it, and then on top of that is salsa criollo, which is a very popular dish down in Peru. Basically it's peppers and onions with aya pepper and we jazz it up, we put a little fresnel chili so it has a little bite to it.

Speaker 1: 4:40

Yeah, but it wasn't too much bite.

Speaker 2: 4:42

No not at all. I prefer the bite to be at the end, not in the beginning.

Speaker 1: 4:47

Is that currently on the menu?

Speaker 2: 4:48

That dish. That second dish is currently on the menu, the first dish once I get that lamb in the door, we're on board.

Speaker 1: 4:55

If you put that dish on the menu, is it going to look the same way? Is it going to be the same portion size?

Speaker 2: 5:01

It would look very similar. The only difference is I probably would just add a little more potatoes to it like a side to it. I probably would just add a little more potatoes to it like a side to it. The concept of what we're thinking about is do a five Benedict kind of setup on the menu. So that would be one of the Benedicts that I'll be doing, but I'm going to add about four Benedicts. We currently do brunch seven days a week seven to two depending on which day it is, seven to three on weekends, of course, and Benedicts is one of those top sellers.

Speaker 1: 5:28

You can call me Benny from now on Because you know what, if you start slapping these things on the menu, you can rest assured that I'm going to do that.

Speaker 2: 5:34

There'll be about five of them on there. We'll do some, and every single one of them will be different.

Speaker 1: 5:39

Pronounce the name again of the chicken Chicken karaage, karaage.

Speaker 2: 5:49

Yes, yes, what makes it a karagi? It's the breading, basically the breading and the seasoning. And the breading japanese chicken is, it's traditionally is very plain and simple. We just add a lot of flavor to that. So we have a flour mix that we make in-house and it has about 10 different spices and flavors to it. So I'll leave it at that.

Speaker 1: 6:05

I don't want to give no too much away no, don't give it away too much, although I mean, we, we shot film of this thing, of this wonderful dish true, and so everyone's going to see it understood that okay like, let's not get it twisted here. People are going to see this. I want them to come to the restaurant.

Speaker 2: 6:18

Okay, all right, because they're not going to make it at home, like no, okay, I get that. Come to the hotel, come to the restaurant let me be more specific.

Speaker 1: 6:25

I'm not going to make it at home, so you know you're gonna. You can you believe I'll be there for that? I understand when you say four or five. Is there going to be a station specifically for this?

Speaker 2: 6:35

correct. That's the thought process.

Speaker 1: 6:37

I'm gonna try to build a station, that's just I'm the type of guy when I go out to eat and there are eggs benedict on the menu, I get them. I just do. I'm into the Hollandaise sauce and I never not everyone puts out the same sort of traditional Hollandaise sauce, and I don't know how I feel about that, because when I go out and I and I and I and I crave that. That's what I want. Well, now, with that said, you try some of these different ones that they put out there. It's a whole new experience. And and the flavor profiles and the layers, you know all the, all the, you know the tag lines of food description, they're all there. And then you say to yourself you know what? I just expanded my mind there you go culinarily speaking expanded my mind.

Speaker 2: 7:19

The goal with our menu is to intrigue the guests to come, try one dish, come back and try another dish, come back back, and then, hey, there's something new, there's something different. So that's our plan and that's our goal.

Speaker 1: 7:32

I saw the renovation happening at the property. We met as the renovation was starting. It was like in its infancy. Yes, I've seen renovations before. There's a lot of challenges, it's not easy and the entire staff everybody's. You know nobody likes it, Nobody likes it. What role did you play in this renovation?

Speaker 2: 7:57

Being one of the leaders in the hotel community there, I would say that just keeping people motivated and keeping people busy and giving them tasks, yes, you might have half the hotel under renovation, but at the same time, if you keep people informed of what's going on and what's happening as rooms were being released back to us, as areas of the hotel were being released, I take my staff hey look, this is new and upcoming, this is what's going to be, this is our home away from home.

Speaker 1: 8:30

It's 2025. How are we motivating staff right now?

Speaker 2: 8:37

You work right along with them, you put your hands in there and you get just as dirty. You put the gloves on and you cook right along with them.

Speaker 1: 8:44

There are no more ivory tower leadership roles. I'm guessing right? You do have to be in the trench with your teammates.

Speaker 2: 8:53

Yes, you have to be in the trenches with your teammate, but at the same time, I think if you keep them informed, it goes a long, long way. You can get people to buy into what you're selling.

Speaker 1: 9:02

You're talking about Louisiana. You're talking about LA, and to bring those together in some kind of culinary form is tricky. How are you taking your experiences into the hotel now?

Speaker 2: 9:17

The thought process is the fusion. There's a lot of fusion there. So, la, you got fresh flavors, you got obviously like avocado movements and things of that sort, and then Louisiana is very homey, very, very down to earth.

Speaker 1: 9:30

The produce bread basket is California. Yes, that's true, and Arizona Chefs that I've worked with over the years when they come to Florida and they're like, oh my God, what is this? And I'm like, look, this isn't like where you're from, where you can go outside and there's a farm and you go pick it and you know, and the sun's out. This isn't here and this is not that. This is Florida Farm to table. I understand.

Speaker 2: 9:54

It's a whole different deal.

Speaker 1: 9:56

But you're also like salads versus grits. You know what I mean. Louisiana, there is no. Can I get a light Anything? Can I have a vinaigrette? No, you're gonna. Here's a ranch. You know this is what you're gonna get. How are you threading the needle there?

Speaker 2: 10:11

with every dish we try to always create something that has a fresh element to it and then something that really, really is kind of homey. We have a shrimp and grid dish in the hotel but it has a kind of a fresh element the sauce. And not only that, but we make, I would say, 90 of our stuff in-house. I try not to buy. I mean, we, it's fresh produce, we, we are fabricating this stuff on our own. We're not trying to serve, preserve food all day long or anything of that sort I'm gonna get you something and you're going to freak out.

Speaker 1: 10:46

They're soft shell crawfish already taken out. They come that way. I love it. I never had crawfish in my life. I am now a believer and I'm connected now with the company that does it and Boudin too. I don't know where that's been my whole life.

Speaker 2: 11:01

Absolutely right, that is. That's New Orleans. All day you talk about crawfish.

Speaker 1: 11:06

Are these things that you were eating?

Speaker 2: 11:07

Oh, I eat crawfish, oh yeah, and boudin too. And boudin yeah. The thing about the crawfish. I grew up where you know you rip it off the back end and not the grossing one, but you kind of suck on the head there. So it's something different.

Speaker 1: 11:22

I can appreciate that I don't do that. But I'm Italian, my heritage, my, don't do that my I. But you know, I'm italian, my heritage, my family, my grandparents came from over there and and they did things like that I, I couldn't. I don't eat tripe like. There's a lot of stuff I just I stay away from you know, that's one of them. Okay, that is, that is absolutely one of them, but I will eat the tail all day long, man, you know the rest of it I'm, I'm you. You can count me in. I got you 100. Count me in. So when was the last time you were over there?

Speaker 2: 11:50

last time in new orleans is about about a year, a little over a year now a little over a year since I've been back to new orleans.

Speaker 1: 11:56

My buddy's out there, our buddy putra vera. He's a, he's a chef in the area. He's, you know, walk and talk. Uh, you know, contributor, good dude, and he's sending me pictures of this. You know, like eight inches of snow everywhere and I'm like man you know what. I'd love to be there with my kid. I like to think my children have not seen snow yet you might just need to go up to pensacola.

Speaker 2: 12:16

That's all you gotta do. It's only a couple hours up the road.

Speaker 1: 12:18

Yeah, a few hours up the road. I'm not gonna do that in a way, johnson and wales how?

Speaker 2: 12:23

do you?

Speaker 1: 12:23

I mean super comade man. That man, that's a big deal. You know, when I was going through college I had already done— You're going to come off with some humble thing, aren't you? Yeah?

Speaker 2: 12:34

pretty much. I started in the military, so I was a prior Air Force right out of high school, did four years in the military and during that stint I met a gentleman that was a chef in San Francisco and he was an inspiration to me. And that inspiration led me to Johnson Wales. He was a graduate of the one in Rhode Island and he was doing amazing things in San Francisco at the time. It inspired, inspired me so much that I just said, okay, I've done my service to the country at this point and I want to go venture off into something I want to do. So that took me to Johnson and Wales, and Charleston, south Carolina, is where I ended up.

Speaker 1: 13:16

I've not been to that campus, but I did go. I did a food show one time, a million years ago at the Rhode Island campus. The Rhode Island campus, that place is beautiful. Yes, I mean it's like a cathedral.

Speaker 2: 13:29

Yeah, it's on the campus of Old Dominion. They share campus with Old Dominion, so, yeah, it's pretty awesome. People are always nice. They're always nice. Every time I've gone up there it's always been walking down the street. People say hello and are general.

Speaker 1: 13:42

It's a tiny little town. There's a hotel and I can't remember what it's called, but there's a clock tower with a bell, yeah, and we were in that hotel and it was just really cool. I felt like I was in another time, just 100 years ago or something like that.

Speaker 2: 13:58

I don't know you know, when people say, celebration is a lot like that, or it's like going back in time and the people are genuine and it's a small town. You know where the hotel is, it's one of a kind. So to come visit us is you'll see it. It's a different environment, a different environment there the end of celebration.

Speaker 1: 14:20

It's a really pretty hotel. It fits the area. You know there's food everywhere. It's a really pretty hotel. It fits the area. You know there's food everywhere. It's a foodie little city. How long have you actually been over there?

Speaker 2: 14:30

I've been there almost four years now.

Speaker 1: 14:32

I don't want to pass by this sumo cum laude thing that's probably so special for you. How many people were in your class, or was it just you, and then that's why.

Speaker 2: 14:43

Well, I mean, that would be easy.

Speaker 1: 14:45

I'm a winner. I did it.

Speaker 2: 14:47

No, our class was probably about 200 to 300 people.

Speaker 1: 14:52

Yeah, that's pretty amazing. Has that done anything for you in your career?

Speaker 2: 14:56

During my career. I thought, doing so well in school being summa cum laude, I can pick my internship. We had to do a six-month internship somewhere else. My thought was man, I'm going to go to Arizona, camelback, one of these nice golf course resorts that just really knock it out of the park, palm Springs and back to California, or something of that sort.

Speaker 1: 15:17

I ended up in Traverse.

Speaker 2: 15:18

City, michigan, in the dead of winter, and I had to drive up there too in a little Honda Accord there at the time, and I had to drive there in the dead of winter and I thought and I had to drive up there too in a little Honda Accord there at the time, and I had to drive there in the dead of winter, and I'm thinking why I had friends that didn't do as well in school as I did and I thought, why am I going up to Traverse City, michigan? I don't know nobody up here, I have no idea. It's on the border of Michigan and Canada, almost basically. You spit and there's Canada.

Speaker 1: 15:46

It's not cold there at all. No, it's not cold there at all. How old were you?

Speaker 2: 15:49

At the time I was about 26. Okay, but going up to Traverse City was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I had two instructors when I was going through Johnson Wales One was a French instructor and my Italian teacher and they both had recommended me to go to Traverse City. There just happened to be a chef up there. That was very, very instrumental in shaping my career.

Speaker 1: 16:14

So they weren't looking for you to find glitz and glory, correct. They were looking for you to learn and learn under somebody who knows what they're doing. Exactly All right, so that makes sense to learn and learn under somebody who knows what they're doing. Exactly, exactly All right, so that makes sense. I was going to make fun of you a lot with this, but I'm not going to, because you can't ask for better guidance and direction than than something in this case. Sometimes it's not up to you.

Speaker 2: 16:38

It's. You know it could be up to others.

Speaker 1: 16:40

You've worked all over from new Orleans to Vegas.

Speaker 2: 16:46

What are some of the coolest culinary experiences that you've had along the way Besides the Emmys and things of that sort, working in Vegas? Vegas was very interesting. I worked at a small hotel. It was actually my second executive chef position at the time and it was a very small hotel and I got to learn how to be the boss. Be the boss and be in charge and be responsible for everything. But it was right across from the convention center in Vegas, so we would get slammed every single day and I had to figure out how to manage, how to manage with minimum staff, how to manage my time, how to do finances and things of that sort. So that was another place that really shaped my career. New Orleans was awesome. New Orleans was different because of its home in some aspects. I have family there, of course, but it was also home in the sense of I was comfortable with the cuisine there, I was comfortable with the city, but I also got the chance to really work fine dining there.

Speaker 1: 17:45

So New Orleans allowed me to do fine dining really worth fine dining there. So nor does allow me to do fine dining. Pooch doesn't, you know, lose the opportunity ever to explain to me how new orleans is one of the oldest culinary cities in the country and where cocktails were invented, and you know just, there's so many check marks of cool things that have to do with food that come out of New Orleans. Definitely, definitely. It's not just boudin, and you know.

Speaker 2: 18:47

Jambalaya and gumbo. Yeah, exactly Now. Those are homey foods that really do well.

Speaker 1: 18:53

Supposedly we're getting king cakes shipped up over here. We had some folks on last year before Mardi Gras and everything that that. You know we were talking about king cakes. I've never had one. So pooch is going to be shipping some and I can't wait for that. Just don't get the baby that's what they said, yeah, or?

Speaker 2: 19:12

the or the king, but the baby. Jesse gets the baby every year. That's crazy stuff.

Speaker 1: 19:17

Go ahead and explain that real quick. Yeah, I'm not going to do it justice.

Speaker 2: 19:20

Explain that so tradition is january 6th, is is all king's day, so generally january 6th and different parts of the world, we do king cake and what, basically what we do and I'm taking the cake and we cut it. Before we cut it in different pieces, each person has to agree that whoever gets the baby that's stuffed in the cake already it's already kind of built into it would have to do a party, and it's usually around right before or right after, usually right before mardi gras. So typically tamales is a big thing for that time or some kind of providing a party for others. So you don't want that baby.

Speaker 1: 20:04

Yeah, it's a pretty weird. I don't want to say weird.

Speaker 2: 20:06

It's a weird tradition.

Speaker 1: 20:07

It's an interesting tradition that I don't understand, not in any capacity, but I love the way these king cakes look and I just want to get into all that. So what will end up happening is I'm going to eat the king cake, probably by myself, okay, and it ain't going to matter, okay, and I'm like no, there was no baby here. I don't know what you're talking about. Yeah, that's what's going to happen. Do you make pancakes? No, I don't you dirty. No, I don't. All right. All right, that's a lot of work. I guess it would be right. It's just, it's all baking. Yes, yeah, you're not a savory kind of guy, and exactly, I get you, I understand I know what sugar is supposed to taste like, though so you know what I'm, john.

Speaker 1: 20:57

I'm 30. I'm 220 pounds. Do you know that? Yeah, I'm 30 pounds up. Okay, from starting walk and talk, I'm 30 pounds. I know what sugar tastes like too. I'm just saying all right, so you're doing all these different things, you're flying all over the world, you learn new experiences, you're you're you're mentoring under great, by the way. Who was your? Who was your mentor?

Speaker 2: 21:24

he's no longer with us. He passed away. His name was chef william funny thing, his last name is mentor so you're doing all of these different things.

Speaker 1: 21:33

You're learning, you're growing, you're traveling around the country. You're traveling outside of the country. Today, the inn Celebration Orlando. People don't understand what it takes for a hotel to be gutted rooms, kitchen, dining room, common areas and still remain open. People don't get it. With your experiences, how did that really help you get through this renovation?

Speaker 2: 22:02

I think, more than anything, it just keeps you grounded. Your experiences keep you grounded and if, as a leader leader of men, leader of women, leader of team out of anybody needs to be grounded, you need to be grounded. You need to always keep full faith that everything will come out. And it'll come out that optimistic kind of personality. It goes a long ways. If I'm optimistic, my team will be optimistic, the hotel will be optimistic. That yeah we're going to get through this. It's a matter of time. Unfortunately, time doesn't stop for anyone.

Speaker 1: 22:34

So basically, you're taking positive energies, experiences, you're putting them together and basically people feel that and they go. Ok, I'm going to subscribe to this and I'm going to follow suit. People think about a kitchen renovation in your house and how your whole life stops. Or think about a bathroom renovation your whole life stops, and that's one room or two rooms. Think about a 200 or a 300 room hotel. Think about a kitchen that 5,000 square feet with walk-in coolers and ovens and new equipment coming out and new equipment coming in, but you still have half a hotel open so you have to still, you know, provide services to the guests. I think it's fascinating. I think it's something where you're, it's, it's, it's um, I don't know, like a trapeze artist act of some sort. You know there's a big tent and you know somebody leading lions around the tent. I don't know something like that.

Speaker 2: 23:27

If you ask me, chefs run off adrenaline and that's our junkie. We're junkie, adrenaline junkies in that sense. So challenges, multitasking, things of that sort, we run off those things. Those are the things that excite us, it makes us want to go do what we do.

Speaker 1: 23:48

If it's slow? Well, first of all, if it's a slow night anywhere, nobody's motivated and people are in the restaurant and there's three tables and somehow your food took 35 minutes to come out and you're like how does?

Speaker 1: 24:02

this even happen. There's nobody here. How come? Because nobody wants to do anything. Nobody's there, there's no adrenaline, there's no kick and it's just like you get lost. It happens to the best of everyone. I fall into that category too. I am a mirror of the people who I am with, and if you guys are just knuckle dragging, you know, then I'm just like yeah, you know what. I'm gonna take a nap, that's right. That's where I live with this. I would agree with that, yeah. But if you want to go hell, rays man, let's go. What is a governor's ball?

Speaker 2: 24:32

so technically, the emmys. There's two parts to it. So you have the Emmys with, obviously, all the celebrities and then all the hoopla that goes along with that. The governor's ball consists of the back-of-the-house staff, that's your camera crew, everyone who's put it together, so your stage directors and everyone else, so you actually make food for them.

Speaker 1: 24:54

You glazed by this before earlier in our conversation, and the reason I'm bringing up hey, what does the governor's ball is? Because you were working the Emmys. That's cool. How do you even get that gig?

Speaker 2: 25:07

It just worked out that way that I was where were you working?

Speaker 1: 25:09

when you got that? I want to know about this Emmys thing man because to me that seems like that's not an easy thing to fall into.

Speaker 2: 25:15

So I was working under Joachim. He's a famous chef that owned the Patina Group at the time. I mean, I don't believe he owns it anymore. He kind of sold it and went about his way.

Speaker 2: 25:27

So at the time I worked under him and he would come every year. He would come to our restaurant every single year and this was in Disney Springs in California their version of Disney Springs, basically and there was three restaurants there. We were money making, we were doing killer things, you know, disney. He would come every year and he would say, hey, chef, I want you and I want you, you pick 15 guys and you're going to do the appetizers for the Emmys, you're going to do this for the Governor's Ball and then after that you're going to plate up 3,000 plates for all the attendees and things of that sort.

Speaker 2: 26:03

So it was an honor and it was exciting and just like that adrenaline conversation we had a couple minutes ago. Yeah, that gets you hyped up.

Speaker 1: 26:13

You get to meet the celebs too, or?

Speaker 2: 26:15

no, I met a few. I met a few. So you served David Bowie. I remember that one for sure, David Bowie. He wanted some paella one time so he came by and I was able to service him some paella.

Speaker 1: 26:33

When you get into the business, you don't think about that, you don't think about oh man, I'm going to serve, you know, david Bowie, you know more along the lines like oh, I'm going to serve the early bird special folks that come in, because that's you know. That's kind of where you start off typically. But when you start getting into like celebrity stuff, celebrity cooking and you know all of that like energy, energy and excitement, that's where I'd kind of want to be you know you're funny.

Speaker 2: 26:57

You say that because earlier in my career I had a chance to do a lot of versions of like media and things of that sort. But I had a chef that told me once before just two kind of chefs. There's the glamour chef and then there's the family chef. At the time I had a young son, so I chose the family. So I chose family over the glamour.

Speaker 1: 27:16

I think today there's a lot of that. The industry has changed a lot. You know post uh, post covid and everything. It's not perfect, but it's changed. I think that in most cases, the establishments are giving a little bit more, maybe not with money, maybe sometimes with money, but they're giving. They're a little bit more. Maybe not with money, maybe sometimes with money, but they're giving. They're a little bit more lenient, I think, with expectations. Maybe it's not corporate, but the generals, the chefs and the F and Bs and you know the GMs, I think they are bearing the brunt of of that. You know they're gonna, they're gonna buffer it. In other words, understood yeah, I would agree with that, definitelyunt of that they're going to buffer it, in other words, understood, yeah.

Speaker 1: 27:56

I would agree with that, Definitely agree with that. Yeah, it's a good. So listen folks, it's a good time to get back to the business. Okay, Because there are still shortages on personnel. Oh, most definitely.

Speaker 2: 28:05

Most definitely, please apply. We're looking for all positions, anything from a cook to dishwasher. If you don't want to work in the kitchen, we have other positions in the hotel, so it's there are you yourself, big on mentoring definitely, definitely. I've. I've mentored in my career as being a second chef, I've probably promoted at least, I would say, 10 to 12 sous chefs that left you eventually and some have gone bigger and better than I have, which is great, that's the best, that's legacy, basically, in a sense 100%.

Speaker 1: 29:09

I always wanted. It'll never happen, but I always wanted to do, you know, to pick like a city and then and log the culinary lineage, meaning you know, find the oldest, baddest restaurant that's in that town, see who that chef is and how that chef got there, who trained that chef and who trained that chef and the one before. I want to go back 100 years because I'm sure it's going to go back that far. Oh, most definitely. Right, most definitely, and I think that would make an awesome documentary. So if there's anybody out there, listen, you got the. You know, just put me in the in the credits on a good idea and make it happen. That sounds good. Peru, greece, turkey ham and cheese no, you know turkey, greece, peru.

Speaker 1: 29:59

You've been around cuisine. What's your favorite? I have to be honest with you. Don't you dare lie to me? Okay, no lying Turkey, yeah.

Speaker 2: 30:08

When I first met my wife, one of the shows that got us going was Amazing Race, and Istanbul is the bridge city between Asia and Europe. So it's always been a lifelong dream to go to Istanbul and I made that happen with my wife. Obviously, obviously, we took some family with us, but we made it happen. And the queen, the cuisine was just amazing. It was just totally amazing.

Speaker 1: 30:33

That's a major clash of culture very much so and yeah, and with that, you, you're gonna, you're bound to find so many. You, you know, hidden nuggets.

Speaker 2: 30:44

On both sides of that river, the Bosphorus, on both sides you find it.

Speaker 1: 30:48

Yeah, I mean, frankly, these days I don't really feel much like traveling. Like you know, I don't have the travel bug like a lot of people do, but there are a few places that I would want to go to. Turkey is one of them for me. These like micro cultures that you know, like this, this little town here or village or whatever, is going to have that specific thing, and but if you go 30 miles, that way they're separated but it's going to be something totally different.

Speaker 2: 31:12

And Turkey was just that.

Speaker 1: 31:14

That's exciting to me. Well, that's it. I don't know. I feel like it on a plane man. That 16 hours, I think, something like that. Yeah see, like I'm not, I'm not down for that. I mean, I went to hawaii and it was like 9 or 12 or whatever it was. I was. This is too much, like I would not be a pioneer. I would never be one of these people who like, oh yeah, we're gonna go and no, no, lewis and clark no, man, no, I'm like, all right, I was.

Speaker 1: 31:40

I was born by this rock. I'm going to just stay here. I'm good here, man, your wife yes.

Speaker 2: 31:48

Backbone, backbone. Yeah to what I do, yes, yes, she's always been the biggest support to me, whether bouncing ideas off of just someone to come home and talk to and love me unconditionally. Basically, in a sense, is she a foodie.

Speaker 1: 32:08

She is she. When you met, was she a foodie yes, she was.

Speaker 2: 32:11

So us getting together and you know, being that couple, it just made it even better.

Speaker 1: 32:17

So she's, she's made my career so much, so much more john, you know these jet fighter chefs, man, they get all the chicks. It's the truth. Growing up, it was always like, oh, I can cook a little bit. And you know, all the women are like, oh, fawning over the. You know, I know it's another story. How long have you been married?

Speaker 2: 32:36

12 years, 12 years, all right, that's an eternity for a chef yes, because, because chefs have a reputation of not being so committed to something.

Speaker 1: 32:48

It just always happens, though, the relationships implode because it's a demanding job.

Speaker 2: 32:53

You need somebody who understands what you do.

Speaker 1: 32:55

Well, I'm bringing that up because it sounds like you've met somebody that can embrace that. What kind of work was she in when you all met?

Speaker 2: 33:03

When I first met my wife, she was a front front of house manager oh, so you were doing, you were, you were.

Speaker 1: 33:09

That was like the uh, the forbidden fruit there.

Speaker 2: 33:11

You weren't supposed to be doing that I would say yes, if I if it, you know if I complete the fifth, but yeah, no fraternizing man okay, you know what those relationships last forever.

Speaker 1: 33:22

Those relationships are the best ones. They they last forever. That's true. That's true. Wow, front of the house. You went to the dark side too, man, like for front of the house At home, 12 years. What are you cooking? By the way, what is your wife's name?

Speaker 2: 33:38

Adriana.

Speaker 1: 33:39

Adriana, adriana, I just want to thank you personally, you know, for allowing Chef to make it out here today and to do all of this wonderful content. I just want to give you a big shout out from Walk Talk Media, thank you, thank you. I appreciate that Sincerely. What are you making at home? What does she love?

Speaker 2: 33:55

You know, my wife is such a foodie, she's always on Instagram. She's always looking for the latest little buzz thing, so any new dish that she sees on Instagram. Oh, you got to make that for me, so I'm always cooking.

Speaker 1: 34:09

But does she do it like she looks at a picture she shows you? Look how this look how they made it.

Speaker 2: 34:16

I do get that version of it. I definitely get that version of it. But you know I tweak food so I'm big on fusion, big on fusion.

Speaker 1: 34:25

Chef, I might be sending you pictures like that too. I might be like oh man, I got to send this over to Chef Paul and see if he's going to what he can do with this. You might be getting those pics from me now.

Speaker 2: 34:34

I understand.

Speaker 1: 34:36

We're going to keep it relegated to food. Don't worry, the menu at the end it's a new menu. Tell me about what the inspiration for the menu is. Is it global? Is it homey, hometown, local? So?

Speaker 2: 34:50

we have a mark for the hotel. Our mark is basically based off of our olive trees. They're like the staple. We have two olive trees in the back of one of the patios there, so it's one of the marks for the hotel. So that's on one of the patios there, so it's one of the marks for the hotel. So that's just one of the things that we need to represent. That being said, olive oil is universal in a lot of ways, but it is very much mediterranean. So I've incorporated in the menu a lot of mediterranean cuisine, or at least influences, with colors and the vibrance and the freshness of product and produce and things of that sort, and then a little bit of the Louisiana influence and then a little bit of other cultures. Like, I went to Peru and, in Peru, ceviche is huge.

Speaker 1: 35:40

I mean Peruvian food is amazing.

Speaker 2: 35:43

Is truly amazing. So, I incorporated some of those in one of the dishes today. One of the sauces that was born with the chicken karagi. The ahi paste that I use is a peruvian item the fish.

Speaker 1: 35:56

The level of culinary with fish, seafood and for coming out of peru is awesome. Yeah, so if you're going to take, all right, so you're taking, you're taking Peruvian elements of Peruvian food and Mediterranean. I mean, I feel like you're living your best life, I'm enjoying it.

Speaker 2: 36:14

You know going to work every day, my team. I enjoy my team every day. I enjoy the challenges of work every day. And then every three months, two months, three months or something. I'm looking at dishes constantly, but every two or three months we change. We're looking for the next thing to bring you through the door, basically.

Speaker 1: 36:35

And we are here for you on that. And what I mean by that is, obviously, you see what we do here at the studio, definitely. Yeah, you see what John does, specifically John, specifically John, like me, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm the connector, networker guy, right, and I could run a camera, but what this cat does is on another level. The idea is, when you're doing your menu, changes come. I want to come back Definitely.

Speaker 2: 36:59

Yes.

Speaker 1: 37:00

You can even bring Jesse. Yes, you can even bring Jesse. He was well-behaved, just saying. You know, let me give a shout out to you, man, because I said this to you earlier today If it wasn't for Jesse, you wouldn't be here today and we would never be talking. True, that's definitely true.

Speaker 1: 37:17

We walked in the door it was me and a buddy hey, chef around. Jesse comes over. He's like, well, chef's kind of busy, he's out doing his thing. He goes well, what's up, what can I help you with? And I was like, well, you know, walk and talk, media, podcast, food, yada, yada. And he entertained. He didn't throw us out. He was a you were a gentleman and so polite where I've been thrown out of a lot of kitchens in my my time and you were just amazing. And I just want to thank you for that, because we get for people like people like you, with your, with your demeanor and how you handle yourself. We get to meet a lot of amazing individuals in this world of culinary. So you know, it would be wrong of me to be like come here, come here, get out of here, jess. No, it's like, I appreciate you very much. Thank you, jess. Yeah, how does someone find you? And how does somebody find the property?

Speaker 2: 38:07

On Open Table. You can definitely make reservations. But through the Inn of Celebration there's a website and in the website you'll find the restaurant. It's Lakeside Kitchen and Bar and then you can definitely reach out. My name is there, chef Jesse's name is there. You reach out to any of us. You let us know you're coming through the door, we will come to your table and we will greet you with wholeheartedly smiles and hopefully you will leave with that same smile that's awesome.

Speaker 1: 38:37

But what about you? You just started your social media.

Speaker 2: 38:41

Yeah, my wife is. My wife is big in social media, of course, but they all are, yeah, they all are. So she, she started a page for me. So, chefpaulg, and that's my, basically my, my tag, in the sense. So I just started a social media page for myself, with the help of my wife, of course, and I'll be posting. I'll start being more active and posting more things to it all right, one more time again, what's your instagram? Chef c-h-e-f dot paul g.

Speaker 1: 39:13

That's me excellent man, thank you for coming in today, both of you. I am looking forward to what we can do together and I feel like it's going to be a lot. Hey, the future is there, right, and? And there's a and there's a handful of other super chefs that we work with that we're going to do things. I want to do some events at your place, set them up and we promote them. It's going to be really great.

Speaker 1: 39:38

I would do some Louisiana based stuff too. I'm looking forward to it. Louisiana based stuff too, I'm looking forward to it. Okay, man, I got, we got to connect. So I'm just telling you I'll make you some gumbo. Oh, stop it, don't, don't, don't. Okay, let's go. John, as always, man, you're freaking awesome. I appreciate you. Pooch baby out there, I know you. Awesome, we are out.