Meet The Team: Paul Katz

Meet The Team - Chef Paul Katz - Alie and Paul

An occasional series where we meet the team and unearth a few fun facts about our Bottleneck family. This month: Paul Katz.

Paul Katz

Where are you from?
Born in Encino, California, raised in Cleveland, Ohio.

What is your role at Bottleneck?
VP, Corporate Executive Chef. Basically I am in charge of the direction of the culinary program for the company

What do you enjoy about your job?
I get to do what I am most passionate about which is cooking. Not many people get to do what they are passionate about when it comes to their job, which is why most people hate what they are doing.

What do you do when you are not at work?
I really like to cook so I do a lot of that, besides that; read, play tennis, movies, concerts (Alie and I go see about 10-15 concerts a year), and watching Blackhawks and OHIO STATE FOOTBALL.

Ohio State Football

How did you discover Bottleneck Management?
I went to watch an Ohio State football game on a Saturday night with Mark Nardi and a few of his buddies, one being Jason Akemann. Jason and I drank (surprise surprise) and talked for the entire evening. Slow forward two years and one day I got a call from Mark telling me that the Bottleneck owners wanted to talk to me about a job and here I am!!

What do you enjoy about working with the team/company?
Like I said earlier I am really passionate about what I do, and I like that I am working with other people who are just as passionate. The company has hired a great group of diverse, hardworking and fun people.

Current favorite drink?
Lagunitas beers, especially their IPA, a jack on the rocks, or a dirty martini.

What is something that people probably don’t know about you?
My career path from the time I was a little kid was to be an attorney. That changed when I was about 22, when I took the LSAT. 8,000 people in LA County and 20,000 in California took the bar exam, when I found that out I didn’t want to be an attorney anymore and got a job in a restaurant and was hooked!

Favorite TV/Movie Quote?
“What? Over? Did you say ‘over’? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!” – John Belushi, Animal House

animal-house-speech

Biggest party foul?
Dropping your cocktail (not cleaning it up)

Favorites food(s)?
My favorite dish is Paella (a rice dish originating in Spain… YUM!!!) / favorite food BACON – HAIL TO THE PIG!!

Share a moment of personal triumph:
Since I had no part in the actual birth, I would say raising my 18 year old son Brady who has grown into an exceptional young man.

Read Paul Katz’s full Bottleneck biography here