Starting slow
Terrance Thomas Jr. comes alive when he talks about food. He spends his spare time thinking about food and cooking, always wanting to know more.
That’s what caught the eye of staff at St. Marcus Lutheran School, 2215 N. Palmer St., where he’s now in eighth grade. While on a trip with classmates, he raved so much about food that school staff set him up to meet James Beard Award finalist Justin Carlisle and tour his east side restaurant, Ardent.
Thomas and Carlisle “clicked” during the meeting, and Thomas was offered an opportunity to intern at the restaurant. Just 12 at the time, he jumped at the offer despite a few nerves. For the past year, he’s spent almost every weekend working at the restaurant. This month (May), when he turns 14, there will be an official job waiting for him and he’ll start earning his first paycheck.
As a student at St. Marcus Lutheran School in Riverwest, he’s also been working with hydroponics, using ingredients grown at school to prepare dishes for classmates. He intends to continue with culinary studies, and has already looked into a few culinary schools. This fall, he will attend Kingdom Prep Lutheran High School, an all-boys school opening in Wauwatosa beginning with a class of 60 students.
Scrambled start
I was around 7 years old, and I learned how to make scrambled eggs from my grandma.
First food job
We did this trip with St. Marcus (school). We go all across the country. I think we were in Arizona. One of my teachers did videos and sent them to our sponsors. He was videotaping me talking about what we want to do.
I was talking, he paused. I asked why. He said, “I know a restaurant, Ardent. I know the owners, maybe we can go there and give you a tour?” Justin Carlisle (right), chef-owner of Ardent restaurant, took Terrance Thomas Jr. in as a 12-year-old to teach him about cooking. This month Thomas will start earning a paycheck.
It wasn’t in service when we went. He was showing me everything. Justin (Carlisle), the executive chef and owner, said “Hey you can bring something to us and we can try it. I’ll work with you on how to get better. Wait. No. I have something better. You can come here on weekends and when you’re free and help us out here.”
I was trying to hold in my smile. I was cheesin’ so hard.
My first day at Ardent I was a little nervous. I ended up leaving a little early because I felt I was not prepared. I was in the front, plating things right off the bat. They’re teaching me that presentation is everything. Now I have bonded with them.
Making of a mentor
With Justin, we just clicked when we met. He was telling me stories about his family’s farm and his travel. After that, Ardent is my little restaurant family. I’ve been there for a year now. I didn’t even know how much I could learn.
Current ingredient obsession
I pickle everything. Everything. I’m also getting more into Southern skills, like dirty rice and gumbo. My grandma is from down South.
Fine dining vs. comfort food
Comfort food, you put your heart into it, but fine dining you put everything into it. You take time with your food, like days.
Becoming a better eater
I’m a more adventurous eater. When I first started going to Ardent, they had snail and octopus. I was like, what? People actually eat that. Then I thought “Wow, this actually tastes good.”
Starting from scratch
I’m coming home and playing with different ingredients. I think I made 15 pasta dishes one day, trying different recipes. We do everything from scratch at Ardent. I had to get used to making everything from scratch.
Learning the lingo
When we’re walking, they call it the kitchen dance. When we plate it’s like five hands entangled trying to plate one thing. At first I was bumping into people’s hands. Now, I’m actually getting better with it. Now I’m getting faster, because they taught me.
Cooking with classmates
At school, we’re growing lettuce, dill, parsley and cilantro hydroponically. It’s all water. Instead of dirt, we use rockwool. … It is a whole cycle. You have to check the pH. You have to tend to it. Please don’t die.
When we were growing the lettuce, we were thinking of what we could do with it. I had the idea of making mango salsa salad. It was just a test trial. Kids (at school) actually liked it. It was pretty cool to see how kids would try more things than adults.
Worth the work
I love cooking. I love being in a restaurant. People think it is stressful. It is not. It is really calm and cool. You have to own it and just be calm. It is really relaxing to work at a restaurant.
His comfort food craving
Slow cooked food. That’s where you get the most heart in food. If you make a quick salad, it’s not special. You can tell when people put time into the food. Slow cooking is really comfort for me.
In his spare time
If it’s not food all the time, I don’t really do that much. I’m always on my phone trying to look up recipes.
Fork. Spoon. Life. explores the everyday relationship that local notables (within the food community and without) have with food. To suggest future personalities to profile, email nstohs@ journalsentinel.com.