A Chef, a Veteran and a Family Man with a Passion to Serve

Chris Reveron, Culinary Director and Executive Chef at Bonnie Briar Country Club, Larchmont, New York, USA
Image top right: Pan -seared Foie Gras with Spiced Citrus Puree, Tomato and Peach Compote, Red Onion Jam and Brioche Toast. Image bottom right: Wasabi and Sesame Crusted Tuna with Green Tea Soba Noodles, Julienne Vegetables and Sesame Garlic. Images by Diana DeLucia

​I had always wanted to get to know Chris Reveron a little better. I met Chris in September 2019 at the second annual Golf Kitchen Culinary Excellence Awards at GlenArbor Golf Club, Bedford Hills, New York, just before the Pandemic. The more I learned about Chris, the more I wanted to know. I followed his LinkedIn account and quickly realized how he championed others before himself. Even when producing this profile, he insisted on including his kitchen family; he wanted them to share the experience. Chris is a veteran who did several years in Iraq and returned with the often-overlooked PTSD. I was intrigued by how Chris found his way into the culinary world and how his childhood and military experience led him to the industry. ~ Diana DeLucia

GK: Tell us a little about your childhood.

I was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. My mother is from Portugal, and my father is from Puerto Rico. Bridgeport is a crazy town to grow up in, and I survived the public school system. My parents were dealing with addiction issues, and I grew up quickly. I continually searched for a male figure to help me steer my ship. That person was my uncle from my father’s side, a Culinary Institute of America designated ProChef III. He was the sole reason I decided I wanted to become a chef at a very young age. He passed away in April 2020 due to Covid-19. He was one of the first 75 people in Connecticut to die from the virus.

I will never forget the day he made a red sauce with clams, mussels, and calamari. I was eight years old. I was there helping him and eating. My uncle could not believe that an eight-year-old was eating clams and mussels, and from that moment, everything changed; he began to bring me to freelance jobs he did so I could help with minor tasks.

When I was 11 or 12, I began working with him at a medieval festival in Wilton, Connecticut. I loved every moment, and he paid me 50 bucks to peel the onions and potatoes! After that, I hosted the event with him for ten years. After I left grade school, I went to Bullard Havens Technical High School in Bridgeport; the primary trade I chose was culinary arts. And the professor there was the professor who taught my uncle! Like my uncle, I was the class clown. I loved to laugh and have fun; it was my way of hiding a lot of the pain from the past.

In my junior year, around 2000, I enlisted with the U.S. Army under the delayed entry program and began training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. They offered the opportunity to join the military at 17 years old and sent me off to basic training after my junior year during my summer break, with my parent’s consent. I soon enrolled and began military training in the 110-degree weather. When I returned, I completed my senior year of high school and trade, graduated with a 92 average GPA, and was at the top of the class in the culinary program. After high school, I went to Fort Lee, Virginia, for my military occupational job training, a 16-week course. I was a food service specialist when I began to cook for two-three thousand people. That is where I mastered banquet cooking! After that, I joined The Reserves. In 2001, I landed my first chef job at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Connecticut.

GK: Why a country club?

When I got home from Fort Lee, Virginia, a friend worked at The Patterson Club. They had a server position available, but I wanted to cook. He spoke to the chef, and I got a job. I loved it, and I was there for ten years and began to rise through the ranks.

From February 2003 to March 2005, I had to take a military leave of absence because I was mobilized to Iraq. In Iraq, the cooking was all contracted by Halliburton and similar government contracting companies; thus, I had to cross-train as a fuel service specialist and heavy wheel operating mechanic. We were a tier one combat unit delivering fuel. I was there 25 months total, and we delivered fuel for 19 months. We supplied 85% of the fuel for that war, and we pumped about 13 million gallons of fuel a day. If you are a veteran and traveled through Iraq from February 2003 to March 2005, there was a 95% you got fuel from us. When I came home, I went back to work at The Patterson Club and stayed until June 2010. I was the executive sous chef when I left.

GK: Where did you go next?

Joe Napolitano was a big piece of fuel for me to push myself. He had told me about a position available in Rye, New York, at a club named The Apawamis Club. He told me that the job would be a step-down in the short term, and I would have to take a pay cut. Joe has never given advice to me that placed me in the wrong direction. He urged me to take the position for the long-term growth potential at the prestigious Platinum Club. It was the right decision and has led me to where I am today. On that note, with his leadership qualities, Joe has been a catalyst for my professional growth and development.

I started as the grill cook and began learning about the club’s stature and what it could offer in the future. Joe left the club three years later to become a general manager in Larchmont. This was when things became a challenge for me. I was ready to take on the executive chef role, but it would not be smooth sailing. The club decided to interview multiple candidates, which was a very emotional time for me. I had a conversation with the club president, who was concerned I might leave, and I told him, “If you won’t place me in the executive chef role, then at least please hire someone more qualified than me so I can learn from that chef. Someone who can teach me. I will sign a contract and stay with you if you are willing to do that.”

That night, I was 28 at the time; they called me into the office with a yellow folder and announced that they had found a new executive chef. I said, “I am sure you guys made the best decision for the club, and I am looking forward to meeting the person you all hired as the executive chef.

SIDENOTE: I don’t think people understand because of the way I grew up, the military, and the PTSD that resulted from that; when the president looked at me, my eyes were watering. I had two children and a wife, and my childhood flashed before my eyes in that very moment. I always asked God not to put me in a place where I had to relive my trauma. Everything I endured, the sacrifices and many missed occasions, this was the moment I went through all of it.

GK: What happened next?

After the anxiety and flashbacks I was experiencing, to my surprise, they told me I was the new executive chef and asked me if I wanted to take on the role! I thanked them all, accepted the position, and signed a contract the next day. In my first-year review, I got a raise that I would have never imagined! I was never greedy for money; I was taught that when you chase money, you chase the devil. A former sergeant in Missouri told me, “I’m going to leave you with this statement. Remember, money will always be made, but time will never be replaced.”

That is what’s pushed me today to do a lot of community service work with inner-city schools and public speaking. I share my story because we’re so caught up in the social media dilemma, a world many people base their lives on, and I feel I am in a position today that giving back to my community is of the utmost importance.

GK: Tell us about your community service work.

I work with children and teenagers; they all know we need money to survive and eat. I embarked on a journey with Feeding Westchester and Pastor Pasquale, who oversees the program. I’ve worked with Pastor Pasquale for some years and am still involved with the program today. In 2021 my team and I provided over 10,000 meals for the food insecure in Westchester County! During the Pandemic I decided to bring my kids along with me to Kingdom Life Christian Church in Milford, Connecticut, our church we attend. I sat with Pastor Mike, and we decided to start cooking soup every Monday with my kids. I wanted them to understand the importance of giving back and feel good about doing it. We had a couple of houses we’d drop soup off to, and my kid’s found excitement in doing so every week. These are the moments of facilitation that go further than a paycheck.

GK: How did you land at Bonnie Briar Country Club?

I was the executive chef at Apawamis for eight years when a new opportunity came about at Bonnie Briar Country Club. I wanted to take on a new and challenging role, and once again, it was Joe Napolitano who challenged me. Joe Napolitano, my former boss, was now the general manager at Bonnie Briar. I will be taking on the executive chef and director of food and beverage role after my friend and colleague Matt O’Connor left the position to take on the culinary director position at Wee Burn Country Club.

GK: Tell us what your plans are at Bonnie Briar.

I am working on programs to make the culinary department at Bonnie Briar sustainable. I am slowly rebuilding the kitchen and adding new equipment. The membership mentality is changing, and the younger members support our actions. I hope younger members support our actions. I hope within the next couple of years we can build a new kitchen.

GK: Tell us about the younger members.

Younger members are coming in from midtown, uptown, and downtown Manhattan. They joined during the Pandemic, and they played golf and dined here. They value dining at the club as a social element as much as golf.

I try to keep our dining above the level of the local restaurants so that we can compete. When the vice president at Bonnie Briar interviewed me, he said, “You make this program yours.” I’m going very slow. I don’t go in with an iron fist, and I never would. Memorial Day 2022 was my single-handed busiest day in a club in my 20-plus years of service; we did 299 a la carte lunch meals in two hours and 14 minutes!

The following week the members said, “Chef, how did you put all that food out? I said, “In the kitchen it’s all about what the team and I do operationally; a few key factors help everybody succeed. The first is the organization’s personnel, the second is purpose, and the third is the intuition of the team. With those three facets, if you can narrow that down, operations quickly become seamless and effortless.”

GK: What are your long-term goals?

My long-term goal is to become a general manager. My heart will forever be in cooking, but I believe God has different plans at another level for me. My life has been filled with challenges, trials, and tribulations, just as everyone’s has, but this is my journey, and I must own what I want. Every journey is a lesson, and my path has been teaching me to continuously grow no matter what. I have  such a following now with people in the industry, and I’m learning every day. I surrounded myself with great people and mentors over the years, and I believe the culinary operations will be in the limelight of private golf and country clubs nationwide very soon.

GK: I spoke to a colleague of yours Charles Dorn of the Dorn Group about your friendship and he had this to say. 

Chris is the antithesis of many traditional chefs. People and family first. Kitchen is family. Passion beyond 98% of people I know. Pride in his product. Loyalty to the military. What a great answer from a colleague and friend!

GK: What are your thoughts on such great praise from Charles?

When Joe left, Charles was hired as the headhunter to find an executive chef at The Apawamis Club. Charles has always been a dear friend since my appointment at the club. When I went through the interview process, he was always there. After I was hired, we never lost communication, and we have remained in contact ever since. I am grateful to Charles for his kind words.

GK: What advice do you have for other veterans, chefs, culinarians, or anyone with PTSD?

The only advice that I can give is to follow your dreams. Sometimes we caught up in the moment without thinking about the future. We live in a world that’s fast-moving, slow down, think and make calculated decisions. I believe from where I come from that I am an example for many kids in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Not too many people make it as far as I did, but I thank God every single day! Cook with your heart and not your ego! Always remember, what a canvas is to an artist is what a plate is to a chef. Lead with emotional intelligence at the forefront and purpose as right behind.

For those that suffer from a disease we know as PTSD, you are not alone. SPEAK, reach out and know your resources. It’s too often we get lost in our problems from the past and forget we have avenues to help reduce that pressure. You are only as alone as you allow yourself to be, and I’ve been there. 

What I have learned is that we all have a story, but it’s how I interpret mine, is what got me to a safe mental space and where I am today. I will say it’s when I redirected my life to God that things really started to fall into place for my family and I.

Although I had a rough upbringing, I thank God every day! I thank him for allowing me to travel the roads I had to, as it prepared me in a big way for what was to come. Although my parents had circumstantial addictions, my mother was always my air! I had a stepfather that we all knew as “Hun”. My friends and all the family all called him Hun. His name was Edwin, and he was the most AMAZING DAD any kid could wish for! He had no kids of his own but taught me how to love and always put family first! Any man can father a child, but not every man can be a dad... He was the example. I tell you this because God will put people in your life to teach you lessons. I lost him on Christmas morning 2018. I would not be the father or Husband I am without having him in my life. I have two little girls that my world revolves around.

This business is tough to be in when you have kids but placing boundaries in line for important things is a must. My little ladies love to cook with their papa! They are now 11 and 9, but they began cooking from a very early age. My wife of 10 years now has been a pillar to my success. It’s not easy being a mom while dad is working 60–70 hour work weeks, but she rode the wave with me. Raising the kids while working and coming home to work another 40-hour week with the kids is draining, and I will forever be grateful to her for that. One thing we promised is never to be too busy for family. We’ve been together for 17 years now, and I told her from the beginning how much I loved cooking, and if she couldn’t deal with the crazy hours, I was likely not the guy for her. I guess she took the challenge and ran with it, and we now have two little ladies to be a part of the Reveron family.

GK: Tell us about your team.

As I look back at the earlier years of my career as a young executive chef, I realized very early on that strength comes from the people you surround yourself with. 15 years ago, Jose Sanchez joined me on my culinary journey. He was very green but eager to learn. He is one of the hardest working, dependable, driven individuals I have worked with. Fifteen years later, his drive, work ethic, and dependability remain. Jose Sanchez is now the executive sous chef at Bonnie Briar and a very dear person to me. His cooking and banquet department strengths are far beyond the average chef’s. His passion for this craft is unparalleled to many. Jose has demonstrated superior work ethics over the years and has what it truly takes to grow in this industry. Particularly impressive is Jose’s readiness to contribute to the morale level in the kitchen when there is time to have fun and his ability to differentiate between those times when absolute focus and seriousness is required. He worked extremely hard to earn his title and, more importantly, the respect I have for him professionally and personally. I know one day he will make a fine Executive Chef and be a great mentor to those around him. Thank you, Jose (who we all in the kitchen call Macho), for all your hard work, sacrifices, and determination to constantly win!

Catherine DiQuinzio is the next person who has a special place on my team. This young lady is the definition of a true professional. She has her Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts and Management from Westchester Community College and her Bachelor of Professional Studies in Hospitality Management from the New York Institute of Technology. Catherine joined me at my previous club as a seasonal snack bar cook. She juggled school and work during the summer months with ease. Once Catherine graduated with her AAS degree, she wanted to work full-time and learn. She rose through the ranks and continued showing determination in her work and studies. I worked around her schooling when she went back for her bachelor’s degree, and she now is the Chef de Cuisine at Bonnie Briar. Her work ethics, talent, and professionalism are exemplary for any young professional. I contend that Catherine represents the best any young professional can offer an employer. 

Catherine can quickly gain a clear understanding of any set of directions given to her; no task has ever proven to be beyond the realm of her capability. Catherine is a rising star in the hospitality industry, and anyone who fails to see a talent at this level is plain blind.
Thank you, Catherine, for all you do, and I can’t wait to see what plans God has in store for you.

Matthew Marrero was the needle in the haystack back in 2020 when I hired him. He came into my office for an interview, which was a great conversation. I instantly knew there was something about him. He was hired as a PM sauté chef. During his first week, it was clear that he wanted to go places.

As 2020 went on under the pressure of the world’s Pandemic, I witnessed what Matt was capable of and how he breathed the trade; I wanted to help him grow. We quickly bonded, and he became a part of the culinary department’s “blueprint.” Behind the line, he’s as calculated as an eagle diving for a meal on busy nights. I sat him down and asked, “What do you want to do with yourself in this business?” He responded, “I want to learn from you.” It was then I knew what the next phase for him was. I had Jose and Catherine generate a plan of action for his growth and bring it to me. We went over everything and put it in play. Fast forward to late 2022, and Matthew is now a Sous Chef with the team/family.

Jose and Catherine are a massive part of his development, as I made it a point for both to take the lead with Matt. These three Professionals one day will phase into more significant roles, and whatever company they are with will be lucky to have any of these three as an asset in their company portfolio of professionals.