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My
Fellow Travelers
As an apprentice
Christian Kaever – A school friend and guide.
My career as a cook started with Christian. After completing his Abitur
he started training as a chef, and his stories 'whetted my appetite.'
He even arranged for my first apprenticeship.
Back in the 90s, when I was still in Switzerland, he told me about
'adventure Berlin' and awakened a desire in me to see the city.
And, last but not least, he was the one who introduced me to the music
of Jim Croce. (www.kaever-traube.de)
Reinhold Johann – A window into the gourmet
world.
Reinhold was my first contact with a real gourmet chef. He introduced
me to the world of world-class chefs. Reinhold's stories from the
classic hotel world fascinated me as a young chef.
Reinhold today is hotel director in the Seychelles islands.
Peter Himbert – A perfect kitchen manager.
During my training, Peter at Le Marron was the first to show me just
how a Michelin star kitchen can be organized and structured to perfection.
(www.molidestorrent.de)
As a young chef
Friedel Drautzburg and Harald Grunert – Bonn's
thoroughbred restaurateurs.
At Friesdorfer Hof I learned to value their down-to-earth dishes.
This is where I came to understand that good cooking can be achieved
without the grand embellishments. They are still at it today, waving
the Rhineland banner proudly in Berlin. (www.staev.de)
Rino Casati – An elder spokesman of his field,
and a noble host. Working with him at "Rino Casati" on
Cologne's Ebertplatz I saw how it is possible to be an owner, host
and chef all at the same time. Rino was a complicated guy, but all
the more fascinating for it.
Eduart Hitzberger or "Edy" – An intellectual chef.
He was one of the first to start thinking about nutrition as a factor
in the gourmet kitchen. During my time in Switzerland at the Haus
Paradis it was his humanity and the great respect that he showed
for his employees that impressed me most. Edy also introduced me
at just the right time to Josef Viehhauser. And so I came to VAU…
Josef Viehhauser – Germany's
miracle worker in the kitchen.
Josef isn't just a top-flight chef, he's also the 'gastronomical
midwife' of VAU. That's because back in the mid-90s he was the one
tasked carrying out plans for a world-class restaurant in Berlin's
new Mitte. Part of that involved putting together the team. During
his search for the head chef he ended up meeting me, via Edy. And
that was how my time at VAU got started.
In the late 90s, when the prior operating company was threatened
with bankruptcy and we were fighting for the restaurant's life,
it was Josef who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me and my wife.
Today he is a valued friend and the godfather to my son Luca.
At VAU
Heiko Nieder – a partner in the kitchen.
Heiko was my first sous-chef at VAU and we created the VAU style
together. Our time together in the kitchen stands out in my memory
for our especially humorous personal interactions and the creative
teamwork. And hey, we had a ball! (www.doldergrand.ch)
Hendrik Canis – An outstanding host.
Hendrik worked at VAU for 10 years as a waiter, and then afterwards
as a maître d' and sommelier. We certainly enjoyed a special
bond through our shared love for acting.
Hendrik took great pleasure in presentation and we worked (and laughed!)
together a lot. (www.spindel-berlin.de)
Stefan Hartmann – A great mind
Stefan came to us directly from the US and together with Mark Belusa
served as Heiko's replacement as VAU's sous-chef. Stefan today runs
his own successful restaurant in Kreuzberg. (www.hartmanns-restaurant.de)
Florian Löffner – Cook and patron with
heart and soul.
Florian first served as my saucer and later as sous-chef. He stands
out for his genuine nature, and the exposure to his boundless friendliness
help me grow to care about him very much on a personal level. In
stressful and sometimes even difficult times Florian always ensured
that the show went on in the restaurant. (www.hotelalteschule.de)
Andreas Schiechel – An anchoring spot in
Berlin.
I got to know Andreas when he was a guest to our first Berlin restaurant,
"Gut Sarnow." And because his wine shop was just a few
steps away from our apartment back then, from time to time we'd
sit down privately as well for some smoked eel, scrambled eggs and
mushroom gathering - the stuff upon which friendships are built.
Since then we've made it a custom to travel out into the country
once a year with friends and family to enjoy a weekend. We spend
our time with good food and wine and stimulating conversations.
It is for me an anchoring spot in my life in Berlin. Andreas is
also my connection to "VAU-Rustique," a yearly event held
each December in Vinum, Andreas's wine shop. (www.vinum
Berlin)
In music and at school:
Georg Fein – An important school friend.
I played with Georg in my first band. We've been friends for a great
many years now. We were very close and he was my partner in many
of our first deep conversations and proper discussions. Georg today
lives as an architect in Berlin.
Harald Faust – Like a brother.
Harald was my first permanent companion back in school – from
primary school to the Gymnasium and even for the Pfadfindern, Germany's
version of the Boy Scouts. We played together in my second band.
He was one who convinced me to play guitar and pushed me to improve.
Nowadays he is the Chief of Medicine in Montabaur.
Wolfram Denzer – An original.
Wolfram was the drummer in my second band, and we're linked by a
love for music. Then again, we spent a lot of nights out together
doing other stuff too.
One of the things about Wolfram that impresses me most is that even
today he's just like he was 20 years ago – inside and out.
Holger Strüder – More than a school
chum and guitarist.
It's not just that Holger and I went to the same school and played
in the same band. Following our Abitur we went out on a joint 3-day
tour of the Michelin star restaurants of Alsace. We discovered on
that trip that we had experienced a bit of an 'initial spark' for
our respective passions. Wine for Holger and cooking for me. And
that's where the possibilities for a new life path were born. Holger
began his winemaker's apprenticeship, and I started my training
as a chef soon thereafter. He today is a wine dealer in Frankfurt
and I'm... well, you might have heard that I'm now a chef.
To this day we are still linked by that eventful journey along the
Wine Trail, and by our deep friendship. (www.die-weinhandlung.de)
On
the stage:
Hermann Burck – My acting instructor.
Hermann Burck was the one who discovered my potential as an actor
and offered me lessons. And that's how my 'career' at the Stadttheater
in Koblenz began. I was an assistant to the director, stage manager
and an actor, such as in Zuckmayer's "Des Teufels General,"
where I played three non-speaking roles and "the Voice behind
the Wall" and… I live and breathe the air of the theater.
A grand time!
Claus Biederstaedt – A star of the stage.
Claus Biederstaedt was the first big-name star of the stage that
I got to know. I was fascinated with the strong aura he radiated
and his trove of experience and... he was the first person to pay
me for my theater craft.
One more note in closing:
This list of my fellow travelers may be ending here formally, but
in my heart and in my head there is space for many more people whom
I value and who, I hope anyway, know that I've not forgotten them.
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