One Chef Obsessed

Wilbur G. Cox Jr.

When I was a child, as all of the other kids played G.I. Joes, I had a play stove, an oven, and a sack of dried beans. Every weekend my mother and I would bake cookies, make dinner and experiment with new ideas. It was a blast, and when I look back at my life it was the real reason that I am where I am today. When I was young a man named Mike DeGuilmi  moved in next door to me. He would always bring me these crazy concoctions to try. Little did I know he had culinary training and was a retired Chef. He would bring me things that I never would have dreamed of eating before, and every dish was an experience. It was at that moment in my life that I realized there might be more to cooking than just the eat to survive mentality. I realized that if done right; food can be passion, art, and a well balanced song, all framed within the confines of a bone china plate. It was at that point that I realized I wanted to be a chef.

In the summer of 1994, my mother had a crazy idea. She wanted to open her own restaurant, and finally live out her life long dream. We had decided that my mother, father and I would run the entire operation, aside from the few staff members that we would need. So I started off washing dishes at the age of 14 in my parent’s restaurant. After a few months of washing dishes, I wanted to play a more integral part in the family business. So my mother gave me a chance at cooking on a professional level, and I haven’t looked back since. Within a few years, I came to learn all aspects of the business, and it was truly my first real chef job. When I graduated high school, I decided that if I wanted to be the best chef I could be, I would have to have formal training. I enrolled in Baltimore International College in the fall of 98, basically because I couldn’t afford a better program. At the same time, due to the distance between work and school, I had to stop working at my parent’s restaurant. So I decided to also take an apprentice ship at a restaurant in fells point called Hamilton’s. I worked under a chef named, Robert Taylor, and he taught me the finer points of being a Chef, instead of just a cook. I was learning so much at work, that I very quickly became uninterested in school. So, I did the least amount of work possible to make sure I would graduate.

After a year of working with Chef Taylor, I decided to move on, so I took a Line cook job at the Polo Grill. I realized this wasn’t the place I wanted to be, and moved on within a month. At this time, I answered an add on the internet, and got the Sous Chef job at a place called the Bayou Blues Café in white marsh. I worked there for almost a year, when my mother started having health problems. So I had to quit the Bayou for many reasons, but the main was to go back and run the family business. I stayed at my parents place for 5 years straight, and ran total operations the entire time. On Jan 14th, 2005, we decided to sell the business, because of my mother’s health, and my desire to do more with my career. I applied for Sous Chef at the Admiral Fell Inn, did a tasting, and got the job. The Admiral Fell Inn is part of Meyer Jabara Hotels. After running that entire kitchen for 6 months, they fired my executive chef and gave me the job. I was the Executive Chef there for 6 months and controlled 12 employees. I was also responsible for all inventory, ordering, menu creating, food cost, purchasing, ECT… The hardest part of the job was working in a corporate setting where I just couldn’t be myself. Also I realized that at 24, I had already reached the glass ceiling in the company, and there were no more promotions, and no one to learn from. After getting a little to comfortable and a little to soft, I decided that it was time to move on. So I applied at Ixia. I did a tasting, did a stage`, and got the sous chef job.

Ixia was one of Baltimore’s best restaurants. While at Ixia, I experimented with molecular gastronomy, and even had the opportunity to experiment with liquid nitrogen.  During my stay at Ixia, the Zagat review for food went from a 21 to a 26. I was responsible for all order and inventory, and really enjoyed my stay at Ixia. When all is said and done this is a creative business, and you have to find your own way. When the owner wanted to go in a different direction, we decided that it was best that we part ways.

After thirteen months of working at Ixia I left. I had quite the hard time finding steady employment after that. I did a short stint with The Charleston Group, The Yellow Dog Tavern, and Gertrude’s over the next 6 months. One night while searching Craig’s list, I saw an advertisement for the Bicycle Bistro. I jumped on the opportunity, and applied for the job. The Bicycle was a funky eclectic bistro that receives a 27 in the Zagat for food, and it seemed like the perfect place for me. I met Nick the owner, did a tasting, and got the job. I was employed at the Bicycle From September 07′ till October 08′ as Chef De Cuisine.

My next stop was Fin in Fells Point as Sous Chef.  We received  3 1/2 Stars from Elizabeth Large in the Baltimore Sun, and had numerous appearances on TV and Radio.  After only being open for 9 months, Baltimore Magazine ranked us #19 out of 50 in their “Best Of Baltimore” issue.  A month after the issue hit news stand, the doors to the restaurant closed.

For the next four months I dedicated myself to building a Garden at my home that would showcase the best Heirloom vegetables that I could lay my hands on.  I also started a seed saving program at my home in hopes that I can grow the same crops year after year, and share my seeds with fellow chefs.

I finally accepted an offer from Kimpton Hotels to work under Chef E. Michael Reidt at The Hotel Monaco Baltimore, and B+O Brasserie.  E. Michael Reidt was named Best New Chef 2001 by Food And Wine Magazine, and his restaurant Sevilla was named Best New Restaurant in 2005 by Esquire Magazine.  So far at B+O I have had the opportunity to work along side Patricia Yeo (Best New Chef-Food And Wine 2001),  Thomas Dunklin (Emeril’s Delmonico), and Guierllamo Tellez Cruz (Charlie Trotters).