Chef Stephan Richards
Self taught pastry chef with a desire to explore the unknown and travel the world for culinary inspiration.
How it all started…
For me food came to me at an early age. When I was a child, I was a very picky eater. I refused to eat any and all vegetables. Ketchup was my vegetable. I put ketchup on everything. On Halloween, I loved going out to “trick or treat”, but never ate the candy. I didn’t have a sweet tooth. Even chocolate was something that made me gag.
The one thing I looked forward to the most involving food was going to my grandmother’s house after school. I loved staying at her house. She would cook breakfast and I would always tell her to “burn” the sausage links. It didn’t matter what I wanted or how I wanted it. She would always make it. It was at that moment that I knew somehow, someway food would be involved in my life.
In my junior and senior years of high school, I took courses at the Arlington Career Center in Culinary Arts. The only school where I wanted to go after I graduated from high school was the Culinary Institute of America. My instructor at the Arlington Career Center knew this and wrote a letter of recommendation, which I submitted along with my application to the CIA. Of which accepted me. I graduated from the CIA in 2007.
Career: The Beginning
My first job after graduating from the CIA, was at Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington D.C. for Chef Brian Voltaggio. Working there truly showed me where being a passionate, hardworking chef could take me.
Upon leaving Charlie Palmer Steak I worked at the Pentagon Dining Room. This was my first glimpse into the world of pastry and baking from Chef Robert. I was a fast learner and made anything I wanted to make, whether it be focaccia, brioche rolls, or even a multi layered cake. He would write down a recipe and work alongside me, teaching me.
After working at the Pentagon I was a line cook for the late Chef Michel Richard. His kindness and silliness really rubbed off on me and I continued to push myself.
After Restaurant Michels, I went to Bitro Bis where I worked as a line cook, pastry sous chef, and a sous chef. My supervisors were Chef Jeffrey Buben, Chef Ted Walker, and Sous Chef Alex Vasqez. Over the course of some years, I mastered all stations.
Career: A new hat to wear
But I wanted to expand my skills. Then I learned the art of pastries at Bistro Bis under Chef Antonio Lisbino. Chef Antonio noticed how passionate I was and hired me as his Sous Chef. I knew I couldn’t fail him and that the position was a big responsibility. I still felt like there was much for me to learn. So, I took it upon myself to go through all the recipes in Thomas Kellers Bouchon Bakery Cookbook on my days off. I had one thought in mind: that I couldn’t fail Chef Antonio, who had become a mentor to me. After a year, I took a position to be the second Sous Chef at Bistro Bis.
Moving on with my career, I took a Sous Chef position at Hazel working under Chef Rob Rubba. The venue there was modern cuisine with a focus on Asian flavors and techniques. What stood out was Rob’s use of breads as a major component of some of his dishes. That truly opened my eyes to what was possible. For example Robs English muffins and how he created a dish centered around them.
After working in fine dining for over twelve years, I felt burned out for the first time. I didn’t want to cook anymore. I had no interest in cooking. Couldn’t even bring myself to read a cookbook.
Conclusion & Epiphany
I left my job at Hazel and sold my car, in hopes of finding what I had lost. I decided to backpack through the Mediterranean with the money I got from my car. I just needed to leave everything behind. What I didn’t know was that it would change the way I view the world and food. It was the sensation that I had when I took my first job at Charlie Palmer Steak. It was at that moment I discovered that my two passions were baking and traveling. But I still had no idea where I wanted to take this passion.
Upon my return home, there was a small snow storm in Virginia. I woke up and looked outside. At that moment, I knew what culinary career path I wanted to pursue – a café. Not just any café, but one with pastries/breads that I’ve seen, tasted, or heard about during my travels. A café that when you walk in, you get the sensation that you will be experiencing new tastes/flavors from different cultures and countries.
