Ding! Another ticket prints out, another order from a hungry diner. The kitchen is hot, smoke billows from the grill, and the bubbling sound of hot grease declares yet another order of French fries will soon be ready. The head chef of the new Palomino restaurant in Georgetown, Chef Michael Mielnik, tears the ticket off and hangs it before him. He is in the zone, seven orders deep,
nine burgers sizzling, and several beer bratwurst searing. None of the sights or sounds around the chef seem to disrupt him as he begins preparing the brioche buns for the burgers, slicing the tomato, and mixing the garlic aioli.
Chef Michael, 34, is a first-generation American in his family who originates from Poland. His father immigrated to the United States looking for a better life. Eventually, his father met his future wife while he was vacationing in Florida. She is also Polish and was still living in Poland when they met. After a while, she moved to the States to join her husband and start a family, settling in Midland, Texas, the quintessential small-town America.
Midland is located in west Texas and, according to TourTexas.com, is considered an oil industry center. This has caused the city to boom, and it is now a major travel destination with art galleries, museums, concert halls, and amphitheaters. However, while Michael grew up, there wasn't much to entertain.
"That's all there was to do. There's just oil and high school football..."
"That's all there was to do. There's just oil and high school football," Michael said, laughing, "you know, as kids, we'd do paintball and football, and it was a cool desert area, so we used to go my buddy's ranch and catch lizards and snakes and all kinds of crazy things." He talked about the small-town charm he grew up around, people getting along and helping each other, and how it changed as he went away to college. "It was a good town to raise a family. You know, there wasn't any crime; it was just good."
Michael added that another oil boom hit just as he left for college, changing everything. His small-town community with a big heart had grown into a city. "When I came back, it was a completely different town…there were all these new people that had moved in, and crime started spiking, the cost of housing was ridiculous, and there were a lot of issues with the city keeping up with infrastructure. Like what is happening with Georgetown now, the city is not equipped to deal with all the new traffic and business, and the cost of housing is rising quickly."
The chef happily talked about his childhood in Midland, but he spoke even more fondly of his summer trips with his parents to see family in Poland. That is where his spark for cooking truly ignited.
He would spend several weeks each summer exploring Poland and seeing much of his extended family. "I was lucky when I visited because we didn't go to the touristy places; we would eat where all the locals ate. So, you know it was the most authentic food," Michael explained.
Chef Michale recounted a time when he was visiting Poland, and he and his family stopped in a small seafood restaurant overlooking a lake. The large group took their seats inside and began ordering their dinners. After a while, only a few plates were served. Then a little more time passed before a few more plates went to the table. He later found out that the fish were being caught in real time, fresh from the lake, and prepared to order, which caused the delay. You cannot get fresher fish than that.
While on his European trips, he had many opportunities to travel by train to other countries and taste new cuisine. He expanded his palate by experiencing fresh pasta and robust sauces in Italy, he delved into herbs and spices in Croatia such as rosemary, bay leaf, clove, and nutmeg, and he discovered delicious schnitzel and fried potatoes in Germany. Still, the best foods were what he learned to make in his grandma's kitchen.
"Well, I was always curious about how things were made, and I've always liked food. I would watch my grandma cook and watch how they make everything." He'd spend hours in the kitchen with his grandmother and mother making traditional Polish dishes, one of his favorites being pierogies. Chef Michael explained that every dish he prepared with his family was made using the most traditional methods, the way they have been passed on for generations.
Though the chef loved cooking with his family, it wasn’t until he was a little older when he realized that food could be more. "But the big event that changed cooking for me was when I discovered Food Network. The shows were interesting and just so cool, like watching the Japanese Chefs compete on Iron Chef…there was so much intensity," he continued, "I always liked cooking and eating, so it was a hobby that turned into a career."
Back home, when he began taking classes at Texas Tech, on a path headed toward a profession in sports medicine, Michale was working in a restaurant washing dishes and bussing tables to earn extra money. He enjoyed working in the fast-paced environment and planned on changing his major to hotel management, but then thought better of it. "I ultimately made the decision that I wanted to work in hotels and restaurants, but that I didn't want to pay anymore. Instead, I want to get paid to learn." So, he left school and began working full-time.
Hospitality is one of the few industries that still allow for career advancement by working on the job. With hard work and determination, if so desired, a dishwasher can work up to a line cook, then a chef, and then one day possibly own their own restaurant. Perhaps other industries should take note; not every job requires a degree from a university.
His first job in the kitchen was as a fry cook in a Mexican restaurant. He cooked up everything from tortilla chips and shells to chimichangas. One of his favorite plates to create was the birthday nachos, a delicious plate of warm tortilla chips tossed in cinnamon and sugar with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and pecans. He enjoyed creating designs on the plate and wowing customers. He was hooked and never looked back.
"Authenticity is important. I think you will always do a better job if you are passionate about something and if you are your authentic self."
Michael worked in many establishments, including white glove fine dining. However, the work that appeals to him most is cooking in authentic restaurants. Such as an Italian restaurant he cooked for, where all the pasta and sauces were made fresh in-house every day. "Authenticity is important. I think you will always do a better job if you are passionate about something and if you are your authentic self." Being genuine and living in your community are essential and go hand in hand. "I feel like you have two kinds of restaurants. You have the touristy restaurants, and then you have the community restaurants." Touristy restaurants, like P.F. Changes and Cheesecake Factory, will benefit from areas around airports and large shopping centers; those are just businesses that aim to make money. A community restaurant, though, supports the local people, and the locals support them. Much like the Palomino, which has already hosted many charity events and local gatherings in the short time it's been open. "You want to give back to the community, to be a part of it." That is why Chef Michael happily faces the challenges of the new restaurant and kitchen, to be a part of the community, creating the best burgers and sausages for the families of Georgetown.
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