Meet Chef Andrew
"I was hungry in high school, so I took cooking classes. I thought, this is not too bad, so I went to culinary school and then realized it was a ton of hard work."
Where are you from?
I'm originally from Perth, Australia.
Where did you learn to cook?
I studied culinary arts at the Australian School of Hotel Management and Tourism. After which I did a four year apprenticeship sharpening my skills. From there I've bounced all over the world cooking in kitchens from Quebec, Amsterdam, Vietnam, London, Germany to Omaha, Ne.
How long have you been in United States of America?
Well, I met my wife at a festival in Germany, that I found out about the night before, and we lived in Germany for a few months. After getting married in Dublin, Ireland we came to visit to my wife's family here in Omaha, Ne.
We were just planning a visit but six years, two kids, and a dog later here I am.
How long have you been the chef at Stokes?
I've been with Stokes for five months.
What brought you to Stokes?
I was cooking at another restaurant in town but looking for something more. Gayle, the owner of Stokes, approached me with an excellent opportunity - Stokes has a strong tradition; it's funny, my wife had previously been a server at Stokes and only had great things to say about the company and its people.
I can really see a future working with Gayle, he's a lifetime restauranteur and the possibilities for growth and expansion are exciting.
What has been your biggest challenge as chef?
The biggest challenge taking over has been building a new team as a successor to the previous chef who left amicably after 19 years.
Alright, Lets talk Favorites. What is your Favorite stokes dish?
Aztec Nachos
Which new dish are you most excited about?
Voodoo Tuna (coming soon)
Last but not Least, Favorite drink?
Coffee