By Julliana Bravo
Even after 45 years as a chef, Fairview Country Club’s Jeff Perez has one rule for himself: never stop learning. It’s a sentiment that’s brought him around the world, working at restaurants and clubs with all types of cuisine, and helped him feel like his job was never work.
Perez never expected to go into the club business, let alone become a chef. He was born in the Bronx and with his family later moving to Long Island, his first kitchen experience came in high school when he worked at nearby Central Islip State Hospital, helping peel potatoes and carrots and mop the floors. After graduating from Central Islip High School, Perez kept working at the hospital to generate extra income.
Soon thereafter, a cook at the hospital shared that a fellow friend had planned to open a restaurant, recommending Perez take an opportunity to work there if he wanted to learn more. Perez began as a dishwasher, then worked his way up from the cold station to the grill station. It was there that he fell more in love with the culinary world. He enjoyed the fast-paced environment and variety of work. However, even though Perez had several years under his belt, he often found himself scratching his head whenever someone asked him a question.
“I didn’t know the difference between corned beef and pastrami,” recalls Perez.
He enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), figuring if he was going to work in the industry, he may as well do it right. At 28 years old, he ended up as one of the oldest students in his classes, but he soaked up information like a sponge, networked with classmates, and made the Dean’s list all five semesters.
After attending CIA, Perez went to the Milbrook Club in Greenwich, Conn., where he worked for seven years. He then moved on to Boxing Cat Grill, an upscale restaurant in Old Greenwich, Conn. Then, in January 2002, he transitioned to Fairview Country Club where he’s been for nearly 24 years.
His crew – which ranges from culinary workers on a seasonal visa to his sous chef that's been with him for 23 years and counting – the general manager, and the members are why he continues to stay at Fairview. For Perez, it’s truly a group effort to sustain the legacy that Fairview has developed all these years.