As Jerl Griffin, regional executive chef for Thompson Hospitality, stirred the arborio rice for his risotto demonstration dish, he also hoped to stir up interest among the Homewood-Flossmoor High School students in the Culinary II class.
Griffin has been a chef for years. During his presentation March 19, he wanted the students to know that there are lots of options in the hospitality industry. You don’t need to be a cuisine chef or a pastry chef. People are needed in logistics, in communications, in management.
Griffin, a 1991 graduate of H-F, talked while demonstrating his cooking skills. He told students about about how he felt connected to the community that nurtured him through Flossmoor Hills Elementary, Parker Junior High and H-F. The education and support he received has made a difference in his life.
In high school, he worked as a bus boy at Aurelio’s Pizza in Homewood. That and the H-F baseball team “taught me a lot about being responsible.”
He went to Jackson State University to fulfill his dream of becoming a baseball player. He took a busboy job because it gave him a sense of independence, as well as a new experience.
Griffin left school to play for the Mavericks, the Atlanta Braves farm team. He had some success, but he found more success when he substituted for a short order cook in a restaurant where he was a bus boy.
“I never went out front as a busboy again,” he said. Working in the kitchen Griffin discovered he loved to work with his hands, he loved the camaraderie and “I love the atmosphere.”
A cousin passed Griffin’s name to a recruiter for the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, now Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago. Within two weeks of his introductory meeting, Griffin was enrolled in a two-year course for his associate’s degree. He attended on an Illinois Restaurant Association scholarship. Outside of school, he worked as a prep cook at a restaurant and a night cook at a steakhouse.
Griffin has had a number of jobs and won an array of awards, including Hospitality Chef of the Year from Thompson Hospitality and USA/North America Chef of the Year. He’s been with the company for five years. Currently he is a regional executive chef for Thompson working in airport lounges. The job has him flying from one end of the country to the other.
The shift in an airport lounge is long and stressful. Griffin says he wears a smile and does his best to accommodate the often weary traveler.
“Flight delays are not our friend. They infuriate the traveler,” Griffin said.
“I just like to provide a good atmosphere for people to come to,” he said. He cooks specialty dishes for them and then chats about his work and the dishes he prepares. Frequent flyers have come to know him.
“There’s no secret to success,” Griffin tells the students. “Whatever you find interesting, whatever you put your attention to it will bring results.”
Near the end of his presentation, Griffin’s saffron shaved parmesan risotto was done. Each student got a sample to enjoy.
“This is what I love to do,” he said.
