Callie Frye interviews deaf chef David Uzzell

Callie Frye, Daily Moth Reporter:
Hello! I interviewed a deaf chef, David Uzzell. He has over eight years of experience working at various restaurants ranging from casual spots up to fine dining restaurants. He currently works at Mozzeria in Washington, D.C. I asked him various questions about his experience and his work with a famous chef. Who is it? I will share, you’ll have to look! I reached out to him later and asked him more questions about etiquette tips for those who are rookies at fine dining and don’t know what to expect. He was willing to share it with us. Check this out.

Chef David Uzzell:
Hello!

Callie:
What kind of food do you love to cook?

David:
I have two answers to that question. The first is deep dish pizza. I was born and raised in Chicago so that’s dear to me.

[Image of a thick deep dish pizza]

The second thing is a cheesecake, especially if it is from scratch. It can be tedious, but when it comes out right, it’s delicious.

Callie:
What is a weird or interesting food you would love to try?

David:
Pufferfish. I am curious about that.

[Image of a pufferfish]

I’m also curious about insects. Ants. Cicadas. Yeah, I don’t mind eating one of those.

Callie:
Which kitchen utensil is your favorite and is useful for cooking?

David:
I have quite a few answers to that. The first is of course, a sharp knife. You need a good chef knife that is 8 to 10 inches long. You need a boning knife. And you need a bread knife. That’s the three. But that’s just me. Aside from that, you need a “Y” peeler. Or a Swiss peeler. It will be easier to peel things than your standard “I” peeler. For machines, a good Vita-Mix blender. They can blend anything. A good food processor that you can balance with a Vita-Mix to blend things that it can’t and vice versa.

Callie:
You’ve been to Scandinavia and worked for one of the best restaurants in the world. Do you mind sharing your experience? What was it like?

David:
That was a very inspiring experience. I lived in Sweden for about three months working for a restaurant named Fäviken.

[Images of the Fäviken restaurant and an unique dish]

It has two Michelin stars and it is considered one of the world’s top restaurants, so the opportunity to have an internship there for a few months was tremendous. It was an experience that I will never forget.

It was incredible just being around some of the best chefs and cooks in the world. I learned some interesting stuff, especially how to dress a bird. Removing the feathers. Or even help with dressing down a moose. Those things are massive. I remember that we cut down about 400 kilograms or about 800 pounds — and that was just a half.

Callie:
You also worked for a famous chef named Jose Andres. What was your experience like working with him? How did you two connect? What was his personality like?

[Image of Chef Jose Andres]

David:
Yes, I did work for Jose Andres. I worked at the minibar by Jose Andres, which is another two-starred restaurant in Washington, D.C. The restaurant’s food is very artistic, avant-garde. Very creative.

[Images of the interior of minibar by Jose Andres restaurant and a creative dish]

I’ve been to Jose’s home for a holiday party. And I remember that he spoke with his voice at me and a chef was like, “Oh yeah, David is deaf.” Jose was taken aback. And a couple of months after that, Jose and one of my chefs got together for coffee and Jose asked about me. He was actually motivated to start an ASL class in his company, ThinkFoodGroup, so he could accommodate me, instead of it being the other way around with me trying to accommodate him. That effort from someone as esteemed as Jose was incredible. His personality is very vivacious. He’s larger than life. He’s always on the go, he’s always thinking, always working, always trying… new things!

[Sponsored Video from Convo: https://www.convorelay.com/download ]

[Advertisement] Thrive Together Today is hiring! Join our team by viewing the job description and applying on our website at: https://bit.ly/2XlIBte

Callie:
I’ve noticed that at elegant restaurants, there is silverware that is laid on either side of the plate. How do I know which ones to use?

David:
How to use knives, forks, and spoons at a fancy dinner party or at a fine restaurant is a common question. A rule of thumb that comes to mind is to go from outside to inside as the dinner goes on. Because you will use the most outermost utensils and as you complete a dish, you will move on to the next one. Typically at fine restaurants, they will serve new utensils with every course.

[Image of silverware at a fine restaurant]

Callie:
I am aware of some table manners such as no elbows on the table. But at elegant restaurants, how do I rest my arms on the table?

David:
Typically, you should rest your elbows just past the edge of the table. Above your elbows. On the table.

Callie:
How do I know if I should go ahead and start eating?

David:
Typically you will wait until your entire table party has received their plates. After that, you can go ahead and start eating.

Callie:
Do you have any other etiquette tips you want to share with us?

David:
Yes, this popped in my mind. Dress code. Fancy restaurants do have dress codes. Review that. If you are not sure what it means, Google it and try to dress according to it. Some fancy restaurants will ask that the males wear a jacket. Okay. Or you can dress casually, like a dress shirt and nice jeans. I have to share a story. Typically waiters will share a sample of a bottle of wine. You are expected to taste it, swirl it around, and then decide “yes” or “no” on that glass. It is okay to say no. That happens. In this story, a sample was poured, and the person did drink the whole glass. So it was like… Sure! You obviously liked it.

Callie:
Thank you, Chef David Uzzell for sharing your experiences about your life and your journey as a chef, and tips on fine dining with us!