The term "foodie" gets thrown around a lot these days, and it makes me wonder—what does that even mean? We all like food, don’t we? So what makes one person a “foodie” and another just a food eater?
I grew up eating food my dad cooked on the grill. He became a self-made grill master because our house had all-electric appliances, and my parents couldn’t afford the energy use. The oven and range were reserved for my mom’s baking, which she excelled at.
In my early 30s, I bought my first smoker and began learning the art of slow-cooked meat over indirect heat. It was a steep learning curve, and I threw away more meat than I ate, but I enjoyed the process and gradually saw positive results. Over the years, I bought and sold different cookers, eventually falling in love with offset smokers burning hardwood.
In 2019, I stood at the grill with my dad for the last time. The final meal he cooked for us was a slow-roasted pork tenderloin on an old Weber grill. That night, he went to bed at our hunting shack in Northern Wisconsin and never woke up.
The roots of my love for cooking were set deep with his help and patience. Since his passing, I’ve continued grilling and smoking meat using many of the techniques I learned from him. But one thing changed: people started asking me to cook for their events—parties, fundraisers, graduations, and even divorce parties.
In the spring of 2020, both as a nod to my dad and in response to the growing interest, I began to consider turning this into a business.
That May, my uncle Jerry and I spent two days smoking eight pork butts, eight chickens, beef ribs, and pork back ribs for my stepdaughter’s high school graduation party.
The evening after our first day of cooking, my stepdaughter had a meltdown over her boyfriend. During her tantrum, I threatened to throw all the meat away and cancel the party. Eventually, we both calmed down, and the next morning I told my uncle I had a business name in mind: The Grumpy Graduate.
Over the last few years, we've cooked for all kinds of events and gatherings for friends, both old and new. We've experimented, adjusted, and faced successes and frustrations. But through it all, my dad’s lessons remained constant: time and patience rule the day.
I love to cook—whether it’s for two people or 400. I love the camaraderie and community that come with dining together, whether at a formal event or a casual backyard gathering with napkins tucked in collars and cold beer in hand.
So, like I said, I have no idea what the word "foodie" means, but if my passion for cooking food that makes people smile makes me one, then I guess I’m guilty as charged!
Steve — August 2023
For a bit of trivia, the burning mortarboard in our logo represents the mood my stepdaughter was in during her meltdown. She was an unhappy camper that evening, and if she’d been wearing a hat, I’m sure it would’ve caught fire!
Below the word “Graduate,” you’ll see two tongs, end-to-end. My dad always referred to tongs as “pincher grabbers.” The two tongs together represent the two of us—a subtle nod to a pretty cool guy who left this world way too soon.
Comments