Chef Chester

I’m critical of social media. All of it. But sometimes it proves useful. On Sunday, my friend Chester posted that it would be his last evening running the kitchen at the restaurant he’s been at for five years. It’s a fancy restaurant, so even though I’ve wanted to see him cook and taste the creations, I was holding off for a special occasion. Sunday was that occasion.

I figured I could also document the evening. Five years at any job these days is something to celebrate. But five years at the same restaurant seems rarer still. I have a lot of friends in the food industry, and the trajectory for a lot of younger chefs and line cooks seems to demand moving fairly regularly to develop skills, learn new foods, and take on more responsibility.

Congratulations on the five years Chester. I’m sure there are a lot of neighborhood regulars who are going to miss seeing you across the bar. And thanks for the delicious food. I love boquerones. (Note: I’m not naming the restaurant in this video because it was just a fun little project for a friend. I wouldn’t wont my impromptu film to make a potential customer decide against going there.)