1970/71
to 1979
Dish pit to first cook
We moved from Montreal to Ontario when I was 8½ and lived on the West Mall, right across a field from the Holiday Inn on Highway 427. My first encounter with Chef Zenon came well before I worked for him. My brothers and I used to sneak around the back shipping area, grab the empty bottles, and collect the deposits. A few times the kitchen crew chased us away.
Who knew that about seven years later I would walk back in through those doors looking for a job? I started as a dishwasher around 1970 or 1971, at about 15 years old. I learned by watching, helping, and saying yes when there was work to do. By 18, I had worked my way up to first cook.
That hotel taught me the rule I carried through every job afterward: no matter how high you move up, you never forget the dish pit.


























































































