Meet Renaissance chef

I have always had a love for cooking and experimenting with food since I was about 6 years old. One of my very first and most treasured memories cooking was a memory with my Papa. Every time my family and I would visit him, We would cook his High Life spaghetti recipe. It doesn't seem like much, but it inspired me. That memory alone was the one to spark the flame. I take a lot of my inspiration from the memories we shared. From cooking, to spending time in his shop, to riding dirt bikes and fishing. My Papa, Larry Ouverson, was a Renaissance man of his own. He did electrical work for his career, from the Air Force, to the railroad and even some work at nuclear power plants. But when he wasn't a professional electrician, he was in his shop doing woodworking, automotive restoration, painting, welding and working on guns. Just about anything he can get his hands on. Not to mention, he was a great home cook. 

I have known since a young age that I wanted to be a Chef. With that state of mind, it got me an early start in culinary school as a junior in high school. I took Culinary Arts at Northland Career Center for two years in Platte City, MO. After Graduating High School from Park Hill South I took a Chef Apprentice position at Rye, owned by a local James Beard Award winning couple, Colby & Megan Garrelts. I worked between them and JCCC Culinary Arts program for three years. After my collective 5 years of culinary school I started my career in Kansas City fine dining.

I've spent 8 years working in local restaurants all over KC. My first job while still in high school was at The National's Country Club in Parkville, MO. I then went on to do my Chef Apprenticeship at Rye in Leawood, KS, where I spent three years learning as much as I could from those great chefs. After Rye I went to their sister restaurant, Bluestem, where I spent another year. Another year followed working at Corvino's Supper Club. Where I also helped open Ravenous, Corvino's short order burger concept. I found a passion for small restaurant concepts and tried my luck at Strang Hall's chef collective food hall. Where I worked at three separate kitchens, all in hopes that I'd land my own kitchen there.... Then COVID happened. After that, I spent some time at J. Reiger's distillery in the East Bottoms. I then purchased a home and began my home repair journey. 

I've been a personal chef here in Kansas City for two and half years working with a local provider, MyChefKC. Doing everything from weekly meal prep to private dinner parties. Working with them gave me the direction I needed to find my true passion and purpose. The biggest thing I pulled from being a private chef is the impact I can make on peoples lives. Bringing the knowledge of food, accompanying diets, good health, a regular eating schedule and more time for themselves. 

The fatherhood experience is what fuels a lot of my passion and dedication. The endless care and knowledge I get to share with my son, Roman, is what keeps me going everyday. The passions we get to share are cooking, action sports, building things and just having a plain 'ol good time together. The relationship Roman and I have built has inspired me to build those relationships with everyone close in my life; from work to home. 

I've always had a passion for anything with wheels and/or an engine. It started very young at the age of 5 when my mom got me on my first dirt bike. My mom taught me about regular maintenance on my dirt bike and helped me though any projects I took on as a young age. My passion really took off when I got my first car, it was a 1984 Volkswagen GTI. I had done everything to that car, engine swaps, basic maintenance, interior restoration and painting. The GTI fueled a spark for cars that built that immense knowledge and dedication for anything mechanical.