Getting to know El Gaucho’s Chef de Cuisine, Steve Cain
April 7, 2011
If you’ve had the pleasure of dining at El Gaucho you know why it has gained the reputation of being one of the region’s finest steakhouses and a Northwest institution. The restaurant’s exquisitely prepared dishes and personalized service provides an experience not found in most restaurants. But have you ever thought about what goes on behind the scenes? It takes a skilled chef to artfully conduct the symphony of activities that produce a world-class kitchen. Steve Cain, El Gaucho Bellevue’s Chef de Cuisine, is exactly that person.
Originally from Olympia, Chef Cain grew up with a mother whose cooking inspired him to pursue the art of cuisine. He began his career learning about “the simplicity of food and how great that can be” from an Italian family who owned a small restaurant in Walla Walla. With no formal training but 30 years of experience, Chef Cain moved to Seattle to work at Henry’s Off Broadway under Chef Bruce Bonholzer who attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. It was at this stage in his career that Chef Cain learned the majority of what he knows today as a professional chef. Not only do several of Chef Cain’s El Gaucho recipes draw from what he learned in his days at Henry’s, but he says about 20% still harkens back to what he acquired as a child from his mother, specifically skills on braising and roasting. Before joining El Gaucho in 2008, Chef Cain worked for a select group of Pacific Northwest restaurants.
When asked what a typical day looks like as Chef de Cuisine, Chef Cain said “ I spend anywhere from 12-14 hours in the kitchen, cooking on the front line at lunch followed by managing the private dining events in the evening.” Luckily he has a “fantastic staff” of roughly 20 other chefs who support him in running the back-of-house operations including prep cooking and managing the pantry, as well as the sauté and grill stations on the front line. “We have an outstanding team of well-educated people who know how to have fun,” said Chef Cain. And surprisingly even after a busy day in the kitchen Chef Cain always cooks at home. Don’t expect to find him picking up take-out at a nearby drive-thru anytime soon!
Besides cooking Chef Cain enjoys fly-fishing in Yakima and taking long walks with his wife and their Pug. Finally, we asked Chef Cain what his dream restaurant would be if he opened one—his answer? Barbeque.
For information on upcoming events at El Gaucho or to make reservations for your next visit, go to elgaucho.com.
