inthekitchen
was no shouting, he supported his staff and understood that a good kitchen had to leave room for life beyond the restaurant.
Licharson brought those lessons with him when he returned to Gather. He had been part of the kitchen team during the restaurant ' s launch under Mike DeGroot before leaving for two years to work with chef Thomas. When DeGroot prepared to leave Gather, he recommended Licharson as his successor. Returning to a familiar restaurant in a very different role gave the young chef a chance to put what he had learned to work.
The responsibility is not lost on Licharson. He describes the position as a privilege. His supervisor, executive chef Heiko Duehrsen, gets a good-natured mention too. Licharson dinner. The response was strong enough that they found a place on the regular menu. Licharson remains proud of the dish because of the thought that went into it( his yaya ' s critique factored into the final recipe) and because it shows how a dish can evolve.
Ask for one plate that best represents his cooking, though, and he points to something less delicate;“ big proteins:” pickerel, steak or pork, with garden produce and sauces doing the supporting work.
The pork chop is particularly telling. Neepawa-raised pork is paired with several preparations of fennel and pieces of apple. Licharson calls it " ugly delicious," an unvarnished description for a dish built around exceptional ingredients.
Licharson ' s cooking is grounded by a straightforward rule: flavour comes first.
laughs about Duehrsen calling himself the " dream crusher," a practical voice who helps keep ambitious ideas focused and workable.
There is plenty of ambition in Licharson ' s cooking, but it is grounded by a straightforward rule: flavour comes first.
His Greek, Ukrainian and Irish heritage is part of the mix, along with growing up in Manitoba and an appetite for learning from cuisines beyond it. Fermentation, pickling and preservation have become useful tools in a restaurant where the seasons influence what arrives in the kitchen.
The relationship with The Leaf adds another dimension. The horticulture team grows herbs, greens and specialty produce that make their way into Gather ' s dishes. The quantities are not large enough to dictate the menu, but they can influence it. A particular harvest might alter a salad or send the cooks in another direction. Bananas harvested from the biome influse a dessert ' s crème anglaise with tropical flavour.
That flexibility suits Licharson. A dish might begin with an ingredient, a technique, a season or simply the challenge of making something taste better.
The dolmades are a good example. They began as a side dish for Gather ' s New Year ' s Eve
He has strong opinions about finishing those dishes, too. A dash of sherry vinegar can cut through the richness of a fatty dish and bring the flavours into balance. It is a small detail that reveals the thinking behind the food. While interested in artful presentations Licharson is more interested in ensuring ingredients shine and plates are delicous.
That pragmatism is shaping his approach to leadership. One of the hardest lessons since becoming head chef has been learning to surrender some control. Confidence is necessary to pursue a vision; curiosity is necessary to recognize when someone else has a better idea.
Licharson wants Gather to be a development kitchen for young cooks, a place where people can learn, contribute and discover what they are capable of. He describes his leadership style as positive, a coach more than a commander. " A cook should be able to make a mistake while learning without worrying about being humiliated for it," he avows.
It is a philosophy that connects the chef he is becoming with the chefs who taught him. Licharson is still learning on the job. The difference now is that other cooks are learning from him, too.
12 ciao! / aug / sep / two thousand twenty-six