Brian Alden—On a Wing and a Prayer

Brian Alden is an artist in and out of the kitchen. His art works, both in his studio where he works with experimental photographic techniques, and at the popular Parrell's Restaurant, where he serves as second chef, are a combination of strong discipline and daring improvisation.

Brian starts every shift at the restaurant with a prayer. "I'm not super religious," he says, "but I know I take a lot of risks with some of my wild cooking experiments. So far I've been lucky, but if I can get a little help from upstairs, I'll take it."

From art school to cooking school

When he was a senior in high school, Brian was torn between a career in the arts and a cooking career. He studied catalogs from as many chef schools as art schools. He finally settled on the arts and spent two years pursuing a major in fine arts at a college in Oregon. Then the lure of the kitchen became too great to resist and he transferred to a well-known culinary school.

Brian says, "I was fortunate to have the world's greatest mom. She encouraged me to follow my heart and supported me while I made the transition."

The transition was not an easy one for Brian, but he was prepared. All the brochures he had read from chef schools emphasized how exciting life could be for student cooks. He found himself more energized by the high intensity routine he faced when he entered culinary school than anything he had experienced in art school. The culinary students were assigned jobs in the school's restaurant where they prepared meals for the public. This often meant being in the kitchen at 5 a.m. to start the preparations for the noon meal.

Whenever Brian needed her, his mother was always there with emotional support and encouragement. She told him that he had a wandering and adventurous spirit, and that he should let it wander. But, she told him, he needed to keep it on a leash so that it didn't wander too far off the track. He was very moved by that advice and told her so. She laughed and told Brian that's what she had to do with him when he was a toddler and they were out in public places.

Staying connected to art

Alden never lost the connection to his photography and computer graphics background. In addition to his tough schedule of classes and school restaurant work, he became the photographer and layout designer for the student magazine as well as the menu designer for the restaurant.

Brian's current position at Parrell's came to him through his menu designs. The owner of Parrell's, Achille Martinet, was particularly impressed with the menu when he ate at the culinary school restaurant during Brian's last semester there. He sent a note to the school and asked if he could commission a new menu design for his restaurant. The entire transaction was carried out through written and e-mailed correspondence. Alden and Martinet didn't meet face-to-face until the design was complete and ready for the printer.

Neither a messenger nor a spy

Brian decided to deliver the artwork himself instead of trusting a messenger. Martinet was happy to meet him, but still thought he was dealing with a graphic artist. He had no idea that Brian was a student at the school and had probably prepared a major part of the meal that Martinet had enjoyed there. In fact, Martinet was slightly annoyed when the young man insisted on commenting on the menu items and asking questions about the preparation of the various items on the menu. Martinet finally asked why someone outside the trade has such a strong and seemingly prying curiosity about recipes. Could he possibly be a spy for some other restaurant?

"No," Brian remembers telling him, "I am in the top ten percent of my graduating class at the culinary school and I am sure I can make some of these items even better."

I dare you to prove it!

"I dare you to prove it," was Martinet's reply. "Tell me what ingredients you want, and come to my kitchen tomorrow at noon."

Brian says he said a couple of extra prayers as he entered the kitchen of the well-known restaurant and put on his apron. When he was done, he had a solid job offer from Martinet as soon as he graduated. Now, eight years later, Brian Alden has worked his way up the line to second chef. Not only that, the senior chef will be retiring within a year and Brian has been told that the job will be his, starting the day the senior chef retires.

About the Author

Martin A. David is a writer and translator, specializing in Danish, French and Spanish literary works. He has written numerous feature articles for publications including the Los Angeles Times. He has also published a novel, and a non-fiction book in the area of dance. Martin earned his B.A. in Liberal Arts from Brooklyn College in his native New York. He currently chairs the Santa Clara Cultural Advisory Commission in Santa Clara, California.

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