Patrick LaValley

• Led kitchen operations, ensuring high standards of food quality and presentation.
• Developed seasonal menus, incorporating local ingredients to enhance culinary offerings.
• Trained and mentored junior chefs, fostering skill development and teamwork.
• Implemented health and safety protocols, promoting a safe working environment for staff.
• Optimized kitchen workflow by delegating tasks according to individual strengths, resulting in faster ticket times during peak hours.

Planned and executed private parties/weddings/events for up to 500 guests on a weekly basis.

• Collaborated with staff members to create meals for large banquets.
• Oversaw daily kitchen operations to ensure high-quality food production and presentation.

• Managed a line of 4 line cooks on a nightly basis, as well as preparing catering menus for banquets at the hotel.
• Followed restaurant stock management schedule to monitor product freshness and rotate out old products.
• Created identical dishes numerous times daily with consistent care, attention to detail and quality.
• Trained new employees in preparation and execution of all dishes.

• Created nightly specials utilizing seasonal ingredients
• Operated all kitchen equipment including wood fire grill, ranges, and frying.

• Planned and directed high-volume food preparation in fast-paced environment.
• Trained kitchen staff to perform various preparation tasks under pressure.

• Seating approximately seventy-five, my duties here involved just about all aspects of running a very busy small restaurant.
• Ordering/receiving, hiring, managing, and preparing menu/specials for nightly service.
• We consistently challenged ourselves to create original menu items on a regular basis to maintain a fresh seasonal menu.

• Chef/Kitchen Manager/Co-Owner
• Creating daily specials as well as maintaining full existing menu from scratch.
• Duties including preparing kitchen for service including ordering/receiving, grilling, sauteing, baking.
• Managed a daily crew of 10 workers while working on the line in an open kitchen environment.

• The Sous Chef position at Firefly consisted of grilling, sauteing, frying, ordering/receiving as well as leading the four person line 5 nights a week.
• I worked closely with the Chef de Cuisine creating new seasonal menu items on a biweekly basis.