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Each month we feature a Chef of Chef Works®. If you’re a fan of Chef Works gear and are interested in being featured, email marketing@chefworks.ca. Pictured above is our April Chef of Chef Works®, Chef Denis Hernandez, Head Chef at Swine and Vine, photographed in his Tribeca Executive Chef Coat and Rockford Chef’s Bib Apron.
Chef Works: Who was your greatest culinary influence?
Denis Hernandez: That is a very difficult question to answer. If I had to choose one it would be Marco Pierre White. If I had to say what was the reason, I knew this is what I wanted to do the day I walked into the kitchen at Peller Estates in Niagara on the Lake. Smelling the fresh bread being made, watching butter being formed, the smell of wine reducing, doing multi course tasting menus, the list could continue for a while. That was the reason I wanted to be a part of this industry.
Chef Works: How would you describe your cooking style?
DH: I like to take classic dishes and give them a modern twist. Stick to the basics, no need to over complicate anything. I believe the canvas is already made for us, it’s up to us to create what we would like to. My goal is to use as much local product starting with our region, then province and go from there. I would say our menu is 90-95% Canadian product and that’s something we like people to know is our style.
Cole Munro Rainbow Trout by Chef Denis
Chef Works: Best anecdote from the kitchen?
DH: The one story that always comes to mind is once the veg cook was roasting a ton of garlic, unfortunately a little lid fell into the pan unknowingly. The cook pureed everything together and made a big batch of roasted garlic mashed potatoes. All of a sudden, plates starting coming back rapidly. We realized that the plastic lid was in all the potatoes. It was a Friday night in the middle of service, we started scrambling. This was in a steakhouse so mashed was almost on every dish. Not funny in the moment but today I can find some humour in it.
Chef Works: You can only have breakfast, lunch or dinner food for the rest of your life. Which do you choose and why?
DH: I would choose dinner, it’s really the only meal I eat and I feel like people put the most attention into that meal. Coming from an El Salvadoran family, breakfast wasn’t really the highlight of our meals.
Chef Works: If you could cook for one person, who would it be and what would you make for them?
DH: I would say both my grandfathers. I never really got to know them and I’d like for them to feel proud of what career path I’ve gone down. I would probably make them something simple like a good beef dip, or whatever they would ask for.
Chef Works: What’s something about you that would surprise people?
DH: I don’t drink alcohol or coffee. Those are two things I don’t think you’ll ever find someone not doing in the industry. Eby Manor chocolate milk and ice water are my go-to’s.
Learn more about Chef Denis Hernandez from his social profiles:
Website: swineandvine.ca
Facebook: @swineandvinekw
Instagram: @denis_hernandez86 , @swineandvine
Meet other Chefs of Chef Works:
Year 2021
Year 2020
Year 2019
- Chef Erik Mauke
- Chef Graham Smith
- Chef Marina Mellino, The Spice Chica
- Chef Roberto Bertozzi
- Chef Carlo Curto
- Chef Laura Maxwell
- Chef Pam Fanjoy
- Chef Renée Bellefeuille
- Chef Ned Bell – Ocean Wise Special
Year 2018