I meet a lot of folks in my line of work, and I first heard about chef Efrain through a friend who would not stop talking about his dinner experience at Efrain’s Clandestino Supper Club. In short, Efrain is the chef who is revolutionizing underground dinner parties around Chicago – and he seems to have tons of fun doing it. I had to get in touch with this man and find out where his passion stems from…his sense of humor is addictive….
Bio…
Having never worked in a restaurant kitchen, Chef Efrain Cuevas picked up his knife skills in the underground supper club scene, as a volunteer cook with The Ghetto Gourmet in Oakland, California. After cooking at dozens of underground dinner parties, he developed a passion for simple seasonal dishes using local Bay Area ingredients, and was purchasing many ingredients directly from farmers at the Ferry Plaza farmer’s market. In 2007, Efrain came back home to Chicago and launched Clandestino Supper Club. While Clandestino embodies the spirit of the underground supper club movement, it looks forward and engages the public at large to think about where their food comes from. Efrain has also worked as a culinary instructor in Chicago public high schools, and currently operates a boutique catering company specializing in local seasonal cuisine. He has received local and national awards for both sweets and savories alike, and prefers a plate of buttered English peas to a bloody steak anytime.
What you were doing before you started Clandestino?
I was working in Berkeley, CA as a mechanical engineer in 2005 and was volunteering at underground dinner parties after work. In 2007 I decided to quite my job and move back to Chicago to become a chef.
How did the Feast & Fashion 9.11.09 event come about?
I met Anke Loh, a Chicago based fashion designer last year. She had just presented a fashion show in a laundromat and was looking for other public places to show her work. I was running a supermarket deli at the time and suggested a collaboration with food and fashion in the supermarket. She went to London in the spring to work on the fabrics and finished the clothing this past summer in Belgium. And then on 9/11 we had the event: locally grown food prepared in delicious ways and a runway shown down aisles 2,3, and 4.
What are your future plans for Clandestino?
For now I will continue working on collaborative food events with other artists in Chicago. But in the future I would love to take the show on the road and find people to work with in other places. Of course that’s exactly what I would do if I won the lottery.
Any plans to stage a community dinning event in the Bay Area?
Those are my old stomping grounds and I would love to come back sooner than later. I actually have a Bay Area event simmering on the back burner so stay tuned!
The Usuals…
Why do you do what you do?
I am very passionate about my work and when there is a love and a purpose for what you do, it just makes sense. I am able to express myself and do what I want.
What makes you want to wake up in the morning?
I have to go to work. I really don’t like sleeping that much.
How do you get your inspiration to create new food plates?
Inspiration is everywhere. It’s a magazine article, a conversation, a song, a color, a scent, or a memory from childhood.
Who is your inspiration?
I am inspired by the people I choose to work with and collaborate with.
If you were given the chance to relive your life all over again, what chef would you be?
I really wouldn’t change it. I’m on my own path and I still have a lot to do.
What is your favorite country?
I’ve done some traveling and I always romanticize about how great it would be to live somewhere else, but it really wouldn’t work. So I’m gonna have to go with USA.
Your three rules to live by?
1. Be true to yourself
2. Take time to appreciate what you have in front of you
3. Give more than you take
Your must-have drink?
Kombucha. It gives me a buzz.
Your city/country of origin?
Aurora, IL USA
Your proudest accomplishment?
Quitting my job. It was the hardest decision I’ve made but I haven’t looked back since.
