Meet Chef Cornelius
I was convinced by my mother to sign up with Area Career Center in their Culinary & Pastry program and she said to me “You like to eat, so you can try cooking.” My Chefs, now mentors, thrust me into the advanced class, focusing heavily on baking and pastry. The kid whom never even held a chef knife before, graduated at the top of his class. I even opted to complete the first year culinary curriculum at the same time that year. I was featured Northwest Indiana 21 Under 21 Award Winners article, took part in a short film about career and technical education, and got a head start in my course work for Le Cordon Bleu Chicago where I attended culinary school. At that time I worked in high-volume kitchens like the Radisson Hotel and Ameristar Casino.
In 2015 traveled to Colorado where I lived and worked throughout the mountains of Vail Valley for my college externship. At Mid-Vail I worked through the kitchen learning several stations and became the first ever overnight production lead to accommodate a busy winter season. I hungered for a position with more responsibility and Executive Chef Webster Lee and Sous Chef Matthew Allen Good gave me opportunities to step up to the plate with mountain dining events and competitions. Upon returning home for my grad ceremony I backpedaled on plans to work another season with Vail Resorts and instead spent another year working and traveling around Colorado working in hotels and at downtown Denver’s Brider.
I returned to the Greater Chicago Area in late 2016, in search of restaurant or place to learn about fine-dining. I bounced from a humbling experiences staging, at Main & Lincoln and newly opened and soon to be Michelin Starred Roister Chicago. The unknown stresses, workload, and travel found me in a hospital bed ill, depressed, and unemployed by the end of that year. I spent time away from high-end kitchens and returned to high-volume. After spending a night as a volunteer at the 2017 James Beard Awards with Chef Lamar Moore and Chef Bridget Mooney, that week I became the youngest person hired on as Chef de Partie at Solider Field. I worked relentlessly under Executive Chef Thomas Elder, Sous Chef Bridget Mooney, and Executive Sous Grant Newhouse learning the differences and challenges of catering tens of thousands vs an evening 4 tops.
Years passed and I began to feel complacent. I quickly found myself back in fine-dining trenches 2019 with Chef Iliana Regan. Chef Iliana her team molded me to be a person with integrity for the kitchen, and less of a machine. I experienced what the trenches really were in the time. I loved her character, approach and use of Asian flavors which led me to transfer to her sister Restaurant Kitsune Restaurant and Pub. Chef Ian Jones challenged me and seasoned me up from a prep cook to my first salaried position as a line chef. I after a year with Chef Iliana’s brigade I returned to Solider Field, until the global pandemic hit.
The world shut down and I began selling to-go comfort food out of necessity. My meals became “too fancy” for my community which led me to finally accept the opportunity from Edgar Ramon, Founder of Chamba Life, to prepare a coursed menu for one of their private cannabis infused fine-dining experiences. After a few more events my blooming solo career began conflicting with my duties at Solider Field and I decided to bank on myself. Everyday since has been a chance to learn about business, growing a community, marketing, and networking with thriving individuals such as the renown Chef Angelina Bastidas. Many to whom I owe a great deal. When I am not cooking you can find me building computers, creating content about cooking, competing in fighting games, eating lol and/or at your local cafe.