He adds dash of contemporary flair to comfort foods

Chef J. Grant Werner was destined to cook for a living; he has always been able to open up the refrigerator, pull out a variety of ingredients and make something that tastes great.

"Food for me is like listening to a foreign language," says Werner, "I hear it, I understand it and now I speak it."

Werner, 32, attended Illinois State University in Normal graduating in 1999 with a marketing degree. His culinary career began during his last year of college while working as a beverage manager for Red Lobster, a Darden Group restaurant. Within six months, he became kitchen manager and, soon after, moved to Darden's Bahama Breeze restaurant in Orlando, Fla., where he worked as sous chef, attended Orlando Culinary Academy and was promoted to executive chef.

In 2003, Werner moved back to the area bringing his management and culinary skills to Bahama Breeze in Schaumburg and then to 18 North in St. Charles. In his new position as corporate chef of Colonial Café and Ice Cream, Werner, an Elgin native, is injecting contemporary flair into the menu's comfort foods and is happy to be working in the community in which he lives.

What are your responsibilities as a corporate chef? I am responsible for all seven of our kitchens, food quality, execution of food, research and development of new menu items, training of kitchen staff and special promotions. The Colonial concept in the Fox Valley area has a lot of history and a proven track record of success. I look back at what's been done and want to go further, do more and do it better.

How would you define contemporary comfort food? Moving up the bar without losing identity. It's all about the food and having a kitchen-forward philosophy. Contemporary American comfort food is great food and ice cream done right. We offer made-from-scratch classics like meatloaf, pot roast and melts and great breakfasts including signature omelets, benedicts and stuffed French toast.

What culinary task do you enjoy most? It's a thrill for a chef to expedite food. In "Kitchen Confidential," Anthony Bourdain compared running a kitchen to running one's "own rowdy pirate crew." I like jumping in, taking control and leading my cooks through heavy volume. It's sink or swim. You have all these systems, procedures and ingredients and when you get into volume, it's 100 percent execution. You have to stay in tune with what's going on.

What do you find stressful in the kitchen? The same thing that's exciting; you get in such a zone when it gets busy. If you want to be successful in the restaurant industry, you have to prepare yourself for three things: what's going to go wrong, who's not going to show up and who's going to let you down. If you prepare for those things, you're not going to be stressed out.

What sparks your creativity? Talking to people and finding out what they enjoy eating and making them happy. It's all about the people you are taking care of. I'm also inspired by great ingredients, but it's people first.

What is your favorite meal? I'm a huge fan of seafood. I love to saltwater fish and come up with different ways to prepare seafood. I also love sauces and enjoy creating sauces that complement the flavor profiles of a dish. I'm a big fan of Mediterranean cooking - the seafood and the pastas.

What ingredient can always be found in your kitchen at home? In my pantry, fresh cloves of garlic. In my refrigerator, I have prosciutto and coffee from Croatia. It's nothing like you've ever had.

Do you have a favorite recipe book? Louie's Backyard is a favorite restaurant in Key West, Florida; I have the cookbook. Bobby Flay is a favorite chef. I like to cook with heat and spices.

What is your favorite kitchen memory? It's pretty funny. I was doing chocolate soufflés for a wedding. We were putting out 100 of them with chocolate drizzle on top. I grabbed a bottle of balsamic vinegar for the drizzle and figured it out on number 98. We had to tell the bride and groom. They were very nice about it and we sent out chocolate crepes instead.

What has your livelihood taught you? It has taught me the value of mentors, that you can find a job that you love and to enjoy life by doing what you love.

Tell us about this recipe. Spinach, Tomato and Feta Omelet. It's a nice mixture of great ingredients that make a great omelet. The flavors make it one of our signature omelets.

Enjoy this at home or at one of Colonial Café and Ice Cream's seven area locations: two in St. Charles, Algonquin, Elgin, Aurora, Naperville and Crystal Lake. www.colonialicecream.com.

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Feta, Spinach and Tomato Omelet

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons milk

Pinch salt

Pinch pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1 ounce spinach

1 slice Swiss cheese

1 teaspoon parmesan cheese, grated

Pinch garlic powder

1 tablespoon canned artichokes, drained, rinsed and chopped

1 tablespoon tomatoes, diced

½ cup feta cheese

Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and mix well with a fork.

Heat a medium-sized nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once warm, add the butter and melt swirling the pan to distribute the butter evenly. Pour egg mixture into the skillet and then spread the spinach evenly over the mixture. Let the egg mixture set on bottom of pan, about 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Once set, flip omelet using a heat-proof spatula. Cut Swiss cheese in half and place both pieces on one half of the omelet. Sprinkle parmesan and garlic powder evenly over the Swiss cheese and then add artichokes. Fold omelet in half using your heat-proof spatula. Spread tomatoes and feta cheese evenly over the top and serve.

Serves one.

Chef J. Grant Werner, Colonial Cafe, St. Charles