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The culinary bug bit
Chef Todd Barrett at an early age. Inspired by a close family friend
who taught him how to bake pastries, cakes and cookies, he
discovered a love for cooking that led him to preparing meals for
his family. He soon found creating his own dishes to be an even more
fulfilling aspect of cooking, giving him a wider range of
ingredients and more room to play. By then, he knew he wanted to
become a chef.
By the mid-1980s, Todd found himself working in an upscale Marin
County restaurant, and had the good fortune of being able to work
with excellent chefs such as Mark Franz, known from Stars and
Farallon restaurants in San Francisco. As a consultant, Franz
critiqued Barrett's soups and sauces, in what became an invaluable
learning experience for him.
Barrett began taking culinary classes at the local community
college, but found that working in a high volume restaurant taught
him the trade in "real time;" hence, he began to immerse himself in
his work. In the mid-1990s, Barrett and his wife relocated to
Seattle, where he took the position of Sous Chef at Union Square
Grill, one of Seattle's premier dining establishments. It was at
Union Square Grill that Barrett gained recognition for his regional
and continental cuisine, winning awards both at local food festivals
and within the corporation.
Barrett's love of seafood brought him, his wife and daughter to
Hawaii in 2000, where he could learn more about Pacific Rim cooking
under the watchful eye of Chef Todd Carlos at the Seawatch
Restaurant on Maui. "The fish in Hawaii are unique," says Barrett,
"Like no other fish in the world. It's very exciting to work with
Hawaiian fish."
The opportunity to take over the helm of The Beach House's kitchen
came about at the beginning of 2005, and the offer to become
Executive Chef was an easy choice for Barrett. At The Beach House,
Barrett is able to take advantage of the island's bounty of fresh
Hawaiian fish, while continuing to do what he found fulfilling at an
early age: creating new dishes with a wide range of local
ingredients . . . more room to play! |
