Elgin grad rocks the grill at Rockit Burger Bar
Her resume runs the gamut from the neighborhood McDonald's to Elgin's iconic Al's Cafe and Creamery to Randolph Street's tony one sixtyblue. She's one of Chicago's young rising star chefs, running the kitchens at two of the Windy City's hippest eateries. Earlier this year, chef Amanda Downing, a graduate of Elgin Community College's culinary arts program, became a partner at Rockit Burger Bar (sibling to Rockit Bar and Grill, her other restaurant) just steps away from Wrigley Field.
The oldest of six kids, Downing grew up watching her mother cook and cook from scratch.
“Going out to eat was only for birthdays and special occasions,” she says.
Downing attended Fox Valley Lutheran Academy and Elgin High School (class of 1999), where she was active in volleyball, basketball and student council. Today she lives in Chicago with her cat.
I snagged her for a few minutes before Rockit Burger Bar's grand opening earlier this month to talk about fresh raspberries, circus peanuts and breaking through in a man's world.
What was your favorite food to eat growing up? One of my favorites was fresh raspberries from the raspberry bushes we had in our backyard. During the peak of the season we would pick a bowl full a day, which was probably about two quarts a day.
We also had a huge spearmint plant, we would just pick leaves right off and eat. I remember attempting to make a concoction of raspberries, mint leaves and chocolate chips ... it didn't turn out very well though.
When did you know you wanted to be a chef? It was in my junior year of high school, when I realized I could go to school/college and make it a career. I thought I wanted to be a grade schoolteacher and quickly changed my mind when I found I could cook for a living.
What was your first restaurant job? McDonald's as a Children's Play Place attendant; not technically cooking ... but in a restaurant …
My first restaurant job, doing actual cooking was with a place that did many operations in Hoffman Estates; I bussed tables at their Magilla's Cafe, worked the deli counter of the butcher shop portion called Butcher's Pride and, when I finally started culinary school (because that made it more official), I worked on catering prep for the other portion of the business called Something's Cooking Catering. It taught me how to work on multiple projects at one time and to be organized.
I also did a stint at Elgin's Al's Cafe in between culinary school semesters. That's where I learned what it was like to get up early and prep for the lunch crowd and what it was like to get my butt kicked during a lunch rush.
Any culinary mentors along the way? Absolutely! Chris Quintille and James Gottwald were amazing mentors in my first couple of years at one sixtyblue who taught me a lot of technique and the tricks of the trade to working and managing a busy grill and saute station. Chef Martial Nogiuer (while at one sixtyblue), taught me French technique and recipes. I'll have to also mention James (Gottwald) again, as he has continued to be a mentor as we worked together for eight years at Rockit (up until this past February).
What is your culinary philosophy? Keep it simple, keep it real, make it taste good! This philosophy plays out on the Rockit menu in the way that we start with something simple, such as a burger, and use real, fresh ingredients from the meat to the toppings to the bun, and then we make sure it tastes great!
What do you like best about being a chef? The fast-paced settings; being creative, not just with food, but with your time; making people happy via creating and serving them food they enjoy.
What do you find most challenging? Keeping everything balanced; but I manage to do it. Overseeing two kitchens (a third if you count Underground for special events) can get quite tricky especially when you get hit with many last minute requests that, typically, have a deadline of right now. But I'm able to keep balance because I have an absolutely amazing staff all the way from sous chefs to dishwashers that I can rely on.
You work in a very trendy restaurant. Any celebrities wander in? They tend to wander in from time to time, in fact, (actor) Jeff Garlin was our very first visitor at Rockit Burger Bar when it opened April 5. He literally walked in and asked us to hang out on the patio. Of course, we obliged!
Do you think restaurant kitchens are still a “man's world”? How do you survive in that atmosphere? To some extent it certainly is, but there are some very talented women chefs who run very successful restaurants, and just in Chicago alone (Carrie Nahabedian at Naha, Stephanie Izard at Girl & The Goat, Koren Grieveson at Avec).
It's a respect game; respect your mentors, respect your co-workers, respect your subordinates and most importantly respect yourself. You give respect, you get respect.
All of my cooks know that at any moment I can jump on the (hot) line and bail their butts out of the weeds and they respect me for that. They also know that if they make something incorrectly, I am going to call them out on it and have them make it correctly.
My advice to other women who want to get in the business: keep your head down, follow instructions and be ready to work your butt off. You just made that male co-worker more competitive cause he doesn't want to be “showed up” by a girl. But when you do, show him up he will respect you for it.
What was the last meal you cooked at home? Does toast count?
Do you have a guilty pleasure food? Circus peanuts, I have a huge sweet tooth and when I stop at a Walgreens or CVS, I can't help but buy a package.
What three ingredients should every home cook have on hand? Salt, black pepper (in a pepper mill so it's freshly ground when needed) and onions because they will season whatever you are cooking.
What was the last movie you saw? “The Rum Diaries.” I love the Hunter S. Thompson and Johnny Depp duo (especially “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”).
Tell us about this recipe: Beer-battered Onion Rings. These go great with a Rockit burger and a tall glass of Goose Island Summertime.
Try these at home or at Rockit Burger Bar, 3700 N. Clark St., Chicago. (773) 645-4400 or Rockit Bar & Grill, 22 W. Hubbard St., Chicago. (312) 645-6000.
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