EOM Harrison on his last day working the line at The Cook and Cork holding the stein I gave him

Dan I Cook January 2016 Employee of the Month
Chef Harrison Kantor, student and Sous Chef for Parkland Chef Catering

Chef Harrison Kantor…what a great dude! I first met him when The Cook and Cork first opened. The owners Dena and Keith are very proud of their staff and they introduced me to Harrison. Up until recently, Chef Harrison was a Sous Chef at the Cook and The Cork but he decided to go back to college to finish his degree. He still works for Dena and Keith at their catering company, Parkland Chef.

I knew I would like Harrison when I saw he was a ginger, meaning he has red hair. When I had hair I was a ginger and my son Hunter is a ginger, too. As time progressed, I’ve been blessed to socialize with him and his fellow co-worker, roommate and friend, Sous Chef Mike Brothers. Harrison’s passion for food is insane and contagious. He talks about food like it’s the most gorgeous thing he has ever seen. Listening to this young man talk is fun for me. I love food and drinks too, but to listen to someone with so much passion and who graduated from the Culinary Institute in New York is wicked cool! Same thing can be said about Sous Chef Mike…Both of these dudes are culinary rock stars in my eyes.

So I picked Chef Harrison as my employee of the month when I heard he was leaving The Cook and The Cork to go back to college. His cooking skills, pleasant demeanor, and good-guy vibe earns him this title.
Without further delay… please meet my EOM for January 2016, Harrison Kantor.

Hometown:
Pembroke Pines, FL

Time working for The Cook and The Cork along with their catering company:
I’ve been working at the Cook, and the Cork since before it opened. And with Chef Keith and Dena, at Parkland Chef Catering since 2011, on and off while going to culinary school.

Favorite Past time:
Going to Miami Hurricane football games with my family and seating on the 50-yard line at the Orange Bowl.

Favorite food:
Bagels

Favorite Food to Prepare:
Braised Short Ribs

Favorite Drink:
Champagne

Favorite Holiday:
Thanksgiving

Favorite hangout:
Friend’s house in Orlando

I know you graduated from the Culinary Institution of America (CIA). Anyone who knows anything about good food is aware some of the best chefs graduate from there. What was the hardest part/subject at that school? What did you find the easiest?
The hardest class was definitely wines class. Three weeks to learn everything you need to know about the world of wine, including laws, varietals, classifications, terroir, soil types and a whole lot more. The easiest part was going to class.
For the most part, when people cut class, it’s because they aren’t interested in the class or topic. At CIA, everyone attending is passionate about food. Likewise, every class is at the least related back to food. So when the topic covers something you are passionate about, you don’t have the desire to skip class, you genuinely want to go to class and learn.

What Famous Chefs have you met? What chef is a role model to you?
Between working South Beach Food and Wine, and going to CIA, I have had the fortune of meeting a ton of famous chefs, including Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Bobby Flay, Morimoto, John Besh, Barbra Lynch, Jean-George, Gavin Kaysen, Mario Batali, and Michael Symon, just to name a few.
As for a role model, Chef Keith has been my mentor for so long now and I owe so much to all he has taught me. But there are others that are also role models, like Thomas Keller, for the finesse that he cooks with, Dan Barber, for the local/farm-to-table movement, Mario Batali for the empire that he has built, and so many others.

You know chicks love guys that can cook. Are you single? If you had a date and you wanted to impress her what restaurant would you take her to if money was not an option? If you had to make a romantic dinner for a date what would you prepare?
I am single.
If I were trying to impress a date, I would take her to a tapas style restaurant. There is something about sharing food and passing it around with someone, that allows for a different kind of connection and brings people closer together.
If I were to make a romantic dinner, it would be something on the lighter side, but with bright flavors, starting with oysters on the half shell, with a green apple granite, then move on to pan roasted sea bass, sun choke puree, and an arugula salad with sherry vinaigrette. And finish with a chocolate-hazelnut semifreddo with macerated strawberries.

Lastly, career wise, what are your goals?
I know I want to own my own place. Brewpub? Catering Company? Food Truck? Wine Bar? All businesses that have peaked my interest, but only time will tell which one is right, I’ve had a ton of ideas over the years, but I also know that I still have a lot to learn.

Thank you chef for taking the time to answer all my questions. As you can see, what’s not to love about this guy. For winning my EOM, I gave Harrison one of my favorite German steins. I hope he enjoys drinking from it as much I have. Stay Hungry!