What A Chef Wants: Quality & Value First

Not so long ago, a Cleveland cardiologist sat his son down and asked what he wanted to do with his life.

The son of John and Dinah Hodgson grew up playing lacrosse and going to Browns and Indians games. But Chris had spent little time behind a food counter, nor did he know any famous chefs.

He focused on sports, travel and service, spending summers on medical missions to such faraway points as Russia and Africa.

But sitting in his father’s office, he looked his dad in the eye and said, “All I really like to do is cook.”

The doctor’s response: “Go be a chef then. But don’t just be a good chef, be a great one.”

So that’s what he did, is doing, will do.

“You don’t expect your parents to tell you to go cook steaks for a living,” Hodgson says now, while admitting it was just the push he needed to go with a little experience at a bar and grill. “I fell in love with it, but I never knew you could do that as a profession.”          

He found out in a few whirlwind years. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Arizona, Hodgson landed an internship in New York City—but left to buy a food truck.

The newly minted Chef Hodgson helped change Cleveland’s code to allow food trucks, and then opened Hodge’s, a bricks-and-mortar restaurant downtown. Meanwhile he starred on The Food Network in The Great Food Truck Race and then continued as The Next Food Network Star. And he married the love of his life last May.

Whether planning a chef career in a truck or looking for love, Hodgson is persistent. He goes after what he wants.

He and wife Jacquelyn met at church as youngsters. It was there that he told her to call when she got to be 18. They were 12 and 10 at the time, but the years passed.

Along that route, Jacquelyn and Hodgson’s sister Catie joined in that Food Truck Race and helped the chef win second place. The engagement celebration was over a steak dinner, and you can guess who cooked.

Just as a childhood romance can bloom into marriage, a teenage dream of being a chef can come true, and it doesn’t have to be hard.

“I never worked a day in my life,” Hodgson grins.

You can find him at Hodge’s talking with patrons, or consulting with the Driftwood Restaurant Group (eight eateries) as a partner with proprietor Scott Kuhn, or charting new business as president of Driftwood Catering. When he gets a spare minute, he’s chatting with “foodie” followers on Twitter or Facebook.

A ribeye guy, the chef describes Hodge’s as “country comfortable,” and says, “the greatest food in the world is comfort food.”

His restaurant is cozy with red overstuffed cushions and wooden fixtures. Barn lettering hangs on pale gold walls and customers get their checks in bright red envelopes labeled “The Damage.”

But the ambiance isn’t all that is unique: The food has a spin to it, too. Developing dishes and recipes is adventure that evokes memories.

Those dishes are “global comfort food, taking inspiration from around the world, the different flavors and preparations,” Hodgson says.

Family favorites like shrimp and grits take on a Korean influence with curry and spices. Instead of a traditionally grilled hanger steak, it’s marinated in balsamic and cooked with rosemary and thyme. 

Above all, quality and value matter most. Hodgson wants people to enjoy dining at his restaurant, appreciating the hard work that goes back to ranchers, whom he encourages: “Just keep raising great beef and we’ll keep selling it.”

He identifies with the Certified Angus Beef ® brand, the story and people behind it.

“My standards are high, your standards are high,” Hodgson tells producers. “If we continue on the same path and don’t waiver from the high standards we have, we will always have the best product.”

While a lot has changed in a short time, the rising culinary star remains grounded. He continues to dream of new ideas, thankful for what he has right in front of him. After all, he is only 27.

“It feels pretty great. I couldn’t be happier with my life right now,” he says. “I got the girl I wanted, I have a phenomenal family and I have the career I’ve always dreamed of. I can’t imagine anything more.”  

Source: Certified Angus Beef Brand