Chef Deanna Clement
If you have had the chance to visit us at our restaurant, and if you have ordered off any of our menus then you have tasted the creativity and art of our Chef, Deanna Clement. Before our doors were even open she was hard at work to ensure that the vision of The Table was realized: a place for people of all walks of life to gather around good food and good company. She leads our kitchen with immense creativity and attention to detail. She is dedicated to elevating her craft and the customer experience served to the guests who come through our doors. Though Chef Deanna holds each member of her team to a high standard, she guides with patience and joy and often can be heard sharing laughs with the other cooks, the bakers, or the dishwashers.
Born and raised in Asheboro, she learned the value of hard work at home and at a young age helping with her family’s catering business. Not until much later in life did she find a personal interest in food preparation and service. By cooking for family and friends, she cultivated her craft and discovered that making good food for people was nourishing to her soul.
We recently launched our new fall menus and got to ask Chef Deanna about her path, her process, what inspires her and a little about the new dishes.
Have you always wanted to be a chef?
Chef Deanna discusses a dish on the new menu with Sous Chef Mark Pack (second from the left) and cooks Brooks (right) and William (left)
“I have not. It is still surreal for me that I am a chef and I am still not sure how I got here sometimes! My mother, grandmothers, aunts, and uncles were talented in the kitchen, but started early in their lives. For several years, I thought perhaps the cooking gene had skipped a generation.”
How did you become executive chef at The Table?
“Most unexpectedly and certainly not through conventional channels. Living in Asheboro, I noticed some work being done downtown on a vacant building on Church Street. I was informed that it was possibly going to be some type of coffee shop and/or bakery. I also was told the name of the proprietary family doing the renovations and realized they were acquaintances from church. I was interested.
After a Saturday phone conversation and a brief meeting the following Monday, I was offered the position of executive chef in training. I now know that is not a real position in a kitchen brigade but that does not change the outcome! I was overwhelmed by the offer. My initial thoughts were “ Is this really happening? To me? I am going to be personally taught how to be a chef by a Russian born, CIA (Culinary Institute of America)graduate, European trained, successful chef and restaurateur in downtown Asheboro, North Carolina! No way. I worked and trained on the job for approximately 8 months and in a literal instance, became the executive chef of The Table. It was and continues to be an unbelievable dream.”
What was it like starting out as Executive Chef?
“HaHa! Umm. Frenetic comes to mind. I had so much to learn. Basics, skills, ingredients, techniques, equipment, business norms, layouts, temperatures, menu writing, formulations, quantities, vocabulary, speed, accuracy, inventory, consistency, efficient physical movement, how to work the line, how to lead the line, plating, communication with front of house, purveyors. The list goes on and on.
Yet, since day one, I never doubted that I could succeed. I also never wondered if I had done anything productive each day either. I loved it! I was very comfortable in the kitchen at The Table and gained a confidence that I didn’t know existed. Even when I did not know how to do something, I just put my head down and tackled it because I knew I could learn how.”
What do you love most about being a chef?
“It is exhausting, frustrating, intimidating, humbling, demanding, relentless, amazing and often painful. What’s not to love? For me, it truly does satisfy my creativity and need to move. Obviously, I enjoy cooking, experimenting with ingredients, and producing a product that customers want to eat. However, what I love the most is the gift. The God-given gift which allows me to serve, to speak when I feel I have no voice, to nurture, to learn, to grow, to encourage, to commune, to be myself as part of a welcoming team of talented individuals who work as one. My being a Chef for The Table is fulfilling, and working for and with Dustie and Andy, is a true blessing.”
Where do you draw inspiration in creating new dishes for the menu?
“It’s both left brain and right brain. Lofty ideas and common sense. I start from cultural and historical definitions of food offerings and pairings. I also appreciate the freedom to be intuitive, not having to go by rules or follow recipes. I pay attention to what is succeeding or on trend, dietary influences, and other chefs whom I admire. Often, new dishes are inspired by my observing customer preferences.”
Why does the menu change? What’s the purpose of a seasonal menu?
Chef Deanna breaks down the fall menu for the staff at a tasting
“The reason we rotate dishes on our menu seasonally is because the availability of food products changes, and because we are always looking to create more delicious dishes for our guests. Having the same menu for too long can lead to complacency in the kitchen. We always want to push ourselves in our craft. A change every now and then is good. “
Chef Deanna is a powerhouse. She is a humble and kind leader who leads by example. She is an inspiration to us all here at The Table and we are forever grateful for her, her creativity and her drive for excellence. The next time you visit us, take a moment longer to savor whatever dish you have decided to order and appreciate the creativity of our chef.
Written and photographed by Nate Allen
Chef garnishes the Autumn Chicken Salad
Chef Deanna prepares a Southern Polenta Bowl from the new fall menu
The Southern Polenta Bowl
The Blue Fig Steak and Cheese Sandwich