INGOOD TASTE
Sean Karpuzi , Corporate Chef , Off The Hook
Candid conversations with the dining scene ’ s most engaging chefs
Off The Hook 908 Warrendale Village Drive , Warrendale 724.719.2877 ; offthehookfish . com
Why did you become a chef ? I didn ’ t want to be a dishwasher anymore !
What led you to Off The Hook ? The summer after I graduated high school , our owners Glenn and Lisa [ Hawley ]— who also own Napa Prime Chophouse and Cigar Bar in Wexford — needed someone to wash dishes and help make chocolates for their fundraiser , Truffles to Share ( every proceed buys shoes for children in need ). Fast-forward a bit and the Hawleys ’ executive chef , John [ Dober ], asked me to join the line . When Off The Hook ( OTH ) was Glenn and Lisa ’ s only restaurant ( they are the original owners of Monterey Bay Fish Grotto ), I worked for seven years under John as sous chef . Once Glenn and Lisa opened Napa Prime Chophouse ( NPC ) John left OTH to become its executive chef . When John made a move to Florida Glenn asked me to help at NPC , while still overseeing OTH .
I ’ ve been running both restaurants since 2020 . And everything is going well . I love the team aspect of the business . One person cuts the fish , one person cooks the fish , one person makes a sauce for the fish . So , it ’ s a multi-step process , and provides team accountability — it ’ s rewarding . At the end of each night , we look at each other and ask , “ What did we miss tonight ?” We all focus on that one sauce we could have done better , or if a guest thought something was undercooked or overcooked , how can we improve ? Everyone walks in looking for a job , but the mentality has to be a passion or drive for the craft . A hot kitchen on a random Wednesday night is not for everyone . The road to success is more rewarding than the actual reward itself .
Who has influenced your cooking the most ? My mom and my grandmother cook a lot and my dad has worked at a pizza shop for more than 20 years . On Sundays we would go out to eat . But , by the time I started working for the Hawleys , John opened the door to my real passion and understanding of food . For example , what makes a good burger good , or this kind of fish swims in cold water — that ’ s why it has high content of fat . I am 110 percent a product of John ’ s direction and influence . I asked questions and he was so happy to share his knowledge with me . Once we were in the kitchen together , we would see each other more than our own families . We built a tight relationship .
What tool can ’ t you live without ? A knife comes to mind , but anyone can have a knife . All that matters is that they are sharp ( we have one person in the kitchen who sharpens our knives for relaxation ). A sharp knife cuts your work in half . Since I cook every single night ( four days minimum a week ), and when I ’ m at both Off The Hook and Napa Prime , I need a good pair of tongs . The heat we work
Sean Karpuzi , Corporate Chef at Off The Hook in Warrendale and Napa Prime Chophouse and Cigar Bar in Wexford .
with , we need to use a tong with confidence — making sure it won ’ t bend , snap or let the food slip . A new pair of tongs is very important .
What is your go-to meal when you cook at home ? My wife and I eat at 10:30 p . m . most nights and I typically bring something home from the restaurant . She ’ ll move the food from the container and plate it to feel normal . As a family of six , Costco pizza has saved us a lot of nights . Uncrustables , cereal and dinosaur nuggets , too . The air fryer is our new best friend .
What ’ s your favorite go-to ingredient ? A fruit-based balsamic reduction . I like taking cherries , fig or apple and reducing balsamic — it ’ s the best way to add acidity to a dish .
What ’ s your best advice for a novice ? To recreate a nostalgic aroma from food — for me it ’ s like recreating what my grandmother ’ s house smelled like , or it can be any childhood memory that reminds you of a dish someone special made . Try to reach that memory and know what it means to have that memory recreated at your own table setting . From this passion that brought you here , you now have the ability to pass it forward .
What ’ s the next big food or dining trend ? The food truck game is still very popular . I can picture a date night driving to a food truck park and tasting something from each truck . In our industry it ’ s great to know you can go to one place that specializes in only one thing , like gyros , steak or tacos . n
— Reese Randall
Tuna Sashimi featuring bigeye tuna seared rare and coated in black sesame seeds , served with wasabi , soy and pickled ginger .
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