After high school I attended the Art Institute of Houston’s School of Culinary Arts. Part of my education included hands-on learning experiences, so I started working at Brennan’s of Houston(the sister restaurant to Commanders Palace in New Orleans). While there, I learned the basics of becoming a chef, but, I also began to understand the true meaning of hospitality. At 24, with a few years of experience nicked into my chef’s knives, I moved to Chicago on my own, looking to be part of a city with a well-known culinary reputation. I wanted to take my knowledge of cooking to the next level. Luckily, I was given the opportunity to work at Chicago’s best Italian restaurant, Spiaggia.
Chef Sarah Grueneberg (middle) with the Spiaggia team and Movia's Ales Krisitanic at the James Beard House
My first few months were challenging. I was in a new city working in a whole new realm of cooking – Italian cuisine. To be honest, I didn’t get Italian food at first. In Houston, I was cooking southern, Creole cuisine with no rules. At Spiaggia, I was introduced to the Italian kitchen and its rules: never put cheese with fish, finish dishes with olive oil, only certain pasta shapes pair with certain sauces and the infamous pasta marriage ceremony. I had a lot to learn! To overcome this, I just kept trying, tasting, reading and listening. I studied the ingredients and the products and the regions where they came from. Finally it all began to click.
After working my way up the line, my role as purchasing sous chef allowed me to learn the business side of running a restaurant and to be in communication with our producers, from the Midwest and Italy. I learned from Chef/partner Tony Mantuanothen executive Chef Missy Robbins how to source and treat ingredients, which ultimately helped develop my creative side and the art of crafting a menu.
When I became chef di cucina in September 2008, I wanted to engross myself in all things Italian. I went to Italy for the first time in January 2009 to cook in some of the same kitchens Chef Mantuano worked at prior to opening Spiaggia. After that trip, I officially caught the “Italian bug” and enrolled in Italian language classes and began planning my next adventure to Italy.
Spiaggia Chef Sarah Grueneberg with the Team at Grano in Rome
Now four years later after my move to Chicago, I am the executive chef at Spiaggia and am currently on my second trip to Italy tasting and touring the land, searching for new menu ideas and producers to partner with. (future posts to come) As I continue to learn Italian in all its forms, I look forward to sharing my stories with you!