ZZest: The People
LeeAnn
One of only 121 Certified Cheese Professionals, worldwide, she has made a career of researching and finding
the unique foods which she used to design restaurant menus, and is now
using her culinary talent to bring over-the-top “gourmet” ingredients to
both our café and your kitchen.
Bre
Hello there. My name is Bre!. I first fell in love with food when my
uncle moved in with my family when I was very young. He was the chef in
our family and I loved spending time with him in the kitchen. I started
my culinary career when I was 13 at restaurant called Sandy Point in my
hometown, Oronoco.
I started working with Jerry seven years ago at the City Café, Newt’s,
Newt’s Express, The Redwood Room, The Broadstreet Café and 300 First
(his first group of restaurants). It wasn’t until last spring that I
came into ZZest and I fell in love!! I couldn’t believe all of the
cheese and the amazing ingredients that are available in the store that
I knew I had to work here. I currently am the wine and beer buyer and
work with all of the cheese. I look forward to seeing you in our store
and helping you.
Adam
Casey
Hey, I’m Casey. I attend RCTC to obtain my business degree and I am
planning to own my own restaurant in Florida when I graduate. I started
out working at PI Wood-Fired Pizza, but now I’m working at the most
enjoyable, family owned restaurant on the planet--ZZest! I have the
pleasure of keeping the store in tip-top shape; I go by the name “Handy
Man.” I repair broken things such as chairs, lights, etc. I also can
pull some fresh mozzarella, and do minimum cooking. I enjoy every part
of my job, but my favorite part is when we slow down for the night and
one of the chefs (John or Eric) makes us some food to re-energize us.
The food is by far the best I have ever had. Just thinking about it
makes my mouth water
Chad
Eric
I began my restaurant career in the front of the house waiting tables
and bartending at The Redwood Room in the mid nineties. I spent a couple
of years at the Smiling Moose. Then my wife and I packed up for north
Dallas Texas. That is where I got the foodie bug waiting tables at a
cool Mediterranean café named Sambuca with live jazz and some great
food.
After a little begging, Chef Pete Nolasco let me have a shot in the
kitchen. As the only English speaking cook in the kitchen it was “trial
by fire.” After six months I was promoted to sous chef of the soon to
open Denver location. Located in lower downtown Denver and a short drive
to the world’s best skiing, it was the perfect place for me. After one
year under the classically French trained Chef Jackie Lee Fields, I was
promoted to head chef. I spent two years as the chef of Sambuca before I
decided it was time to dive into food a little deeper. I left Sambuca
for a position at The Hill Top Café in Golden Colorado, where I worked under
Chef Ian Klienman, an up and coming chef in the Denver area, who was
starting to get some national recognition. After two years and two kids
my wife and I were ready to head back to Rochester. I’ve spent six years
with Creative Cuisine (Jerry's previous restaurant group) since my
return. I spent a few years at City Café before I went to help open the
kitchen at 300 first and then Pazzo. After that I was off to my next
adventure at ZZest. Jerry and LeeAnn have taken all of us in with their
huge hearts and made us apart of a very unique restaurant experience.
Claire
Jamie
Jamie is dyed-in-the-wool foodie and currently tends the cheeses at
ZZest. She joined the ZZest family in fall of 2009 as a cheese cutter
and general helper about the market. Jamie has an eclectic background.
Starting her foodie work through 4H in her early years, she also
competed in quilting, embroidery, and other crafty hand-work vocations.
Jamie chose to leverage that passion for detail work in her choice of
career, graduating from the University of Minnesota as an Occupational
Therapist. Her experience and life took an interesting twist when she
married her husband Jim and was subsumed into his and his family’s sport
of auto-racing. Jamie learned how to “wrench” a car and eventually
graduated to becoming THE crew chief on their family owned sprint car.
Jamie, and Jim, earned 2 track championships and a National Champion
title. As her family matured, Jamie went back to her roots working for a
high-end caterer and onto working for a small, boutique café. She then
branched into previous unchartered territory as a bread baker for an
artisan bread bakery. Here Jamie earned the moniker of “oven duck”
meaning the master baker; calm on the outside, but paddling like mad
underneath. This work was great prep for next adventure in the mad-house
environment of the busy downtown deli-counter at City Market. All
through this time, Jamie honed her culinary skills creating epicurean
delights for family and friends. Add in Jamie’s love of travel and
exploration of foods (she loves to visit the local grocery stores
wherever she goes), wines, and unique dining and you get one well
rounded foodie.
Hillary
John
My first job in the restaurant industry was making pizzas at a bowling
alley when I was twelve. Since then, I have been in and out of the bar &
grills, super clubs, and golf courses, along with family style
restaurants. After graduating high school, trying to figure out the next
step, I wanted to get more involved in fine dining or more of the
culinary arts background to learn a little bit more in depth about food.
I enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu, and worked my way through school. I
graduated with an associate’s degree in applied science and a culinary
arts degree. In 2004, I started my internship at Nosh Restaurant & Bar
in Wabasha, MN. There I learned a lot about where the food is coming
from. The focus was local and seasonal along with everything made in
house. Eventually, I had worked my way up to sous chef, and had a
variety of different tasks to keep me busy: butcher, baking, focusing on
stocks and sauces, along with some desert work, ice creams & sorbets,
and composing plates. Feeling like it was time to see and start
something new, I had accepted a sous chef position at Sontes in
Rochester, MN. The focus there was tapas, small plates, again using
local where we could, and sourcing very nice ingredients or products
such as Serrano hams, cured meats, and French cheeses. I was also
fortunate to have Justin walk me through more of the business side of
the restaurant, such as inventory, ordering, and purchasing, along with
costing out plates. Another opportunity came my way as a personal
executive chef at private business in Rochester, MN, located in the old Mayo Wood
Mansion. There I was responsible for all meals for the week for ten to
twelve residents. The type of food I was putting out was getting back
into home cooking or comfort food. That lasted about a year, and due to
some financial issues, the owner had or close its doors. Looking for
that new opportunity, I wanted to have a lot of creative control,
planning and executing the menu to share my interests and take on food.
I had randomly applied at ZZest and Jerry and LeeAnn took me in, and
have provided me with a great opportunity to do just that. Some things I
enjoy outside of work are traveling, eating, snowboarding, golfing,
along with camping and fishing in the summertime.
Todd
Stef
My name is Stef. I am an ambitious and determined girl! When
I first realized that I'd found my passion for cooking, I pursued my
dream and enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu at Brown College. When I graduated
from there I interned at Broadstreet Cafe. I've been with the growing
company ever since I was hired straight from my internship. I have
worked at 300 First, Redwood Room, Newts Express, and Pi Pizza. I am
currently at the job of my dreams... ZZest. I have been broadening
my senses and my palette while at ZZest and I hope to learn something new
each and every day! My off days are generally spent relaxing or spending
some time with my friends and family.
Lizy
Lindsay
There are those of us who pride themselves on being wine
connoisseurs; allowing their palates to detect certain aromas, and
determining the finish and length of each sip. Others, feel drawn to be
cheese enthusiasts, and make it their deputation to learn all they can
about camemberts, manchegos, and bries.
I, on the other hand, have found my own place in determining what my
expertise is on…chocolate.
I have been involved in the restaurant business for all of my life, and
I have always had a hobby of loving chocolate--now it has become my job.
I am the self-appointed chocolate specialist.
Working at ZZest has allowed me to broaden my horizons, not
only with chocolate, but with cookies and cakes as well, of course.
Although I may sound a trite vacuous, I truly love my job and I am able
to take on many tasks, so I never become bored. In the summers I oversee
the patio outside, while in the winter season (AKA Minnesota’s other 9
months,) I do managerial work like a big kid.
My favorite of all -- yes, even more so than my love of chocolate -- is
being able to let my creative side out. I am, and have been, studying
photography in college and often times I am permitted to take pictures
of the store and employees, create signs and posters, and help at least
one of the owners in double checking her grammar on newsletters...
I once was a fastidious, persnickety, and chicken-nugget-devouring
eater, and now, turned into an open-minded, unbiased,
please-pass-the-foie consumer.
Healory
Hi
name is Healory Mejia, also known as Li'l Hill. My parents were born and
raised in Guatemala. I was born in California and have been raised in MN
my whole life. I am currently a college student attending RCTC, and have
two dogs named Kobe and Marley. Not sure where my career will end up
being but hoping that I can be a drug and alcohol counselor someday.
Currently I am very happy with my profession. This is my first serving
job. I have been here for almost two years. I have grown so much as a
person working at ZZest and learning from all the great teachers that
surround me. My palate has acquired new levels for textures and flavors.
I have grown somewhat in the wine and beer department as well (thanks to
Miss Bre Holten). I have matured in many aspects in my life in the last
two years, growing up with some of the finest folks I know. One of my
favorite parts about working at ZZest is watching the seasons change
while working on the patio in the summer and inside in the winter. I
love how our menu changes for lunch and dinner, too. We have changes in
wine and beer as well. I love this because, as I like to say, it keep
things fun, a little different, and makes people want to come back. The
best part of this is the guests who might not have planned to, but end
up falling in love with something they never tried before.
A little more of me: I love to spending time with my family my dogs and
my amazing boy friend. I enjoy eating and trying new foods and traveling
and talking to anyone and everyone. Someday I hope to be able to have my
own coffee plantation. With that said hopefully I will be seeing you
soon to show you something you may never though you would fall in love
with.
Jerry (right)
I started washing dishes when I was 15 years old, in Rochester’s
Perkins Restaurant. Today, I have mastered many of the toughest
dishwashing techniques.
In a quest to be promoted to line cook, I left my dishwashing job at age
16, and started to cook at the, now defunct, Embers restaurant. It was
there that I was taught by my manager, Mike Currie, all phases of
restaurant operation, including line cooking; waiting tables; hosting;
cashiering; inventories; food ordering; menu costing; sanitation;
personnel hiring, training, and scheduling; and restaurant management.
I also regularly cooked breakfast, alone, for over 150 people a day.
That was the deal I made with Mike to earn $4 an hour wages -- double
the going rate. It was not much training towards culinary expertise,
but, I am now able to organize myself and do twelve things all at once.
I also further honed my skills at dishwashing.
My manager, Mike, and I eventually decided that we could run restaurants
better than our employers, so, we ventured off onto our own. In
1978, after dropping out of college with promises to my father that I’d
finish "some day" and talking my father out of a lot of money (as well
as his IBM retirement), we started our first restaurant, “The Bank,” in
downtown Rochester.
We soon realized how much we really did not know about running
restaurants, and we also found out that hundred-hour work weeks could
make up for a fair amount of ignorance.
The Bank fit the 1970’s style of restaurants as a supper-club-in-an-unusual-environment, aka, “themed” restaurant. It was in the day when people ate
the same steak & potatoes as they always had, but, in a “train” or an
“airport” or a “cave” or a “gold mine” or some other more clever venue.
The Bank was a suit & tie, classy place, that ended up falling into the
category of an “occasional dining” spot -- i.e. birthday and anniversary
only. The most frequent comment was
“I ate there once and I really loved it!” Emphasis was on “loved it” but
I only heard “once.”
In 1980 we transformed our dying upstairs lounge
into a burger and beer restaurant called “Newts.” Originally, we sold
tap beer for 75¢, mixed drinks for $1.25, and half pound burgers for $2.
In our 70 seat bar we could sell 1000 beers a night. We sold a few
burgers too.
Eventually, The Bank gave way to Henry Wellington, a name we made up,
with many of the food elements of The Bank (prime rib, steaks, sirloins,
etc) and some bar elements like nachos and onion rings, in a much more
casual setting, complete with
2-for-1 drinks in both the afternoon and late night. It was a cross
between the then thriving (but not yet in Rochester) Bennigan’s and TGI
Friday’s. The success of both Newts and Henry Wellingtons was huge.
We then continued with other business pursuits, some successful and some
not, like “Emerald Coast Ocean Products,” a wholesale / retail seafood
market; “Henry Wellington of Battle Lake” a smaller version in a
northern Minnesota town; “Broadstreet Café” and “Redwood Room” a very
high end restaurant with a more casual cousin; “Jerry’s Diner” what the
name would imply; “Henry Wellington of Bloomington IL” a huge restaurant
and also my biggest business failure; “JP Zubay’s City Market” still a
thriving Rochester deli; “City Café” a modernized version of the
outdated Henry Wellington in Rochester; and “300 FIRST” which replaced
the aging Broadstreet Café.
During that time I was also a paid consultant for several operations but
most notably Walt Disney World, in Orlando, after I submitted to them a
17 page letter of complaint / job application, regarding their food
service operations. In my two year stint there I saw the “Illuminations”
fireworks and laser show in EPCOT about a hundred times – and I think I
cried every time. I also gained a special appreciation for “Dilbert”
cartoons because I now personally know each character.
It was also at The Bank that I met my wife, LeeAnn, one of the
first waitresses – and probably the best. Mike
warned me not to fool around with the help, but, I refused to listen.
She shared and nurtured my passion for all things food and restaurant,
and she gained a huge insight into the culinary world while I focused my
efforts on restaurant management and operations. When I’d come home and
ask her
“what’s for dinner?” she would have to consult Bon Appetite and
Gourmet magazines, Epicurious.com, and then scan through the last
episode of “Iron Chef” (still the Japanese version) before she could
answer. She taught me appreciation for the world of food beyond Kraft,
Heinz, and Sysco, and also taught me the need to respect food trends, so
we would not become the leisure suit of the culinary world. She served a
long time as Consulting Chef doing menu research and recipe development
for our restaurants, as well as scouting out hard to find ingredients.
She also stayed home to raise our three kids – a feat much more
difficult than restaurant operations. And did it, for the most part,
single handedly, while I focused on food costs and training, in our
restaurants.
After I sold my restaurant interests to Mike’s kids, I successfully
retired – for the better part of two weeks. LeeAnn then insisted on
following her dream to find the finest in culinary ingredients as well
as a café to showcase the effective use of the best products on the
planet. When a local restaurant failed the landlord contacted us and he
made us an offer we could not refuse.
It is today that I spend my life now having more fun than I ever did,
selling products I cannot pronounce but that I can savor and enjoy, with a
wife and staff that I love and respect for their passion and drive to
become the ultimate foodies. And, I still get to wash dishes every night
– what could be better?!
Eventually, I did pay back my father, but, I have not finished college.
Not yet a broken promise because I hope to have a few more “some days.”
And I dedicate my dreams and successes to my father, Ken, who died in
March 2010 – always my biggest fan, biggest supporter, and biggest
critic – and my mother, Mary, who followed him six months later.
2000 ingredients.
Our lunches, dinners, and take-home food combines those ingredients with
the pork, beef, chicken, lamb, and produce from local farms, and fresh
seafood flown in regularly from the coasts.
big names can produce, you just have to
find them -- but, we did that for you. It's a lot easier making
your meals taste great when you start with our ingredients. 
and
micro-brew beers complement your
lunch or dinner. Waters and sodas like real ginger beer; fermented cola
and lemonade; rhubarb, cucumber, and lavender sparkling waters; and
locally roasted coffees served in a French press.