Behind the Line with Tyler Norman
Many of our #TriMarkUSA team members are familiar with the charm and chaos of the foodservice industry. Tyler Norman, Corporate Category Manager for Tabletop and Smallwares at TriMark, has firsthand experience in commercial kitchens and is well-versed in teaching others about the industry.
Tyler’s Introduction to Culinary Arts
Tyler grew up watching his dad reinvent home-cooked meals, inevitably inspiring his passion for cooking.
“One recipe my dad explored was twice-baked potatoes. He folded in goat cheese stuffed Pappadeaux peppers, an unique ingredient at the time. The flavorful contrast opened my mind to the vast array of new possibilities in the kitchen.”
His interest was further piqued by the skilled #chefs of the time: Ripert, Keller, Achatz, Adria, Blumenthal, and Dufresne, who helped shape his culinary understanding of looking at food as a unique experience.
“The evolution of food and the onset of molecular gastronomy fascinates me.”
Tyler started experimenting with simple dishes like mac and cheese, progressing through #culinary school (Le Cordon Blue Scottsdale) and beginning his professional career as a Sous Chef at (retirement community). He moved on to a Hawaiian fusion restaurant where he learned sushi basics before landing a role as Executive Chef at (a local bar and grille). Later, Tyler joined Olive and Ivy, a high-end Cali-Mediterranean restaurant, as a Sous Chef, supporting the team and ensuring smooth kitchen operations.
“At the time, Olive and Ivy was Sam Fox’s flagship restaurant – the most fun and demanding workplace; my favorite stop!”
Tyler’s experience there greatly impacted his resiliency, trust, patience, communication skills, and execution while overcoming adversity.
“One particular night at Olive and Ivy, we sat almost all 120 seats within twenty minutes of each other. Too many tickets piled up, but my amazing crew and chef colleague adapted. We turned off the ticket machine and handled the line verbally. The restaurant’s new manager nearly fired us on the spot when he confronted us about not seeing any tickets on the line. Despite the chaos, we nailed it without a single complaint or long wait time. Looking back, I’m convinced I made every dish on the menu at least five times that night.”
Food for Thought
For those without professional cooking experience, Tyler shares a few helpful tips to elevate your home #cooking:
- Taste your cooking as you go.
- Season every component in stages as you add them.
- Don’t overwork your dish; let the pan do its job.
- Don’t always reach for the salt when a dish feels flat; try a splash of vinegar (“I have 7+ types of vinegar in my cabinet”).
While no longer working on the line, Tyler still enjoys cooking in his free time. He currently enjoys cooking seafood, pasta with short rib ragu, and his crowd-pleasing meatloaf recipe. But his favorite thing to cook is simply anything that puts a smile on someone’s face!
