Sample Circuit: Executive Chef, Nick O'Leary

photos courtesy of Noah Wolf Photography

It has only been a few months since Executive Chef Nick O’Leary took the helm of the restaurant Max kitchen. His tenure began in July 2008 as a sous chef under the opening chef, Matthew Holmes. It was not long before Chef Nick was promoted to the executive sous chef position. This past December, after the departure of Kevin Kathman, Chef Nick accepted the opportunity to lead the team.

Chef Nick’s first job was in a restaurant. At fifteen, he accepted a position as a bus boy at a truck stop restaurant near his family farm. When asked what attracted him to the role, he laughed, “My mom made me [get the job].”

The young chef was born and raised on a farm in Denmark, Wisc. His family raised dairy cows, chickens and geese. When asked what he learned from his rural upbringing, Chef Nick didn’t pause, “I learned discipline and a good work ethic - my mom is a great cook, I was exposed to fresh, delicious food early on.” The Chef didn’t try to hide the smile when he thought about his favorite dishes growing up, “Baking Soda Dumplings with Pork Hocks and Caraway Gravy, and Sauerkraut… oh, and Boiled Dinner (braised pork roast with potatoes and carrots).”

Not long after finishing high school, he moved to Milwaukee. He took a serving position at Tumbleweeds, a causal family concept that was popular throughout the Midwest. It was there that he truly got a taste for the things he loves about restaurant work. “Even then I was a bit of a foodie. I spent my spare time hanging out in the [kitchen] window watching the food come out.”

Like many great adventures, inspiration can come from odd, unexpected places. Late one night, after work, he was lying on his couch watching television when a commercial for Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis aired. Six weeks later Nick broke his lease, left Milwaukee and started culinary school in Minneapolis. While he was in school, he took a line cook position at the Palomino Club. “The most important and practical lesson that I learned in [culinary] school was layering. It is so important to season each component to the dish throughout the cooking process.”

On his time off (which, it seems is rare), he goes to one of his favorite neighborhood haunts. He mentioned several, but to name a few: Whitey’s, Quang (for those who have been, he orders the 503) and Saffron are among his favorites.

photos courtesy of Noah Wolf Photography

When given the choice of an indispensable item in the kitchen, Chef Nick said, “Red Bull”. As those who have worked in the industry know, the hours that chefs put in can be excessive. “In many ways, my colleagues are my family. We spend more time together than we do with anyone else. You have to be truly passionate about what you do to be successful in this industry, and surrounding yourself with talented people who you trust is a necessity.”
Chef Nick was recently promoted to the Executive Chef role from the executive sous chef position. He is launching a new menu, inspired by spring, at the end of this month. Roasted Halibut with Mushroom Duxcelle, Asparagus, Tomato Vinaigrette and Sunchokes on just one of the mouth watering selections he described to me.

With an obvious passion, and an easy smile, Chef Nick seems prepared to take on the challenges that come with his new leadership role. It will be exciting to see the impression he makes on the restaurant Max menu in the months to come. You can get a taste of it by joining us at the Sample Circuit event tomorrow (March 9th, 2010) at restaurant Max. You can get your tickets by clicking here.