The Untold Truth Of Chris Santos

Celebrity chef Chris Santos works really hard. He's had an illustrious career in the culinary industry and juggles several roles: he's a well-known television personality, an entrepreneur, an owner of a music label, and more (per his website). He told Crush New York in an interview, "...it's a grueling profession with hard work hours, time away from loved ones, and working on holidays and until late at night." His advice for other chefs is simple: passion is crucial if you wish to survive in the industry. Plus, he thinks that it's a good idea to work in a restaurant setup before receiving formal training in order to prepare for a career in the kitchen. 

Santos added that what he loves the most about owning a restaurant is "the freedom to be creative without borders." Plus, Santos knows exactly how lucky he has been in the industry. He doesn't take anything for granted. The chef explained, "it's incredibly satisfying to see the hard work you put in and that your staff puts in 365 days a year rewarded with a healthy, incredibly busy business day in and day out, and the customer loyalty we receive."

While Chris Santos may have received formal training, he doesn't discount the fact that it took him a lot of effort to master cooking. He got candid in a conversation with Inked Magazine and said that it's a great idea to work under talented chefs at the beginning of your career. Santos revealed that he didn't have anyone to look up to. He said, "After culinary school, I basically stepped out into the world and got my first executive chef position, which I was completely ill equipped for. I had no idea what I was doing, so I learned on the job. That's what I mean by being self-taught, I never had a true chef mentor."

He also believes that traveling the world and really diving into other cuisines has made him appreciate food like never before. Santos said, "It was eye opening, whether it was walking down a street in France with a baguette or having an ahead-of-its-time molecular gastronomy dinner in Spain." He added that there are good and bad things about being a professional chef. While it's difficult to handle long hours and juggle other responsibilities, the industry also gives you a chance to bump into like-minded individuals and form meaningful relationships. Santos has found many lifelong friends in the industry. 

Chris Santos is not just passionate about food; he's also a huge fan of music. He told Authority Magazine that he's been into music for a really long time. Santos said, "I love rock music and at 14 years old, I wanted to be a rock star drummer one day so I started working to save money for a car and a drum set." It took some time, but Santos made his dream come true in 2016 when he announced his record label, Blacklight Media, with co-founder, Brian Slagel (via Decibel).

One of his goals was to help underrated musicians get noticed. "This is going to sound like it's not organic and true or it's going to sound stupid, but I'm not really into this to make money... I'm really more into it to give bands that might not otherwise have the opportunity to be heard, a chance to be heard," he explained. Santos added that he does what he can to balance his work. Basically, he uses his time wisely and does things like listen to new music when he's on a flight. Santos was modest when he was asked how he takes care of all his responsibilities. He said, "All combined, I have like six different businesses, the restaurant business being just one of them so you just do it...you find the time to do it."