Strip Steak
certain things. Why you hold a knife (a certain way) versus me holding a knife (another way),” he says. “Believe it or not, that speaks (volumes) to a chef.” After that, he worked at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, also part of the Smithsonian Institute. And even though the goals of serving great food to the guests and ensuring they have a great time are the same, cooking at a large institution versus a smaller location requires completely different ways of thinking. A small restaurant may have thirty people on staff—including front and back of the house. In contrast, an institution as big as the Smithsonian could have more than one hundred people on staff. It had multiple venues and satellite locations running simultaneously. Not to mention catering responsibilities and a cafeteria that welcomes 2000-3500 guests daily. It is exponentially more complex. To Chef Grant, it ultimately comes down to identifying a team who will help drive success. As lucky and blessed as he was to be the “driver” of the entire operation, he needed a great team to achieve the goals. To that end, he always respects those he works with and aims to be a trusted leader who can help others get to where they want to be.
Institution. One of his first jobs was at the National Museum of the American Indian. It is an important place that presents an underserved cultures, the true native culture of the Americans. He had to showcase different types of products used in different ways. However, there were no recipes or cookbooks available. Everything was passed down verbally. So, the only way to understand that process was to learn firsthand with the tribes. Working with the people, hunting down the items, figuring things out—these were all done through conversations. The journey opened Chef Grant’s eyes to how tight the Natives’ bond was with food. “I want to learn so much more about the people, their culture, their heritage, where they’re from, why they do
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