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Ask Chef Walter: Standing on your feet. The life of a chef – Chef Walter Potenza
by Chef Walter Potenza, contributing writer
(Royalty free images)
The chef’s itinerary of sacrifices, renunciations, quality and fight against temptations.
Friends:
Recently, the culinary world of Federal Hill in Providence, Rhode Island, felt the weight of this truth when Chef Sal Marzilli, the beating heart of The Old Canteen restaurant, decided to step away from the restaurant that bore his last name and legacy. For decades, his kitchen was a sanctuary of nostalgia, where customers came for the impeccable American Italian cuisine and the warmth of history on every plate. His retirement left many with a bittersweet ache as they mourned the end of an era while knowing, deep down, that even the most devoted chefs must one day lay down their knives and hang the apron.
But why does a chef need to unplug? After a lifetime of creation, why is stepping away necessary for both body and spirit?
This decision is not just one chef’s farewell but a universal journey shared by every chef—the passion, the sacrifices, and the moment when bidding adieu becomes the most vital act of self-preservation.
I retired after 52 years of standing behind an erratic line filled with people and uncertainties and running multi-business simultaneously. I fully understand Sal’s wish to let go, however emotional and tricky. Being a chef is often seen as a glamorous job, thanks to cooking shows, pristine Indian cotton uniforms, fancy restaurants, and social media that love showcasing stunning dishes.
Everyone thinks that owning a restaurant elevates a personal status. But the reality is very different indeed! Most chefs will never own a restaurant or become wealthy unless they own real estate. Many of the chefs on TV do not own a single unit; they loan their popularity, name, and visibility to financial backers whose main objective is the bottom line. Many of them are forgotten and broken.
“As a retired and experienced chef once told me: Chef put their souls into everyday demands, and the financial backers and landlords eat them for dinner.”
Behind those beautiful dinner creations is a world filled with hard work, sacrifices, and the constant challenge of juggling stress while finding emotional and physical balance. For chefs, leading a kitchen is not just a job; it’s a true passion that demands dedication, a genuine love for cooking, and a strong sense of resilience. After all, the pay is never commensurate to the hours.
Becoming a successful chef is a long and strenuous journey that takes years of training and hands-on experience in culinary and hospitality. It may require sacrifices of comforts often found in other professions, but the impact is profound. Though working hours can be intense and often unsociable, consider this: while others celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve or enjoy evenings with friends, the chef remains in the kitchen, passionately crafting dishes that turn ordinary moments into unforgettable memories for all.
The sacrifices are not limited to free time. Often, personal life suffers: relationships, friendships, and even health can be compromised. The chef works in hot, chaotic, high-pressure environments, and shifts can last 12-14 hours daily. Physical and mental fatigue is a constant, and the risk of burnout is always lurking. It is the price many pay for loving cooking, but not everyone can sustain it for long.
The biggest mistakes people make when choosing a cooking profession: liking to cook, and running a restaurant are worlds apart and have very little in common.
The kitchen is a world of high emotional intensity. Every service is a performance, and every dish must be perfect. The pressure to keep the standards high, please the most exigent customers, and observe tight deadlines is overwhelming. Stress is a daily companion, and if not properly managed, it may lead to serious physical and mental consequences.
Besides, a chef has to cope with internal and external competition. The kitchen is a hierarchical place where people struggle for recognition, promotion, or to get ahead and hold their place. There is overwhelming pressure: innovation, creating new dishes, and being outstanding among the competitors.
It’s a world where success isn’t decided solely on the dish’s taste but on how well one stands out under pressure and can keep calm when chaos occurs around one. Being a good cook isn’t enough on its own. To reach the end zone in this unpredictable game, you need to work on some key qualities that will help you stand out and be a chef with integrity.
Passion is the fuel that keeps the chef going and overcoming obstacles. Without it, the burden of sacrifices and stress would be overwhelming. The passion for food and cooking enables a chef to continue working with dedication, even in the most challenging moments.
Another fundamental trait is resilience. In cooking, the main things are to fall and get up, learn from mistakes, and improve over time. It is one of those professions in which you continuously make mistakes, but you grow from mistakes. A real chef never gives up, whatever happens, even when everything seems to go wrong.
And here comes the other important thing: discipline. A kitchen is a bedlam; without discipline, it would be chaos. A chef must keep high-quality standards, respect time, and handle the team correctly. Discipline lets you change chaos into order and make sensible decisions under pressure. Kitchens are filled with endless amounts of ingredients and many conflicting personalities.
What separates the ordinary chef from the extraordinary one is creativity. Indeed, innovation and creating unique dishes are necessary, as customers are always looking for something new and surprising. Creativity is a precious gift and an invaluable skill that flourishes through continuous cultivation. It is nurtured by the richness of study, the depth of experience, and the spark of inspiration.
Last but not least, leadership and humility set the records. A chef is not only a scientist of flavors but a leader. He should know how to manage a team, motivate his employees, and keep a cool head so that everything stays calm and controlled in the work environment. At the same time, he should not forget his humility and be open to feedback. Cooking is like flowing water, something new to be learned at each turn.
Staff look for firm and focused directions every day.
Fighting against temptation is, in fact, a real danger: One of the most insidious features of this job is an enticement to self-destruction. Hard hours can add to such stress and pressure, and because of that, some people resort to alcohol, drugs, and even gambling as an escape from the routine of work. Some temptations are more dangerous and plausible when the hard-and-wild style of life is promoted at work.
Developing self-awareness and coping mechanisms would help one avoid compromising oneself. A healthy outlet, such as sports, meditation, or music, might be a lifesaver. However, the most crucial factor is having a support network: friends, family, colleagues—anyone you can talk to about your problems. Saying no and setting limits will save someone from being engulfed in work.
Conclusion: A Worthwhile Journey
The path of a chef is challenging yet rewarding, and it requires passion and determination. It requires sacrifices and a constant struggle against stress and temptation, but success is achievable with the right qualities and balance. Maintaining integrity and well-being is crucial.
A True chef creates unique dishes and cares for themselves and others. This journey demands courage and passion, leading to personal growth beyond professional success.
So, Sal: stay out of the kitchen, treasure your memories, and never look back. You have done your job very well. Your customers will soon find another preferred restaurant, and you will be remembered during the summer picnics when: “Remember when we used to go to the Old Canteen”?
www.chefwalterscookingschool.com
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Chef Walters Culinary Tourism / Tours 2025
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Chef Walter is featured HERE every Sunday with his regular Ask Chef Walter column!
Meet Chef Walter! There is a constant, recognizable thread in the career of Walter Potenza to elevate the level of Italian culinary culture in the United States. Besides his unquestionable culinary talent and winning business perspective, Chef Walter has been a relentless educator with passion and knowledge who defeats stereotypes. His life, career, and values are a model, an example to follow by any chef of Italian gastronomy working outside Italy.
Chef Walter appears regularly on National and International Networks such as Food Network, ABC, CBS, NBC, RAI, FOX, and Publications such as NY. Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Saveur, Gourmet, and several Italian media outlets. And now “RINewsToday”!