Alumni Spotlight
KATE MCLEAN ’03
The Fine Dining Dance
2003 EHS graduate Kate McLean earned her degree in business and marketing. Her career began in restaurants in Boulder, Colorado. From an early start, as a prep cook at a Colorado resort, she quickly rose through the ranks, working first as a line cook “cooking burgers and pizza” and then ultimately landing a job at the famous Dahlia Lounge in Seattle, Washington. She traveled to Provence, France where she learned from a classically-trained French chef. It was there she developed her knowledge and skill in haute cuisine. In December of 2010, she auditioned with restaurateur Tony Vallone. She got the job and worked as the restaurant’s sous-chef for nearly three years before being promoted to Tony’s Chef de Cuisine. In 2017, she left to explore different food-related opportunities. McLean tended bar, was a podcast host, wrote on a variety of subjects for the Houston Press, and worked for the Food Bank in Sunnyside, eventually running the Food Bank’s supersites at NRG and George Bush International Airport. While at the latter, she earned her forklift license and organized fundraising events for nonprofits such as Urban Harvest and I’ll Have What She’s Having. In February of this year, McLean returned to Tony’s as executive chef and partner. “I love my job so much,” she said. “The precision, professionalism, but really it is the hustling alongside a strong management team, back and front house operator, and our catering department. We are all constantly collaborating and working to please our guests. Fine dining is this beautiful dance between food, wine, and service. It’s going the extra mile and it’s fun! I don’t think of fine dining as stuffy,” McLean said.
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A typical day at the restaurant involves implementing and preparing new items for the menu; meeting with vendors, clients, and coworkers; tasting the sauces; and making sure it all runs smoothly. “There are many aspects to the business of Tony’s, so my days vary with those tasks, and they all make me happy. When I can just cook, just pure cooking, that’s really, really nice. Or hang on the line in the middle of service, what a treat,” says McLean. “Cooking is very fast-paced, and I am ambitious in how I plan my day, so I am in constant motion moving from task to task.” Reflecting on a creative writing assignment she wrote in high school, she always imagined having a fast-paced, exciting career. “Mrs. Becker said you have one page to write a story about yourself 10 years in the future. So, there I was living in France, by the sea, eating cheeseburgers and drinking champagne for lunch and later attending my boyfriend’s club opening where we danced until the sun came up. My life isn’t exactly that, but I have the freedom to live in the way I choose, and I am happy.” She believes her greatest accomplishment has been returning to Tony’s as executive chef and partner, and the opportunity she has to continue in Tony Vallone’s style. She says “In my opinion, the Tony Vallone style is two things. First, is making delicious food, serving the world’s best wine, and doing it with thoughtful table service. The second is being genuine with our guests.” —Ashley Long
