COMPETITOR

Team Pink

HEAD COOK: Robert Kraatz Jr.

COMPETITION: World Invitational Steak Championship - SCA

I am an un-schooled Sous Chef currently working at SALT@San Roc Cay under Executive Chef Chris Sherrill and Chef de Cuisine Landon Benton. I started in the service industry way back in high school as a way to make money while writing and performing in punk rock bands. l spent a few years in the US Army, doing one tour of duty in Iraq, before coming home to the Gulf Coast. After my service in the Army I got back into cooking and developed a serious love for the blending of craft and art. As I studied more and challenged myself by taking on positions with better kitchens and better Chefs my passion deepened. I spent countless hours reading cookbooks from any genre, blogs about cooking, watching shows about food and cooking, and just generally becoming a kitchen addict. My current goals are to continue to work for the best chefs I can find, eventually leading to the dream of opening a kitchen in the Pacific Northwest inspired by the comfort foods I love and presenting them in a highly refined execution.