MOTIVATED BY LIFE’S PASSION OVERLOOK MEDICAL CENTER EXECUTIVE CHEF THOMAS NORRIS OPENS UP ABOUT FOODSERVICE PASSION
There is always a need for a chef in the hospital field, and I would definitely recommend this to young, inspired culinarians. The world has changed, and so too has the food service field… and there is no going back. I teach others to embrace hospitality and integrate it into their kitchens. Without embracing this your food will not taste as good, look as good, or leave the same impression to your guests. n
In addition, there is an increase in demand for fresh food, farm to table, locally sourced vendors and a patient population and employee clientele that expects culinary sound quality food with exceptional customer service. You need to be extremely adaptable. A focus on hospitality helps to guide that balance through changing demands. Take the Mother-Baby Unit for example. This is an area of the hospital where amazing first moments are being made, and the experiences here will shape a family’s view of the entire hospital – starting with meals arriving to a new mom’s room. In addition to a specialized menu, we offer homemade chia seed yogurt parfaits to start the morning, gourmet charcuterie boards for an afternoon bite, chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. We also serve celebration meals for the new parents accompanied by an individually boxed cheesecake or cupcake topped with a chocolate mold of a baby rattle or bib. But it’s not just the food, it is the attention to detail- the polished silverware, no spots on the glassware, the perfectly folded linen napkin, the courtesy of the server entering the room. All of these details need to be executed along with the food - without the entire package working symbiotically the flavor would not be the same, the experience would not shine through, and that new parent’s experience might not be as positive.
I say this, again, with a long history of food service, including family-owned restaurants dating back to 1919. I grew up on my father’s stories from his days as a cook in the U.S. Navy. Summers always were filled with pig roasts, whole hog BBQ, catered in both family-style gatherings and large venues such as State Fairs. I studied culinary arts and nutritional science, with degrees from the CIA and Rutgers, respectively. I started my career as a banquet chef, operating in high-volume catering in both hotels and corporate dining. I spent 10 years working for myself as a restauranteur and caterer, where some of the most valuable lessons came through the hard work and dedication to life in a brick-and-mortar mom-and- pop luncheonette. I then spent time within VA Hospitals as a Canteen Chief, while also running both retail and food businesses, as well as coffee shops and vending services. In every one of these settings, hospitality has always been at the core of my approach. You have to not only take into account the food you’re serving, but how it’s prepared and how it’s presented. How you do these things is not only about the guests you’re serving but how you represent yourself and your kitchen. In my current position as executive chef at Overlook Medical Center, this is more true than ever. Overlook is a truly unique place, even among hospitals and
W hen I talk to people about my experiences in food service, I’m not talking about a career. Food service has been part of my whole life. It’s been in my family, it’s what I learned and trained to do inside kitchens and classrooms. It’s what has introduced me to people from all walks of life, brought me to all manner of venues and locations and has taught me the many languages of cuisine.
other health care facilities. It has a long tradition of integrating sustainable “green” approaches to health care, and that extends to food services. The hospital has partnered with producers of grass-fed, pastured and/ or organic and GMO free meat sourced from local farms; it sources its own honey from on- site beehives, grows vegetables in the community garden and grows hydroponic herbs within the kitchen. Food service in health care is a matter of balancing what you know about preparing and presenting food with a great
“ You have to not only take into account the food you’re serving, but how it’s prepared and how it’s presented. How you do these things is not only about the guests you’re serving but how you represent yourself and your kitchen. ”
If there’s one thing that I have learned over this lifelong journey, the myriad of dishes, menus and recipes that I’ve had a hand in making, is there is one key ingredient that is necessary for anyone who wants to pursue a life in food service: hospitality. Hospitality is the support structure from which all good things are made. It is the intangible item on your plate; you cannot touch it, taste it or smell it, but without it the dish would be sour. Hospitality is
Above: Tony White and Thomas Norris checking over a table setting of food before it is taken to a patient. Left: Chef Norris is joined by Kira Washington, observing as he helps put the finishing touches to a dessert plate for a maternity patient.
number of medical considerations. Every patient is different and has different needs depending upon the conditions for which they are being treated.
what separates good food from great food. From fine dining to food trucks to greasy spoons, it is the DNA of the food service industry.
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