- Words by Joanne Peters Photpgraphy by Lia Crowe
Dennis Peckham香蕉视频直播檚 high-school home economics teacher worried about his future self. After he failed the class, she told the Williams Lake native that she hoped he would one day find a partner who knew how to cook; she feared he would otherwise starve.
Oh, if that instructor could see him now!
As corporate executive chef for Glowbal Restaurant Group, Dennis oversees the company香蕉视频直播檚 seven Vancouver restaurants, with another opening in Toronto next spring. After studying culinary arts in Vancouver, Dennis built his career on experience at acclaimed dining establishments such as Lumiere, West and The French Laundry, a Michelin three-star restaurant in California, among other places.
Over the years he has also worked for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and operated his own food business. A competitor on Top Chef Canada香蕉视频直播檚 Season 7, Dennis earned the title of Chopped Canada champion during its third season.
The path from flunking a high-school cooking class to being one of the country香蕉视频直播檚 most in-demand chefs wasn香蕉视频直播檛 straightforward. Although he helped out at his dad香蕉视频直播檚 strip-mall diner before leaving Williams Lake香蕉视频直播攚ashing dishes and making clubhouse sandwiches and breakfast burritos香蕉视频直播擠ennis pursued construction upon graduating. He hated it. But when he landed a job as a dishwasher at the Colwood Golf Course, it clicked.
香蕉视频直播淚t was an Anthony Bourdain moment,香蕉视频直播� Dennis recalls. 香蕉视频直播淚 remember by day three, I loved it. I took to the culture quite quickly. I loved the excitement of it, the stress, the drive of it. The chef was this cool guy, and I just thought, 香蕉视频直播業 want to be that guy.香蕉视频直播� Then I thought, 香蕉视频直播業 want to be better than that guy.香蕉视频直播� I developed a passion for it.香蕉视频直播�
Passion is just one characteristic needed to 香蕉视频直播渕ake it香蕉视频直播� in the restaurant business, an extraordinarily competitive industry known for its long hours. Dennis香蕉视频直播� role involves overseeing Glowbal Restaurant Group香蕉视频直播檚 multiple properties: Glowbal; Black+Blue (a sexy, sleek steak house with an enormous glass-encased meat cellar, aglow against a wall of Himalayan salt); The Roof; Five Sails (at Canada Place); Coast; Trattoria (Kitsilano, Burnaby and Park Royal); Italian Kitchen; and its newest addition, Rileys Fish+Steak. He香蕉视频直播檒l be leading the launch of Black+Blue in Toronto, a homecoming of sorts for Glowbal founder Emad Yacoub, who got his own start in the business there after moving to Canada from Egypt. It will be the group香蕉视频直播檚 flagship restaurant. The stakes, so to speak, are high, but it香蕉视频直播檚 a challenge Dennis embraces.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a very personal project for me, and it香蕉视频直播檚 important I do my best to make sure their vision comes to life,香蕉视频直播� he says.
Across the board, Dennis creates tantalizing dishes, enhancing menus while supporting individual chefs at each property with their ideas for new items. At Black+Blue, for instance, he recently helped introduce a lineup of indulgent options: a show-stopping lobster carbonara with pecorino and squid-ink linguine, the latter dramatic in black; tender green asparagus with sauce gribiche and cured yolk; creamed spinach with crispy fried pancetta and a sunnyside-up egg; and the Black+Blue Steak Diane, a modernized classic.
Then there香蕉视频直播檚 the new Miyazaki Wagyu; Black+Blue is the only restaurant in Canada to hold an official certificate to serve the Japanese kuroge washu beef, one of the most in-demand meats in the world (and also one of the most marbled, to a lusciously buttery effect).
香蕉视频直播淲e push ourselves creatively to build dishes that people will appreciate and not be intimidated by,香蕉视频直播� Dennis says. 香蕉视频直播淚f you香蕉视频直播檙e a painter, you can be as creative as you want within those borders. It香蕉视频直播檚 the same thing with food. What [Glowbal] is looking for with all of the locations is to create that box for the chefs to work within. Each environment is different, but that doesn香蕉视频直播檛 stifle your creativity; you just find your creativity within those parameters. And anybody, no matter what their culinary knowledge or experience, will find something on the menu that will satisfy them.香蕉视频直播�
Playing with ingredients is just one small part of Dennis香蕉视频直播� role, however. Quite literally running from restaurant to restaurant in the downtown core, he mentors people and handles administrative and financial duties. Then there香蕉视频直播檚 fist-bumping: high on his list of priorities is interacting with staff members.
香蕉视频直播淓very employee, from the bussers to the dishwashers to the managers to the GM, knows that if they need any help or assistance, they can pull me aside,香蕉视频直播� Dennis says. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e in a people business, and having a positive culture is really important to me.香蕉视频直播�
Being a chef has influenced his life outside of work: Dennis is accustomed to structure and routine, for one, and his fridge is always clean and organized. His kitchen staples include Valentina hot sauce, hummus, egg whites, ground flax seed and watermelon when it香蕉视频直播檚 in season. His freezer is a food fanatic香蕉视频直播檚 dream. At the moment, it香蕉视频直播檚 stocked with goods like Bolognese sauce made with veal, pork and lamb; two loins of albacore tuna from Tofino; wagyu beef; foie-gras torchon; fish, chicken and veal stock; and chicken-curry gnocchi. There香蕉视频直播檚 always at least one kind of stuffed pasta香蕉视频直播攎aybe tortellini with ricotta, English pea and lemon. He loves the process of making noodles from scratch, desiring it as meditative and disciplined. During the pandemic, he hosted intimate multi-course dinners at his home, announcing dates on Instagram with guests required to show proof of a donation to the SPCA.
Work-life balance is crucial to Dennis, and he香蕉视频直播檚 routinely outdoors with his beloved Doberman Pinscher, Gyver. (Many of his tattoos pay tribute to the three dogs he has had, all from the same lineage.)
With a keen interest in health and fitness, he loves swimming, hiking and running. He香蕉视频直播檚 also passionate about reading world history.
香蕉视频直播淏eing a chef is what I do, not who I am,香蕉视频直播� he says.
Whether he香蕉视频直播檚 inside a kitchen or not, Dennis draws on an important lesson he香蕉视频直播檚 gleaned from his years wearing whites.
香蕉视频直播淏e confident,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淲hen you香蕉视频直播檙e working with confidence and you are confident in your ability and your knowledge, everything flows. It香蕉视频直播檚 easier to work when you香蕉视频直播檙e not second-guessing yourself, and you end up more excited.香蕉视频直播�
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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