- July 26, 2024
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While following his culinary passions, Fabrizio Schenardi has worked all around the world.
Schenardi, the executive chef at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort, is a resident of Summerlake in Horizon West, where he lives with his wife, Soomin Park, and 14-year-old son, Lorenzo.
Schenardi was exposed to the culinary world at a young age, when he spent most days in his mother’s bakery, Panetteria Iolanda, in his hometown of Rivoli, Italy.
“For me what was interesting was seeing the baker making the bread, the chemistry,” he said. “It clicked in my mind. ‘Wow, look at that.’ From a little bit of flour and a little bit of water, look what came out. That’s what fascinates me — to understand the concept.”
He attended culinary institute in Italy for three years before he began working at resorts and hotels in Italy and Switzerland. While working at a hotel, he met his future wife. When she decided to move back to New York, where she grew up, he went with her. The couple has been married for almost 24 years.
Schenardi’s career has taken him around the globe, including Tampa, Jamaica, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Los Angeles and Hawaii. Then, when the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort opened two years ago, Schenardi was hired as executive chef and charged with overseeing five restaurants and a lobby bar.
His days are full, often with running the operation. He arrives at work at between 8 and 9 a.m. daily. Some days, he doesn’t leave until 10 p.m. Often, his workload doesn’t leave time for cooking. But occasionally he likes to get away to braise meat, make pasta, bread and liquor.
Despite the constant moving and long hours, Schenardi enjoys the field.
“It’s lots of work, honestly,” he said. “You get to know lots of people. You never stop learning. You learn always …You see people grow.”
Everything in Schenardi’s restaurants is homemade, down to the pasta and the pizza sauce. His mentality is not about following trends but using the best ingredients to make the best food.
“For me, cooking is make as much as you can in house,” he said. “Keep it fresh, simple. Use the right ingredient for the right dish.”
He likes to use local foods but thinks it is much better to purchase the food from where it will be the best product, because if he were to settle for the local product, the dish would not taste like its supposed to be.
Schenardi still considers himself learning, even though he has been in the industry for 30 years in October. He believes in asking other chefs for help when he needs it, especially when cooking an unfamiliar cuisine.
Contact Jennifer Nesslar at [email protected].
Take your time to learn. Learn to do your job well and don’t rush to climb the ladder. When you are ready, you will be promoted.
Pay attention to your surroundings and ask your coworkers what they are doing. Don’t limit yourself to be absorbed in making the dressing. Do the job well but observe what others are doing and ask questions.
Be prepared to sacrifice. To be successful, chefs need to be willing to sacrifice much and see change in themselves.
Don’t expect to be fed with a golden spoon. You will need to work hard to be successful and be willing to take a route that’s not the easiest way.
