Behind the Scenes: Executive Sous Chef Jesus Garcia
People working at Localis are more than just employees, they’re family! And since you Trust Us To Feed You Well™, we thought you might enjoy getting to know more about them.
Executive Sous Chef Jesus Garcia Image ©2017 Rachel Valley
We begin with Executive Sous Chef Jesus Garcia. Jesus has been an integral part of Localis since we opened our doors in 2015. His culinary influence and reliability have been a cornerstone for the restaurant’s development, and he’s even more excited about what’s to come.
We sat down with Jesus and talked about everything from his formal education to what it's like working in the back of the house (the kitchen). We even got him to disclose where he likes to get his favorite bites!
Q. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME?
A. Jesus Antonio Garcia.
Q. WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR EDUCATION?
A. Le Cordon Bleu in Sacramento, where I earned an Associates Degree in the Culinary Arts.
Q. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH LOCALIS?
A. From the beginning, about a year and a half now. It has become my life. And I like it.
Q. WHERE ELSE HAVE YOU WORKED?
A. I started in East Sac at a place called Clark’s Corner. I was there for about four years. Then I moved to Roseville with Chef (Christopher Barnum-Dann), and then I followed him from there to Localis.
Q. THAT’S A RELATIVELY SHORT AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE KIND OF BEAUTIFUL FOOD THAT YOU DO! HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT?
A. Even at Clark’s Corner, I knew I could cook this kind of food. I have always been skilled at classic techniques.
Q. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF DISH TO MAKE?
I like to cook Italian food, just because it uses a lot of old-school ways of building flavors. The product can really speak for itself.
Q. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO EAT?
A lot of Thai. A lot of Japanese. I really like going to Kru and Yang’s Noodles. Everything is good. Everything is homemade. You can tell that these places build their flavors and truly care when they put a dish together.
Q. AND TO DRINK?
A. Red Bull. I really like Red Bull. It keeps me going.
Q. YOU SHIFT INTO “SERIOUS MODE” WHEN YOU’RE WORKING ON THE LINE (IN THE KITCHEN). WHAT’S ONE THING WE’D BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?
A. Hmmm...I guess that I’m not that much of an a**hole (laughs).
Q. YOU’RE A CHEF THAT BALANCES FAMILY AND WORK LIFE. WOULD YOU EVER WANT YOUR KIDS TO GO INTO THIS BUSINESS?
A. It really depends on what they want. If they had a passion for cooking, for food, I think that even if they hear the hardships of working in an actual kitchen, if you do what you love, it’s really rewarding in the end.