Written by Ed Lincoln
This piece is a tribute to those Generals who you rarely get a glimpse of as you wine and dine in the comfort of climate controlled rooms, all the while being doted- over to your whims. These men and women work long, hot hours, ensure quality and safety when preparing their product for you. Hats off to the chefs of Marietta and their crews! Marietta has been blessed with some great eateries and we will highlight two chefs in this column in upcoming editions of the Marietta Traveler. They may or may not offer a recipe of the month for you to try at home, but they will offer you some excellent and creative dishes at their restaurants when you dine out.
Name: Matthew “Matty” Joseph LaSala
Age: 32
From: Mountville, but living in Marietta.
Educated at Hempfield High School.
Family: Michael, Vicki, Tom and Justin LaSala
Job: Executive Chef at McCleary’s Public House
Job Rewards: Ever changing growth in a business cultivated by success.
First Job: Subway sandwich artist
Favorite Food: Spaghetti and meatballs
Hero: My mom
Hobbies: Skiing, kayaking, rock climbing, golf
Favorite Movie: Point Break
Favorite Book: “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac
Favorite Spot on Earth: Killington, Vermont
(memories of skiing with my best friends)
What event would you like to witness in
history: Building of the great pyramids.
Event that changed your life:
A tenth grade lunch where I met Alecia Miller
(girlfriend).
One bad habit: I like country music
Scariest moment: My brother’s deployment after
September 11th, 2001.
First memory: Snow on my face as a child.
Traits inherited from parents: Honesty from my
mom, strength and confidence from my brother.
Piece of advice I live by: Life is a song, I am just
lucky to dance to it.
Who do you know that needs a hug: My boss,
Freddy States
Who do you know that needs a kick in the
pants: My boss, Freddy States
One concert you’d like to see:
Present – the Avett Brothers. Past – The Grateful Dead.
Three items on your bucket list:
1. Skydive 2. Heli-ski in Alaska 3. Italy
If you could spend ten minutes with
anybody, who would it be and why:
Anthony Bourdain so we could knock back some
drinks and talk about food.
Something surprising about me people don’t
know: I was never trained to be a chef.
How would I like to be remembered: At all
Crab cake recipe: Top Secret
Crab-tini recipe: Jumbo lump, avocado, roasted
tomatoes, corn off the cob, cilantro, lime and tequila.
Jensen Lewis and father Dan Lewis
Name: Talon Lewis
Age: 26
From: Earth (lives in Mount Joy)
Education: Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts
Family: Railroad House Staff, dad, brother,
and stepmom
Job: Executive Chef at the Railroad House Inn
Job rewards: Absolute freedom with food
Job dislikes: Hot, long hours
First job: Line cook at Bubes Brewery
Favorite Food: Anything Mexican
Pets: Three kittens
Hero: Jake Hoffmaster
Hobbies: Golfing, snowboarding, and drinking
Favorite movie: Finding Nemo
Favorite Book: “Romeo and Juliet”
by William Shakespeare
Favorite Place on Earth: My bed
Pet peeves: Clutter, laziness, and bad drivers
I collect: Shoes, golfballs
Event I would like to witness in history:
Woodstock
Event that changed your life: Feb 29th, 1994
One bad habit: Cigarettes
Scariest moment: Missing a 3 putt
First memory: Goofing off with my brother
Trait inherited from my parents: drinking
Piece of advice that I live by: At some point,
be selfish.
One concert you’d like to see: Bob Marley
Three items on bucket list:
1. Pebble Beach 2. Snowboard in Japan
3. Become a millionaire
If you could spend ten minutes with
somebody, who would it be and why:
Kevin Hart, why not?
Skill you’d like to learn: Patience
Something surprising about you that people
don’t know: I like eating pizza backwards
Crab cake recipe: Keep dreaming