Ep. 24: Chef Lenny Russo - the Philosopher Chef on an Open Mind, Finding Common Ground, and Choosing to Evolve

Hidden Apron Radio

Chef Lenny Russo is a forty year veteran of the food & beverage industry, a member of the U.S. Department of State American Chef Corps, participating chef at World Expo Milan 2015, author of "Heartland: Farm Forward Dishes of the Great Midwest", founder and owner of the seminal Heartland Restaurant in St Paul, MN, six time James Beard Award finalist nominee for Best Chef Midwest, and is currently the Executive Chef at The Commodore Bar & Restaurant in St. Paul, MN.

Chef Lenny's name has become synonymous with the local food movement in the Midwest and he has spent a majority of his career championing issues important to our food by contributing the remaining time he has when not in the kitchen to the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, the MN Organic Advisory Task Force, the Ramsey County Food and Nutrition Commission, and many other organizations tackling the biggest challenges our food systems face. Chef Lenny's philosophy was evident in his cooking as he would change his menu every day at Heartland based on what the farmers brought him that morning, ensuring only the best possible ingredients were used.

For the most part, Chef Lenny’s accomplishments as a chef have been widely covered internationally and a quick Google search will show he’s been written up numerous times in various food publications. However, most don’t get to hear about his other experiences and interests. He studied Philosophy and Literature in college, worked at an architecture firm, and was even a clinical psychologist before heading to the kitchen for good and so for this episode, we delve into the other aspects of his multi-faceted life. We definitely talk about his early days in the kitchen and his approach to food but we also talk about:

• Food and Family as non-monetary “Wealth”
• The need to have a healthy sense of skepticism but also an open mind when trying to leave the world a better place
• The challenges but necessity of finding common ground especially during these polarized times
• Relinquishing control and having the a sense of confidence that in turn allows others to pursue their best selves
• Evolution as a Choice

It’s very easy to pigeonhole Chef Lenny into the "Chef Box" but as he once mentioned, he’s not JUST “The Local Food Guy”. Give this one a listen all the way to the end if you’re serious about helping heal this world because I guarantee you this episode will leave you inspired, thought-provoked, or at the very least, just a little bit more inquisitive.