I walk in a commercial district where there is a relatively new U.S. Foods Chef’Store. I have been in this store on a couple of occasions, and indeed, there is everything a chef would want in there. The entire middle of the store is walled off and refrigerated. Heavy coats are provided for you to shop in there. Packaged desserts and fruits and vegetables in large quantities are plentiful. There is also an abundance of kitchen tools and accessories. I will have to admit, the store does intrigue me. I do cook on a regular basis and enjoy watching cooking shows. I love being able to create something eye-appealing and delicious out of a pile of raw ingredients. I am not a country cook; I need a recipe to cook. But, I do marvel at the contestants on those cooking shows who can whip up a beautiful and tasty concoction out of limited or odd and strange ingredients. It does require a certain amount of skill, but mostly determination to be a good cook. Chefs are on a whole other level. They require imagination and thinking outside the box. Let’s learn more about them.
According to Wikipedia, a chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the French term “chef de cuisine,” the director or head of a kitchen. Chefs can receive formal training from an institution, as well as by apprenticing with an experienced chef.
There are different terms that use the word chef in their titles and deal with specific areas of food preparation. Examples include a sous-chef, who acts as the second-in-command in a kitchen, a chef de partie, who handles a specific area of production. The kitchen brigade system is a hierarchy found in restaurants and hotels employing extensive staff, many of which use the word "chef" in their titles. Underneath the chefs are the kitchen assistants. A chef's standard uniform includes a hat called a toque, neckerchief, double-breasted jacket, apron and sturdy shoes that may include steel or plastic toe caps.
Auguste Escoffier
Georges Auguste Escoffier (28 October 1846 – 12 February 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods.
Much of Escoffier's technique was based on that of Marie-Antoine Carême, one of the codifiers of French haute cuisine; his achievement was to simplify and modernize Carême's elaborate and ornate style. In particular, he codified the recipes for the five mother sauces. Referred to by the French press as “roi des cuisiniers et cuisinier des rois” or "king of chefs and chef of kings"— also previously said of Carême, he was a preeminent figure in London and Paris during the 1890s and the early part of the 20th century.
Alongside the recipes, he elevated the profession. Kitchens used to be loud and riotous where drinking on the job was commonplace; he demanded cleanliness, quiet and discipline from his staff. He worked in partnership with hotelier César Ritz. The two rose to prominence together at the Savoy in London serving the elite of society and later at the Ritz Hotel in Paris and the Carlton in London.
Escoffier published “Le Guide Culinaire,” which is still used as a major reference work, both in the form of a cookbook and a textbook on cooking. His recipes, techniques and approaches to kitchen management remain highly influential today and have been adopted by chefs and restaurants not only in France, but also throughout the world.
Titles
Various titles, detailed below, are given to those working in a professional kitchen and each can be considered a title for a type of chef. Many of the titles are based on the brigade de cuisine or brigade system documented by Escoffier, while others have a more general meaning depending on the individual kitchen.
Chef de cuisine
Chef de cuisine or executive chef is the main chef in a restaurant. The chef de cuisine is in charge of all other functional chefs in the kitchen. This position is also known as grand chef, chef manager, head chef or master chef. If the chef also owns the restaurant, the term chef patron (feminine — chef patronne) is used. The chef de cuisine is in charge of all activities related to the kitchen, which usually includes creating menus, managing kitchen staff, ordering and purchasing stock and equipment, plating design and ensuring the quality of the meals that are served in the restaurant. Chef de cuisine is the traditional French term, meaning “chief of the kitchen” or “kitchen manager,” from which the English word chef is derived. Head chef is often used to designate someone with the same duties as an executive chef but, in larger restaurants there is usually someone in charge of a head chef who makes executive decisions such as the direction of the menu, has final authority regarding staff hiring and management decisions and sets the overall tone and style of the restaurant. This is often the case for executive chefs who are in charge of several restaurants.
Sous-chef
A sous-chef de cuisine — French: “under-chef of the kitchen” — is a chef who is "the second in command in a kitchen; the person ranking next after the executive chef.” Consequently, the sous-chef holds much responsibility in the kitchen, which can eventually lead to promotion to becoming the executive chef. A sous-chef is employed by an institution that uses a commercial-grade kitchen, such as a restaurant, hotel or cruise ship.
The sous-chef has many responsibilities, because the executive chef has a more overarching role. Sous-chefs must plan and direct how the food is presented on the plate, keep their kitchen staff in order, train new chefs, create the work schedule and make sure all the food that goes to customers is of the best quality to maintain high standards.
Sous-chefs are in charge of making sure all kitchen equipment is in working order. They must thoroughly understand how to use and troubleshoot all appliances and cooking instruments in the event of a malfunctioning cooking device. Sous-chefs are in charge of disciplining any kitchen staff who may have acted against restaurant policy. Incentive programs are commonly used among sous-chefs to encourage their staff to abide by rules and regulations and motivate them to work efficiently at all times. Under the oversight of the sous-chef, downtime should be used for prepping, cleaning and other kitchen duties. They are responsible for inventory, product and supply rotation and menu tasting. Sous-chefs need to be responsive and have the ability to improvise when a problem arises while the restaurant is busy. They must also ensure safety precautions and sanitary provisions are taken to ensure a safe and clean working environment.
Many sous-chefs get to their position through promotion after receiving training and experiences in the culinary profession.
In Canada, one way to advance to the sous-chef position is by getting a specialized college diploma, acquiring the knowledge necessary to qualify to take the Red Seal for the Journeyman Cook exam. A year after completing the exam, it is possible to enroll in the Chef Program to take an exam with the Canadian Culinary Federation. Then, after four to five years of working experience, one can apply to the Certified Chef de Cuisine program.
Chef de partie
A chef de partie, station chef or line cook is a chef in charge of a particular area of production in a restaurant. In large kitchens, each chef de partie might have several cooks or assistants.
In most kitchens, however, the chef de partie is the only worker in that department. Line cooks are often divided into a hierarchy of their own, starting with "first cook," then "second cook" and continuing if needed by the establishment.
Commis chef/Range chef
A commis is a basic chef in larger kitchens who works under a chef de partie to learn the station's or range's responsibilities and operation. This may be a chef who has recently completed formal culinary training or is still undergoing training.
Brigade de cuisine
This is a comprehensive list of the members of a full kitchen brigade. Only the largest of establishments would have an extensive staff of this size. As noted under some titles, certain positions are combined into other positions when such a large staff is unnecessary. Note: Despite the use of chef in English as the title for a cook, the word actually means "chief" or "head" in French. Similarly, cuisine means "kitchen," but also refers to food or cooking generally, or a type of food or cooking.
Chef de cuisine (kitchen chef, "chief of the kitchen") is responsible for overall management of kitchen — supervises staff, creates menus and new recipes with the assistance of the restaurant manager, makes purchases of raw food items, trains apprentices and maintains a sanitary and hygienic environment for the preparation of food.
Sous-chef de cuisine (deputy/second kitchen chef, "under-chief") receives orders directly from the chef de cuisine for the management of the kitchen and often serves as the representative when the chef de cuisine is not present.
Saucier (saucemaker/sauté cook) prepares sauces and warm hors d’oeuvres, completes meat dishes and in smaller restaurants, may work on fish dishes and prepare sautéed items. This is one of the most respected positions in the kitchen brigade.
Chef de partie (senior chef, "chief of the group") is responsible for managing a given station in the kitchen, specializing in preparing particular dishes there. Those who work in a lesser station are commonly referred to as a demi-chef.
Cuisinier (cook)is an independent position, usually preparing specific dishes in a station, may also be referred to as a cuisinier de partie.
Commis (junior cook / assistant cook)also works in a specific station, but reports directly to the chef de partie and takes care of the tools for the station. A woman is a commise.
Apprenti(e) (apprentice)are often students gaining theoretical and practical training in school and work experience in the kitchen. They perform preparatory work and/or cleaning work. An apprenti is a male and apprentie female.
Plongeur (dishwasher or kitchen porter) cleans dishes and utensils and may be entrusted with basic preparatory jobs.
Marmiton (pot and pan washer, kitchen porter) in larger restaurants, takes care of all the pots and pans instead of the plongeur.
Rôtisseur (roast cook) manages a team of cooks that roasts, broils and deep fries dishes.
Grillardin (grill cook) in larger kitchens, prepares grilled foods instead of the rôtisseur.
Friturier (fry cook) in larger kitchens, prepares fried foods instead of the rôtisseur.
Poissonnier (fish cook) prepares fish and seafood dishes.
Entremétier / entremettier (entrée preparer) prepares soups and other dishes not involving meat or fish, including vegetable dishes and egg dishes. Originally the entremets preparer.
Potager (soup cook) in larger kitchens, reports to the entremétier and prepares the soups.
Legumier (vegetable cook) in larger kitchens, also reports to the entremétier and prepares the vegetable dishes.
Garde manger (pantry supervisor, "food keeper") is responsible for preparation of cold hors d’oeuvres, pâtés, terrines and aspics; prepares salads; organizes large buffet displays; and prepares charcuterie items.
Tournant (spare hand/roundsman) moves throughout the kitchen, assisting other positions in kitchen.
Pâtissier (pastry cook) prepares desserts and other meal-end sweets, and for locations without a boulanger, also prepares breads and other baked items, may also prepare pasta.
Confiseur in larger restaurants, prepares candies and petit fours instead of the pâtissier.
Glacier in larger restaurants, prepares frozen and cold desserts instead of the pâtissier.
Décorateur in larger restaurants, prepares show pieces and specialty cakes instead of the pâtissier.
Boulanger (baker)in larger restaurants, prepares bread, cakes and breakfast pastries instead of the pâtissier.
Boucher (butcher)butchers meats, poultry and sometimes fish, may also be in charge of breading meat and fish items.
Aboyeur (announcer/expediter) takes orders from the dining room and distributes them to the various stations, may also be performed by the sous-chef de partie.
Communard (staff cook) prepares the meal for the restaurant staff.
Garçon de cuisine ("kitchen boy") in larger restaurants, performs preparatory and auxiliary work for support.
Culinary education
Education is available from many culinary institutions offering diploma, associate and bachelor's degree programs in culinary arts. Depending on the level of education, this can take one to four years. An internship is often part of the curriculum. Regardless of the education received, most professional kitchens follow the apprenticeship system, and most new cooks will start at a lower-level second or first cook position and work their way up.
Like many skilled trades, chefs usually go through a formal apprenticeship which includes many years of on-the-job training. Culinary schools and restaurants offer these apprenticeships. To become an apprentice, one must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED. Apprenticeships usually take three to four years to complete and combine classroom instruction with on-the-job training. The training period for a chef is generally four years as an apprentice. A newly qualified chef is advanced or more commonly a toquecommis-chef, consisting of first-year commis, second-year commis and so on. The rate of pay is usually in accordance with the chefs. Like all other chefs except the executive chef, trainees are placed in sections of the kitchen e.g., the starter appetizer or entrée sections, under the guidance of a demi-chef de partie and are given relatively basic tasks. Ideally, over time, a commis will spend a certain period in each section of the kitchen to learn the basics. Unaided, a commis may work on the vegetable station of a kitchen.
The usual formal training period for a chef is two to four years in catering college. They often spend the summer in work placements. In some cases, this is modified to “day-release” courses; a chef will work full-time in a kitchen as an apprentice and then would have allocated days off to attend catering college. These courses can last between one and three years. In the UK, most chefs are trained in the workplace, with most doing a formal National Vocational Qualifications level 2 or 3 in the workplace.
Uniform
The standard uniform for a chef includes a hat called a toque, necktie, double-breasted jacket, apron and shoes with steel or plastic toe caps. A chef's hat was originally designed as a tall, rippled hat called a Dodin Bouffant or more commonly a toque.
Neckties were originally worn to allow for the mopping of sweat from the face, but as this is now against health regulations, they are largely decorative. The chef's necktie was originally worn on the inside of the jacket to stop sweat running from the face and neck down the body. The jacket is usually white to show off the chef's cleanliness and repel heat, and is double-breasted to prevent serious injuries from burns and scalds. The double breast also serves to conceal stains on the jacket as one side can be rebuttoned over the other, which is common practice.
An apron is worn to just below knee-length, also to assist in the prevention of burns because of spillage. If hot liquid is spilled onto it, the apron can be quickly removed to minimize burns and scalds. Shoes and clogs are hard-wearing and with a steel-top cap to prevent injury from falling objects or knives. According to some hygiene regulations, jewelry is not allowed apart from wedding bands and religious jewelry. If wound dressings are required, they should be blue — an unusual color for foodstuffs — so that they are noticeable if they fall into food. Facial hair and longer hair are often required to be netted or trimmed for food safety. Bandages on the hands are usually covered with nylon gloves. Latex is not typically used for food preparation due to latex allergy.
Best celebrity chefs
According to Logan Rapp’s Oct. 23, 2019 article “Celebrity Chefs You Most Wish Would Cook For You” at ranker.com, some of the best celebrity chefs are listed below.
Gordon Ramsay
According to Wikipedia, Gordon James Ramsay (born November 8, 1966) is a British chef, restaurateur, television personality and writer. Born in Johnstone, Scotland, and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he founded his global restaurant group, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, in 1997. It has been awarded 16 Michelin stars in total and currently holds a total of seven. After rising to fame on the British television miniseries “Boiling Point” in 1999, Ramsay had become one of the best-known and most influential chefs in the UK by 2004.
As a reality television personality, Ramsay is known for his bluntness, as well as occasionally fiery temper, strict demeanor and frequent use of profanity. He combines activities in the television, film, hospitality and food industries and has promoted and hired various chefs who have apprenticed under his wing. Ramsay is known for presenting TV programs about competitive cookery and food, such as the American versions of “Hell’s Kitchen” from 2005 to the present, “Kitchen Nightmares” from 2007 to 2014, “MasterChef” from 2010 to the present, “MasterChef Junior” from 2013 to the present, as well as “Hotel Hell” from 2012 to 2016, “Gordon Behind Bars in 2012 and “24 Hours to Hell and Back” from 2018 to the present.
Ramsay was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 New Year Honors list for services to the hospitality industry. In July 2006, he won the Catey award for "Independent Restaurateur of the Year," becoming only the third person to have won three Catey awards. In 2020, Forbes listed his earnings at $70 million for the previous 12 months and ranked him the 19th-highest-earning celebrity in the world.
Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Michael Bourdain (June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American chef, book author, journalist and travel documentarian who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine and the human condition. Bourdain was a 1978 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and a veteran of a number of professional kitchens in his long career, which included many years spent as an executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles in Manhattan. He first became known for his bestselling book “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly,” published in 2000.
His first food and world-travel television show “A Cook’s Tour” ran for 35 episodes on the Food Network in 2002 and 2003. In 2005, he began hosting the Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure programs “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” from 2005 to 2012 and “The Layover” from 2011 to 2013. In 2013, he began a three-season run as a judge on “The Taste,” and concurrently switched his travelogue programming to CNN to host “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.” Though best known for his culinary writings and television presentations — along with several books on food and cooking and travel adventures — Bourdain also wrote both fiction and historical nonfiction. On June 8, 2018, Bourdain died by suicide while on location in France for “Parts Unknown.”
Alton Brown
Alton Crawford Brown Jr. (born July 30, 1962) is an American television personality, food show presenter, chef, author, actor, cinematographer and musician. He is the creator and host of the Food Network television show “Good Eats” that ran for 14 seasons, host of the miniseries “Feasting on Asphalt” and “Feasting on Waves,” and host and main commentator on “Iron Chef America” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.” Brown is a best-selling author of several books on food and cooking. A recap series titled "Good Eats Reloaded" aired on Cooking Channel starting in October 2018, and a true sequel series, “Good Eats: The Return,” premiered on August 25, 2019, on Food Network.
Bobby Flay
Robert William Flay (born December 10, 1964) is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of several restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas; Bar Americain in New York and at the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City; Gato in New York, and Bobby’s Burger Palace in 19 locations across 11 states.
Flay has hosted several Food Network television programs, appeared as a guest and hosted a number of specials on the network. Flay is also featured on the “Great Chefs” television series.
Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Johannes Puck was born July 8, 1949 in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Carinthia, Austria. He learned cooking from his mother, who was a pastry chef. He took the surname of his stepfather, Josef Puck, after his mother's remarriage. He trained as an apprentice under Raymond Thuilier at L'Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence, at Hôtel de Paris in Monaco and at Maxim’s Paris before moving to the United States in 1973 at age 24. After two years at La Tour in Indianapolis, Puck moved to Los Angeles to become chef and part owner of Ma Maison restaurant.
Following the 1981 publication of his first cookbook, “Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen,” which was based on his Ma Maison recipes, Puck opened the restaurant Spago on the Sunset Strip in 1982. Fifteen years later, in 1997, Puck and Barbara Lazaroff, his ex-wife and business partner, moved the award-winning Spago to Beverly Hills. It has been recognized as one of the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. since 2004. New York-based restaurant recommendation website The Infatuation wrote that "Spago made Wolfgang Puck the first — and maybe only — chef you and your grandma know by name."
His success enabled him to launch the Wolfgang Puck Companies which includes the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Worldwide Inc. and Wolfgang Puck Catering. The Wolfgang Puck Companies encompass over 20 fine dining restaurants, among the top 40 restaurants in the U.S., premium catering services, more than 80 Wolfgang Puck Express operations and kitchen and food merchandise, including cookbooks, canned foods and coffee products. He is the official caterer for the Academy Awards Governors Ball and has parlayed his celebrity into acting; his credits include “Frasier,” a recurring role as himself on “Las Vegas” and a cameo appearance in “The Weather Man.” He also appeared as himself on “Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters,” as well as “Cooking Class with Wolfgang Puck” on the Food Network, and in an American Idol season finale episode where he introduced unusual foods to Kellie Pickler in comic relief segments. He was featured as a guest judge on Season 7 of “MasterChef.” He also made a cameo appearance as himself on an episode of “Tales from the Crypt,” and appeared in a TV commercial advertising the state of California — along with famous people such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jack Nicholson.
Wolfgang Puck is active in philanthropic endeavors and charitable organizations. He co-founded the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation in 1982. The foundation supports the annual American Wine & Food Festival which benefits Meals on Wheels; it has raised more than $15 million since its inception. He is The Honorary Chair Chef of the "Five Star Sensation" benefit in Cleveland, Ohio, which, every two years, helps to bring $10 million to support The Ireland Cancer Foundation of University Hospitals.
One of his signature dishes at his original restaurant, Spago, is House Smoked Salmon Pizza.
Emeril Lagasse
Emeril John Lagassé III (born October 15, 1959) is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, cookbook author and National Best Recipe award winner for his “Turkey and Hot Sausage Chili” recipe in 2003. He is a regional James Beard Award winner, known for his mastery of Creole and Cajun cuisine and his self-developed "New New Orleans" style.
He has appeared on a wide variety of cooking TV shows, including the long-running Food Network shows “Emeril Live” and “Essence of Emeril,” and is associated with several catchphrases, including "Kick it up a notch!" and "Bam!" Lagasse's portfolio of media, products and restaurants generates an estimated $150 million annually in revenue.
Lagasse graduated from the culinary school JWU in 1978 and became executive chef at Dunfey's Hyannis Resort in 1979. He was nominated as Chef of the Year in 1983.
In 1982 Lagasse succeeded Paul Prudhomme as executive chef of Commander’s Palace in New Orleans under Richard Brennan Sr. He led the kitchen there for seven and a half years before leaving to open his own restaurant.
In 1990 he opened Emeril's in New Orleans. It was designated "Restaurant of the Year" in Esquire magazine that year and has been a recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award since 1999. Many of his restaurants, as well as his corporate office, Emeril's Homebase, are located in New Orleans.
In August 2006 Lagasse contributed several recipes to the meal selection aboard the International Space Station, as part of a general NASA effort to improve the quality of the food supply for astronauts. Lagasse's cuisine in particular was selected in the hopes that the spicier fare would offset the reported tendency of microgravity to deaden flavors.
Lagasse is the executive chef and proprietor of thirteen restaurants in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Alex Guarnaschelli
Alexandra Maria Guarnaschelli (born 1972) is an executive chef at New York City's Butter restaurant and was executive chef at The Darby restaurant before its closing. She appears as a television personality on the Food Network shows “The Kitchen,” “Chopped” as a judge, “Iron Chef America,” “All Star Family Cook-off,” “Guy’s Grocery Games” as both a judge and a competitor and “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” She hosts “Alex’s Day Off,” “The Cooking Loft” and “Supermarket Stakeout” on Food Network and Cooking Channel. In 2012, she won that season of “The Next Iron Chef: Redemption.”
In 2013, Guarnaschelli's first cookbook was published. “Old-School Comfort Food: The Way I Learned to Cook” mixes autobiographical details with favorite recipes from her professional life that she adapted for the home.
Jamie Oliver
Jamie Trevor Oliver (born 27 May 1975) is a British chef and restaurateur. He is known for his approachable cuisine, which has led him to front numerous television shows and open many restaurants.
Born and raised in Clavering, Essex, he was educated in London before joining Antonio Carluccio's Neal Street restaurant as a pastry chef. While serving as a sous-chef at the River Café, he was noticed by Patricia Llewellyn of Optomen; and in 1999 the BBC aired his television show “The Naked Chef.” This was followed by a first cookbook, which became a No. 1 UK bestseller. His television work included a documentary, “Jamie’s Kitchen,” which gained him an invitation from Prime Minister Tony Blair to visit 10 Downing Street.
In 2005, he opened a campaign, Feed Me Better, to introduce schoolchildren to healthier foods, which was later backed by the government.
His TED talk won him the 2010 TED Prize. In June 2003, Oliver was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Aarón Sánchez
Aarón Sánchez (born February 12, 1976) is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, cookbook author and philanthropist of Mexican descent. He is the executive chef and part-owner of the Mexican restaurant Johnny Sánchez in New Orleans.
He co-starred on Food Network's hit series “Chopped” and “Chopped Jr.” and hosted Cooking Channel's Emmy-nominated “Taco Trip.” He has appeared on “Iron Chef America,” and is one of the few chefs whose battles have ended in a draw, tying with Masaharu Morimoto in "Battle Black Bass" in Season 2. He was also a contestant on “The Next Iron Chef.” He is the author of two cookbooks, and a memoir “Where I Come From: Life Lessons From a Latino Chef.” An active philanthropist, Sánchez launched the Aarón Sánchez Scholarship Fund, an initiative empowering aspiring chefs from the Latin community to follow their dreams and attend culinary school. As of 2017, he is one of the judges/hosts of FOX's hit reality TV culinary competition series “MasterChef” since Season 8 onwards after previously guest starring in a select number of episodes in Season 7 as a guest judge, co-hosting alongside Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich from the Season 8 finale to the present and Christina Tosi from Season 8 to Season 9 and as a guest judge in Episode 11. He has also joined the judging panel of “MasterChef Junior” since its 7th season, which debuted in March 2019, after guest-starring in Season 5, which debuted early 2017.
Amanda Freitag
Amanda Freitag (born May 11, 1972) is a New York chef and frequent guest on Food Network television programs. Originally from Cedar Grove, New Jersey, she is also a judge on the TV cooking competition “Chopped” and co-host, with Ty Pennington, of “American Diner Revival.”
Freitag attended Cedar Grove High School where her home economics teacher, Joan Levine, suggested that Freitag might be interested in attending the Culinary Institute of America.
Following graduation from the Culinary Institute of America in 1989, she took a position at Vong New York working under chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. In 1994, she left Vong to cook at Verbena, under chef Diane Forley. After Verbena, she traveled to France and Italy, working for a short while at L’Arpège restaurant under chef Alain Passard in 1999.
In 2003, Freitag and restaurateur Godfrey Polistina opened the Upper West Side restaurant Cesca Enoteca & Trattoria.
Freitag was chef de cuisine at Cesca, before moving to an executive chef position at The Harrison. On September 3, 2010, the New York Times reported that Freitag would be leaving the Harrison, and the restaurant's owner, Jimmy Bradley, would return as chef.
Commentaires