If you thought Jeremy Allen White’s knife skills were good on “The Bear,” you have Courtney Storer to thank.
Storer, who was interviewed by Chicago restaurateur Donnie Madia of One Off Hospitality at the National Restaurant Show on Monday, was the chef and culinary producer behind the Emmy award-winning series on Hulu, which was created by her brother Chris Storer.
Madia, whose restaurant company includes concepts such as Avec, The Publican and Dove’s Luncheonette, praised White’s knife ability on the show.
But Courtney said, “They could have been better.”
Courtney’s exacting expectations were honed by years in the restaurant industry, starting young and working at the legendary family owned Chicago sandwich shop Mr. Beef. She later went to culinary school, staged in Paris and worked with Giuseppe Tentori, the creator of the former GT Fish and GT Prime, owned by Boka Restaurant Group.
Even before she had any formal training, Courtney said she would push to learn new skills, ignoring those who dismissed her. She said she once asked Tentori about being a chef, and he told her, “If your passion is real and you’re looking at this like a dream of yours, then you have to drive it.”
And so she did, working multiple jobs to pay for culinary school and train in Paris. That tenacity paid off as she became the first female head chef at Jon & Vinny’s in Los Angeles.
Later, her brother asked her to sit in the writer’s room for The Bear, to ensure a level of authenticity for the story.
Despite her career’s twists and turns, Courtney spoke of the benefits of rebuilding bridges.
When the wildfires hit Los Angeles earlier this year, for example, Courtney was able to put the catering kitchen in her garage into action feeding firefighters and those who were displaced. She found that restaurant people she had worked with over the years—even those to whom she thought bridges had been burned—turned out to help.
Whether creating a TV series or operating a restaurant, Courtney said good leaders have to walk the talk.
“It’s so beneficial to show first and then tell,” she said. “Elbow to elbow is very important. As a leader, setting other people up for success really falls on you.”
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