Meet Jeff Fritz | Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeff Fritz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeff, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

I’ve always been passionate about working with my hands. In a roundabout way this led me to food & fire. From the first day I attended culinary school I knew that this was my true calling. My overall idea of this cooking has morphed over time as I learned more about different foods, techniques, and cultures. But this knowledge about cooking has blossomed and defined who I am as a Chef, Husband, and Father.

I’ve used this knowledge to create a Farm to Fire style business showcasing many styles of food, cooking techniques, and flavors. But my main goal is to showcase man’s most primal cooking instinct, fire. This style has become our model, within that we search out the best local ingredients from meat to seafood, vegetables, wines and more. We showcase these products using both ancient and modern cooking techniques while showcasing the many farmers/wineries/mills. Communication is key to the diner’s experience as we invite many of the different producers to talk about their different amazing products.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I chose this topic not because I think I’m an artist but because people eat with their eyes first. Plating is a form of art and being creative is your expression of that art on the plate. I think that this creative side can come from many places but for me my creative side comes from a drive to bring people together. What better way to do that than over a plate of food. Everyone needs to eat, and the right food shared over a table creates amazing conversations even with those that don’t always see eye to eye. I’ve seen people that basically hate each other come together and talk, laugh, and carry on over a plate of food. Food can bring out the best in us and allows us to forget our troubles at least for a little bit.

The creativity on the plate allows others to open their sense to wide, smells are stronger, tastes are deeper, and even sounds become clearer. I think that art in any form stimulates the mind and allows for more thought. As a chef it’s my goal to provide that stimulation that creates a moment of pause followed by taught and conversation.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is always a hard question for me to answer. Many times, my favorite spot is in my own kitchen and backyard. I love to cook for family and friends anytime I can. Also being at my home it gives us a chance to be ourselves. But if I must go out personally it depends on what I’m feeling. Some days I just want a great burger and fries from a place called White Oak Tavern here in Ellicott City. Other times It’s a great pasta dish from Il Canali in Georgetown. Both places open my senses and allows me to kick back and just enjoy the atmosphere with great food, family, and friends.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

Other than the most obvious of my family there have been many mentors, friends along the way. I spent over 20 years in the Air Force, and this allowed me to interact with a lot of people from around the world. My good friend Chief Tracy “Sassy” Massey was a great mentor to me while I was still active duty. She lived the open-door policy that many upper management/leaders claimed to offer. I can remember several times when she would just listen to my thoughts and allow me to crash on her office couch after a rough day. That couch seemed to be the spot for many of us when we needed someone to talk too. Sassy was always there, and she cared about all of us. She knew what to say even when you might not want to hear it. She pushed me on to this path even when I was scared to leave the world, I knew for 15 years behind. She helped reenforced my passions when I was feeling low and always provided me encouragement when I needed it. I started this journey in food before I really knew her, but she was a strong supporter for everything in my career after that. So, thank you Chief, you are the best and I still can’t thank you enough for everything you taught me and the kind words.

In a few other articles that I have out there I mention two chefs that have meant a lot to me and my family. Chef’s Rachael and David Knickrehm took me under their wings and thought me what it really meant to be a chef. I understood that it wasn’t all the TV stuff we see these days but hard work, long hours, and a dedication that were the true key to being a great chef. They also taught me the value of personal time and needing to value my family & friends. They gave me one of the most important things in life as a chef and that was perspective, without it you can easily get lost.

Website: www.chefJeffFritz.com

Instagram: Chef_jeff_fritz

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chef-jeff-fritz-4a363218/

Facebook: Chef_jeff_Fritz

Youtube: @Chef_jeff_fritz

Image Credits
Jon Guzman Guzman Multimedia