Chef Dominick’s Culinary Career
Where It All Began
Dominick Zirilli’s father, grandfather and uncle are all butchers so it is no surprise that he would eventually gravitate towards a career that focused on providing food for other people. Dominick worked in butcher shops, supermarkets and a food distribution warehouse but it was not until almost 6 years out of high school that he realized he wanted to work in a restaurant.
“I was a terrible student, I could not sit still in a classroom and I knew that college was not an option for me” recalls Dominick. He goes on to say ” I thrived in the workforce and tried to be the best at everything I ever did, whether it was loading a truck or cleaning the meat room, I just wanted to excel and show that although I was a nightmare for my teachers, I could still be a success story.”
In 1996, Dominick started to enjoy the Food Network as well as PBS Cooking Shows and really developed a passion for all things culinary. Dominick recalls like it was yesterday “The shows were very simple back then, a chef, a kitchen and a camera. There was not a whole lot of showmanship although Julia Childs beating a chicken with a cleaver or the living legend Jaques Pepin taking a sip of wine in between dishes was enough to keep my interest.”
Dominick Goes Back To School
There are many things that Dominick’s family heard come from his mouth and nothing ever surprised them… but going back to school was something they never could have expected. “I came from a broken home, my father worked all the time to provide for us, it was my grandmother who really kept me straight. I always wanted to make her proud and becoming a chef was something that became very important to me for many reasons.”
He applied to The Philadelphia Restaurant School and decided it would be best to attend part time. The program consisted of working 5 days in a restaurant with 2 long days in the classroom, this happened to be the perfect mix of school and sweat that kept Dominick focused and able to succeed.
Putting on The Ritz
Dominick had a brief stint at the acclaimed Victor Cafe in South Philadelphia when an opportunity became available at The Philadelphia Ritz Carlton. He had very little restaurant experience but knew that this was the foundation that could be the difference between being a life-long cook or an up and coming chef. “It was real simple, I had very limited experience and the structure and discipline that goes along with working at the Ritz Carlton was what I needed to build my repertoire. I had to try out for an apprenticeship and ultimately failed because I could not make a hollandaise sauce.” Luckily, Dominick was given 2 weeks to hone his skills and from there he would get another shot at securing his spot at this world class hotel, in which he quickly succeeded and worked his way up the ranks over the next 3 years.
They Call Him Chef
The Ritz Carlton closed it’s doors and Dominick was fortunate enough to follow one of his chefs to the Philadelphia Park Hyatt (The Bellevue-Stratford) as Sous Chef of their restaurant “Founders Atop The Bellevue”. It was within a year that Dominick took over the helm as the chef of this fine dining venue and began to challenge his culinary boundaries.
Now They Call Him “The People’s Chef”
Dominick spent a short time at Stephen Starr’s “Bleu Angel” and landed his first Executive Chef position at the Yardley Inn, Bucks County, PA. “I owe so much of my carer to the 4 years I spent at the Inn. They believed in me and while the ownership knew I needed to have some guidelines, they gave me the culinary freedom and let me spread my wings. They encouraged me to interact with the guests which allowed me to grow as a chef and a person. Owner Bob Freed labeled me “The People’s Chef” and through wine dinners, special events and daily interactions, I developed a bond with our guests that transcended my food.”
The feather in Dominick’s cap was in 2006 when he won the Best Entrée distinction in 2006 in Philly Magazine’s “Philly Cooks” yearly competition. This annual event brings together the best chefs that the Philadelphia Area has to offer. “This was such a great moment for me! We were able to bring notoriety to the restaurant and I really felt like I had made the owners proud. I was able to give back a little bit of what they had given to me.”
Gone Golfing
The 4 years at Yardley Inn brought more than accolades, it also saw this historic river front restaurant ravaged by 3 floods. It was during the last flood that Dominick was approached by a PGA Tour managed golf course (Jasna Polana) in Princeton, NJ and was asked to take over their culinary team. The 2 years at this property allowed Dominick to build on his large volume fine dining experience and diversify his culinary prowess. The People’s Chef was able to expand his personal chef venture during this period and make his dream of being an entrepreneur a little more attainable.
Steak House or Bust
Chef Dominick was pursued by the famous Smith and Wollensky Steak House in Philadelphia. “This was a unique opportunity for me because I was able to return to Philadelphia and dry age and butcher our own meat….having complete control over the product they specialized in was an amazing experience.”
Bringing It All Together
It was all of these experiences that made Dominick Zirilli successful in this industry but it was all of the people along the way who made him The People’s Chef. “I am truly happy being able to serve and interact with my clients from start to finish. I am able to envision their expectations from the very beginning. I can personally customize meals, a dinner party or cooking class to create a truly unique experience that will be remembered forever.”
