email: caliboy1966@yahoo.com
Seeking a position and opportunity in a professional atmosphere which lends itself to culinary creativity, excellence and growth, where I can best utilize my broad knowledge and skills as an Executive Chef in the field of culinary arts.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Private Party Catering Aug 2008
Los Angeles, CA to Present
Private catering events in clients? homes; suggest to and consult with clients for menu ideas; perform all cooking and baking; menus include plated dinners, backyard barbeques, Sunday brunch, Sunday dinner, from casual to fine dining.
Worldwide Dining, LLC May 2007
Studio City, CA to Aug 2008
Executive Chef Jan 2008 to Aug 2008
Responsible for and supervised: hiring and training of food production staff including prep cooks and line cooks; all on-site and off-site catering including menu planning, food preparation and rental equipment; menu costing and budgeting; scheduling kitchen staff; conducting daily inventory; placing orders as needed for daily use; ensured high standards of sanitation were followed; supervised product to secure minimal waste and maximum profit; developed and test recipes; created various techniques for food preparation and presentation; staff briefings on food production for special events; the cooking of specialty items that required skillful preparation; product evaluation and quality control; sanitation.
Sous Chef/Executive Sous Chef Aug 2007 to Jan 2008
Supervised morning crew of busy West Hollywood caf?; hiring line cooks; inventory control; menu/recipe development; expeditor; guest relations; on-site catering events; fill in for executive chef in his absence at fine dining steak house; sanitation.
Line Cook/Chef de Cuisine May 2007 to Aug 2007
Started as a line cook in Russian fine dining dinner club, promoted to CDC within 2 weeks; supervised line crew while working saut?; recipe development; inventory control; receiving; catered events; sanitation.
Line Cook (Part-Time, nights) Jan 2007
Trifecta Restaurant Lounge, Los Angeles, CA to Jun 2007
Worked various positions on cook line including; prep cook, fry cook, saut? cook and broiler person; assisted Executive Chef and Chef D? Cuisine with all preparations for special events and private functions; responsible for all aspects of sanitation; opening and re-stocking as well as closing and securing hot and cold food lines.
Line Cook Sept 2006
Minx Lounge and Restaurant, Glendale, CA to Jan 2007
Worked various positions on cook line including; fry cook, saut? cook and broiler person; assisted with on-site and off-site special events and private functions; responsible for all aspects of sanitation; opening and re-stocking as well as closing and securing hot and cold food lines; worked lunch, happy hour, and weekend brunch service.
AM Sous Chef Jan 2006
Citizen Smith ? Urban Bistro, Hollywood, CA to Jul 2006
Responsible for the supervision of four prep cooks; receiving of all proteins, produce, dry and canned goods, breads and paper goods; prepared daily prep list of regular menus ? lunch, dinner, happy hour and late night (after hours); monitored all sanitation aspects and assured all health codes were being met; maintained all refrigeration temperature logs; briefed Executive Chef and Chef D? Cuisine on daily occurrences.
Catering Chef (part time/weekends) May 2005
Regina?s Quality Catering, Ventura, CA to Feb 2006
Prep, appetizers, saut?, grill; all off-site catering for theatre groups, weddings, graduations, and birthdays; from plated dinners to buffet to barbeques.
Sous Chef Mar 2005
Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital, Thousand Oaks, CA to Jan 2006
Responsible for preparation of breakfast, lunch and dinner menus and menu items for hospital staff, patients and their guests, visitors for the fine dining menu; maintained and organized production of kitchen and back-of-the-house staff; cross-trained and supervised all food service workers in food preparation and cooking; monitored and supervised all aspects of sanitation, food quality practices and actual serving of food; ordered and received all food and food related items; conducted weekly inventories; catered monthly VIP dinners for department head.
Kitchen Manager / Banquet Chef Sept 2004
Nap?s Southern Grill, Navy Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, CA to Jan 2005
Responsible for production of lunches and dinners including hot appetizer?s, salads, sandwiches, fried and charbroiled entrees, seafood ? fish and crustacean, and vegetarian plates; maintained refrigeration logs; maintained and organized kitchen and back-of-house; trained and cross-trained kitchen and back-of-the-house staff; monitored sanitation practices and food quality.
Line Cook Jun 2004
The Greek at the Harbor, Ventura, CA to Sept 2004
Saut?, Fry, Broiler Cook; fish fabrication; catering; sanitation
Pantry Cook Mar 2004
Jonathan?s at Peirano?s, Ventura, CA to Jun 2004
Hot and cold tapas; salads, desserts; off-site catering/competitions; sanitation.
Server Oct 2003
Stuart Anderson?s Black Angus, Thousand Oaks, CA to Mar 2004
Took orders from guests; served appetizers, salads, entrees, desserts, and beverages; handled guest problems; handled guest payments.
EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND CERTIFICATES
Jan 2004 to Jun 2006 Oxnard College, Oxnard, CA Culinary Arts/HRM
Nov 1985 to Jan 1997 United States Navy Data Processing
Technician / MP
caliboy1966@yahoo.com
Language:
English
Price per service:
$0.00
Free Consultation:
N\A
Same Day Service:
N\A
Payment Method:
Cash
Status:
Active
Policies:
None
None
Requirements:
Meeting Place:
Client's Office
Company Description:
To whom it may concern,
After reviewing your ad, I think my skills and culinary experience make me a viable candidate.
My most recent position in a restaurant was as Exec Chef with World Wide Dining, LLC (WWD), headquartered out of Hollywood, CA. I say "most recent position" as I have held several varying positions within the WWD umbrella, which owned and operated five restaurants in the Los Angeles area: Prana Caf? and Republic Restaurant and Lounge (West Hollywood); Prana Caf? Studio City, Tea Room Caf?, and Romanov's Russian Dinner Club (Studio City).
I began my culinary experience with WWD as a line cook at Romanov's Russian Dinner Club, where yearly sales were approximately $2M. In less than a week, management took notice of my abilities and promoted me to Chef D' Cuisine. Two months after that, a Sous Chef position opened up at their Prana Caf? West Hollywood location and was I transferred there to helm the morning crew.
While at Prana Caf?, I was asked if I would be interested in working a few nights at their Republic Restaurant location as stand-in Exec Chef on the days when their Exec Chef was off. I jumped at the chance, as this restaurant was a high-end, fine dining establishment, with yearly sales of up to $3M and special event sales of up to $1.5M. There, I was not only responsible for the day-to-day duties as Exec Chef, but also facilitated high-end catering and special events; coordinating and scheduling all the back-of-the-house staff.
After six months at Republic, I was again approached for promotion, but this time it was to helm their newest Prana Caf? location in Studio City. The challenge here was to run two locations, which were constructed side-by-side; Prana Caf? and Tea Room Cafe.
WWD was quite an experience for me. It taught me many aspects of the culinary business that I hold dear and treasure as invaluable knowledge that I can apply anywhere: I learned to keep my food costs between 22% and 26%, to maximize product preparation so I may cut costs and still maintain the high quality the owners and customers demanded, to cut labor hours by up to 20% - thereby cutting payroll costs by almost 40%, and honed by knowledge of menu development.
After Prana Cafe and Tea Room Cafe closed, I started working in catering, cooking for private parties. In January, I catered an inaugural party in Glendale and was featured on KCAL 9 evening news. I have catered parties with menus ranging from backyard barbeques to Sunday brunches to formal dinners. I have also competed in a few ?Iron Chef??type competitions and, with six chefs, have placed third- and first-places.
I have held many positions within the culinary field including prep, pantry, saut?, hot/cold appetizers, broiler, lead line cook and catering/special events coordinator. These various positions have afforded me a wide range of invaluable knowledge that I look forward to sharing and developing even further.
I am a responsible, dedicated, punctual, personable and hard-working individual who loves his profession, dedicating 100%. My crews have always been impressed with my demanding yet fair demeanor and have respected my way of managing and feel I can be a welcome addition to your establishment.
If you have questions regarding my qualifications, want a list of referrals, or to set up an interview, please contact me via email (caliboy1966@yahoo.com).
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Dominic Kern
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