We recently connected with Steven Peyer and have shared our conversation below.
Steven, appreciate you joining us today. Looking back at internships and apprenticeships can be interesting, because there is so much variety in people’s experiences – and often those experiences inform our own leadership style. Do you have an interesting story from that stage of your career that you can share with us?
When I began my internship with Jordi Vilades, one thing above all was paramount. There was a line, never to be crossed, never to be even gazed upon. I was to master his way, in every way period. No deviation. Knowing him, is only to know that you do not know him. I was gifted by him the philosophy, that if taught well enough, it is the teacher’s intention that the student exceed any quantifiable talent that the teacher had possessed and practiced. If that was his intention I will never know, but that is how I mentored my own students, and it has proven to be a very successful model, and a point of great gratitude for me personally. I recall the moment when I broke through his stratosphere, it was a special moment. And I hope you enjoy the story.
The frugal man he was, Jordi made me schedule Carla, his wife and partner, to work the wood-fired pizza station five nights every week. I never did. I always found a way to do only four, and if I could sneak it by him, three or fewer. Working the line was not her passion; after another ten years as a chef and restaurateur, I would know why.
Jordi was rarely around at night, aside from some weekends, or if he popped in to see a friend or cover for me or someone else’s absence. So, Carla and I became closer. We were not really friends, but I knew she appreciated the respect and deference I showed her, and she knew it was genuine.
She never had to come in a minute before 5 pm. That’s when the doors opened, and her station, front and center in the open kitchen, was always immaculate, perfect, seamless. I was proud to do that for her; she was a queen and deserved every respect she received.
At this point, I had settled in with letting go of any desire to step outside Jordi’s design. I never thought of it.
This is when it happened first. The Universe had completely controlled me, rendering me a complete conduit of its will. It would only happen one more time in my life.
Every evening, as was tradition more and more, we worked with small fishmongers, local farmers, and foragers. I purchased based on what was available in season and began the journey into the flow of true cooking. Surrounded by this bounty, I remember it so well. Chicories of all types, gypsy peppers, heirloom tomatoes and squashes, fresh onions, and summer chanterelles, something transformed inside me. Something happened.
I stopped thinking logically and began to feel. Intuition swelled and grew inside me. I had done it. I had stepped outside of Jordi’s box. I had broken free without the slightest consideration of what apocalyptic consequences may come.
I had run a special without Jordi’s knowledge or approval. It was one of those rare nights when, happily, Carla was not scheduled so that the family could eat together at their home up the hill. Carla called to see what the special was for the evening, and with their order, she included two of the fire roasted Gypsy pepper, goat cheese and sausage Risotto courses.
Without thinking—maybe I thought about it, and perhaps I already knew what lay ahead—Boom!
It wasn’t five minutes after the food left the building that Jordi was on the phone for me. “What the fucking fuck do you think you are doing?” he screamed. “You’re running this fucking risotto special that I have not tasted nor approved!”
Again screaming, and then I could tell he had something in his mouth. Dead fucking silence.
I can’t recall, but I know much of our relationship and mentoring was based on fear of one kind or another. I was now a bit worried.
“Hmm,” he said. “This is good—it’s actually really good. See you tomorrow.”
And he hung up.
Not a word was spoken after that—not about the particular risotto, not about me breaking the golden rule, and not about whether we had, in fact, entered a new paradigm in our relationship.
I would never ask permission again, and he rarely took interest in what I was doing. He enjoyed it, but now he would enter the fly fishing stage of his life. He’d rather be fishing.
That was when I knew he trusted me and that I had a special gift, part of a larger purpose. I would nurture and learn about my personal interpretation of food energies and the construct of flavor. Most importantly, I would nourish loved ones and strangers along the way with my personal and innovative approach to cooking.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I think it’s important to start with the beginning of my adult life. As I ran aimlessly away from traditional schooling, I walked into the grasp of a Chef just hitting his stride in the arena of Michelin rated and starred food and wine. A profound mentor, he became a pivotal point in my life and the foundation for the next 25 years of my life as a chef and restaurateur.
Before I settled in Sonoma County, California, to open the first of two restaurants that pioneered the cooperation between source and what could be created as an experience in my kitchens, I traveled the country and the world, worked with the very best, most innovative chefs, Sommeliers, wine makers, farmers, foragers, fishmongers, and fishermen and fisherhumans alike, and saw the multitude of half-measures employed by most others.
Many aspects of my learning stuck with me, but none more than this: I may have known as I was told, shown, tasted, smelled over and over throughout this time, during my formative years as a chef. But I did not really KNOW. It took years, maybe decades, to truly understand, to know, and to see the big picture. Yes, it is true, your food can only be as good as the ingredients you utilize to create it. And most often, as the land to produce the very best wine skyrockets in price and shrinks in availability, and the humans managing the vineyards are farming organically and biodynamically and paying their staff fair living wages; the wine you drink is really only as good as the price you pay for it.
So, back to my point. Now that I truly understand and know the what and why of utilizing the very best quality you can produce, of treating your team with utmost love and respect, and now that I am an author, educator, a creator of a stand-alone product, and founder of two non-profits, this one line has never meant so much when it crosses my lips, “Always use the very best. Use the very best quality ingredients that you can ethically source and afford.”
I may have done a lot and seen even more by the time I reached the age of forty-four, but I was lost, and I had no ethos, no purpose, no practice. Let me be clear, first and foremost, I consider myself a father and husband, and I do my very best every day to heal and grow my relationships with my children and be the partner my wife deserves. I am also the best, most honest and loyal friend to the friends that choose to be in my life. I champion fiercely not only the defense of, but the upstream work needed for the next generation that is in need of opportunity and power that operates outside traditional limits and boxes.
In 3 years, I have conquered addiction- smashed it. I have made my mental health a priority and close partner, I have written two books, one a memoir, “One Man’s Murmuration”, and an asymmetrically presented cookbook, “Real Food Vignettes~ The Third Coast Cookbook.” I have founded and act as COO of two non-profits, one focused on limitless programs designed for at risk youth, and the other focused on the regeneration of the coastal lands of Lake Superior. I have been married to the best partner a man could imagine, rekindled relationships with my two biological children, and begun relationships with 3 new daughters and a grandchild.
I think what we’re really getting to is the company that I co-founded with my friend Chad Landry, Third Coast Superior, thirdcoastsuperior.com. We have created THE FIRST and ONLY domestically crafted and sourced fish sauce in North America, at least commercially. Our mission is simple; Focus on regeneration rather than sustainability in our very limited sourcing and packaging and create a product that, instead of smelling and tasting putrid, smells intoxicating and tastes like it has been crafted with the care of an amazing pinot from a small coastal Sonoma Vinyard or a Monopole from Burgundy.
We source from one fisherman, Bill Bodin, in Bayfield, WI, for our Lake Superior Herring. Bill is the only fisherman that we know of that shares our vision and commitment to the regeneration of the Lake, and his practices speak volumes to that.
For sea salt, we chose to use Jacobsen Salt CO. Their hand-harvested kosher sea salt from Netarts Bay, OR, is rich in microorganisms, nutrients, and minerals, and has a low NACL level. And finally, our Barrique-aged bottling receives a sachet of spices and botanicals from Pinch Spice Market, Louisville, KY. Family owned and operated, their commitment to ULTRA-FAIR trade, organically grown spices and botanicals, and their personal mission and ethos could be our only choice.
All of our artwork and design is done by the supremely talented Heather N. Wilde, at hezziemae.com. Without her, none of this would be possible.
In the end, we choose to do this because we can. Giving back has become my purpose, and I am grateful to be joined by such brilliant people. Quantifiable change is just that.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
We all come into this world and meet what awaits us. This is when we lose our way.
We lose the ability to know, trust, and be. For some, this is a violent entrance to their last opportunity to solve the spirits’ unanswered karma and purpose.
For most, it is just another endless puzzle of offerings accepted or unseen, unanswered. Thrust back into the dust from which they came and back to the stars.
For those of us destined for a lifetime of trauma, pain, and heavy, heavy things, acceptance takes on a whole new imperative.
As a child, I was awakened, instead smashed by a wrecking ball of evil and darkness. Guided forward by an unmistakable attraction to everything light, I would wander as a child into the darkness.
I had to experience such severe trauma that I would know only that. And create for me an internal factory for reproducing the trauma and fetal-like self protections, always chasing knowledge of enlightenment through reading, music, and self-medication.
My behavior counteracted any adherence to the simple teachings I now live by and practice; by all accounts, I was trying my best to end this excruciating duality by age 12.
Somewhere in this dualistic survival, I found my ego, or my ego found me.
It provided anything and everything I would need to survive. And it very much wanted me to live.
It provided masks to achieve my false veneer and achievements. It offered a taste of my first addiction—manipulation, success, and power.
For 30-something years, I lived off of and fed my vast ego.
At 12, I was thrust into a dark period of sexual abuse at the hands of a man within the Catholic Church. I was forever changed.
For the next 32 years, I struggled to bury this reality, and my deep mental wounds. I suffered from severe PTSD, depression and severe panic disorder. Through the years I self-medicated to the point of reaching my bottom, the end. Which for me, was suicidal ideations, and due to my abilities, and resources, the planning of my death. You will have to read my book for the details, but something happened. There at the edge of the seiche waves of Lake Superior, and the snow and ice. I finally asked for help, and accepted the possibility that I could not continue alone, nor could I choose death. I chose to seek help.
I was addicted to running, addicted to false and temporary success at that point, and I chose to commit to never going back.
I chose to accept whatever I may find within myself; whatever consequences may come from me not towing the line, from me letting go of everything, I let go of control. I spent 7 months at a retreat delving into the depths of my life, and what I had suffered, and what I had done. I emerged with the tools, and the motivation to allow myself to be present, live honestly, and nurture my newfound faith in the vastness and power of the Universe. It took time, and more intense work, and patience than I knew possible. It will always be work, as it is a journey. For me, now it seems like a lifetime that I have been living this new life, getting to know the real me. And it is so hard when it is hard, but the light I share with others now is pure, and I am filled with gratitude each day for this opportunity to do my very best at everything I do, knowing that I have absolutely no limits.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn the traditional business model, especially as it pertains to Michelin-rated and stared restaurants and events. My mentor was a hard-charging East Coast man with a business brain that would oftentimes turn more than a bit sarcastic and dismissive, and I love him for who he was. There was a joke he teased me with when I was not catching his subtle suggestions. “Steven, do you know what the introductory theme is on day 1 of Harvard Business School 101? (smirk) Buy low, sell high.”
I was taught from an early age in military school that in order to successfully operate creatively outside the traditional models, to step outside the box, you first must master the system within. Often simple, archaic and boring to a creative mind, traditional business models are a necessary evil. When I heard the words “Shine your shoes, shine your brass, and then do whatever it is you want,” I went right to work. I did my best, albeit handicapped by emotional immaturity, to learn the traditional business models, and much of what I have learned in my nearly 30 years of owning, running, consulting and finally focusing on start-ups, I still utilize today. Over the years, I would dabble outside the box, but without real purpose, mostly because I was allergic to confines. I run with freedom and my own permission to operate asymmetrically in business and as a business. I live and operate completely without confines, without limits, or expectations. I have absolutely no attachments when it comes to business. My mission and vision are to constantly evolve, and to always do the next right thing, make the next best decision. Make the best of every opportunity that presents itself. Always stay willing and open and refuse to become defined. Now my job is easy. I simply make certain that everything I do in business makes the consumer feel respected, empowered, valued and seen. I make certain that every decision benefits our sources, and especially creates a net positive, and regenerative impact on our eco system and the community. And it is our ethos that everyone on our team has the tools and support they need to outthink me at work and live like me at home.
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: @thirdcoastsuperior
- Facebook: thirdcoastsuperior
- Linkedin: steven peyer
- Twitter: [email protected]
- Youtube: [email protected]
- Yelp: [email protected]
- Soundcloud: [email protected]
Image Credits
artwork by Heather N. Wilde