A short history
My name is Russell Koc. Born and raised is Lisle, I graduated from Naperville North High School. Excited to get involved in the culinary world, I started classes in the Le Cordon Bleu program at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago only one month after graduating from high school. While attending school in Chicago I worked several jobs in different establishments to gain to gain as much experience as I could.
First was The Perfect Dinner in Oak Park. A small catering service that specialized in individual pre-packaged meals for busy families looking for nutritious yet affordable meals for their on-the-go lifestyles. After graduating from CHIC in late 2004 with an Associates in Applied Science in the Culinary Arts, I was offered a Sous Chef position from The Perfect Dinner which I was more than happy to accept. The Perfect Dinner was listed in Chicago Magazine in the Best of Chicago edition during my employment as well as a spot on the ABC News program. Although I didn't realize it until after I had left, The Perfect Dinner taught me the true meaning of teamwork and work relationships in the food industry.
Next was Capi's Italian Kitchen, located at the front of Chicago's Navy Pier. Here I learned the value of organization and time management as a sautee and pasta cook. Capi's handled hundreds of customers per night, so teamwork and organization were a must. Here I learned my most valuable guideline: "Teamwork is less work."
After an assortment of private jobs cooking for families and for other personal chefs, I took the Sous Chef position at Sausalito's Resaurant and Martini Bar in Chicago's upscale area of Lincoln Park. There I worked together with former classmate and friend Luke Olsta to operate and manage the kitchen. It was there that I learned the ins and outs the restaurant such as accounting skills, food and labor costs, menu planning, employee management, and various other skills that contribute to the smooth running of a fine dining establishment.