Episode 40: Kenny Callaghan

With summer quickly approaching, get into the spirit of the barbecue season! Hear the story of pit-master Kenny Callaghan of Blue Smoke, one of the premier BBQ restaurants in New York City on this week’s Chef’s Story. Kenny’s story is an unconventional one: after starting work at the age of 14 cooking fast Italian food, Kenny found himself in Florida where he learned the true nature of Barbecue and gained a true passion for it. Then moving to New York, he worked a series of jobs in fine dining, moving up the line in the kitchen and in the world of chef’s, earning credibility and experience that would eventually land him a job at the Union Square Cafe. After eight years of running a kitchen, Callaghan became a known name, and he joined up with a team of BBQ enthusiast’s to see if they could bring the spirit of this southern cuisine to New York City. Blue Smoke was the result. Their goal is to pay homage to all the different regional styles of southern BBQ, and bring the knowledge of fine dining into the BBQ world. Don’t miss this fascinating story of hard work, honest training, and mouthwatering anecdotes! Thanks to our sponsor, BonniePlants.

“I always tried very hard everyday, i always took my job very seriously, if I ever made a mistake I took it personally, and I marked it to the hard drive, and I never made that mistake again.” [25:10]

“I see a restuarant very much like a house or a boat, once you stop working on it it falls apart.” [38:45] — Chef Kenny Callaghan on Chef’s Story!