Our Ten Year Old Interviewed a World Class Chef
Our 4th-grade son has been assigned a school project which consists of researching a specific county in New Jersey. Luckily, he has been assigned Hunterdon County, which is the county I grew up in. Part of the project is to conduct an interview with someone currently living and/or working in Hunterdon County.
My son and I both enjoy watching Chef’s Table on Netflix. When I mentioned that I knew a guy who was a similar caliber to some of the chefs featured on the show… and I just might be able to get an interview with him … he was beyond excited.
I contacted the guy through Facebook and asked if he’d be into it. He promptly responded with an enthusiastic:
“I would love to!”
That guy is Josh DeChellis. Josh and I grew up together around Clinton, New Jersey. We went to different grade schools, but we initially met while playing soccer together around 8 or 9 years old. We reconnected a few years later when we both started skateboarding with the same group of friends.
After high school, Josh attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York.
His first job after attending CIA was at the Frenchtown Inn in Frenchtown, New Jersey. He went on to work as a sous chef at Postrio with Wolfgang Puck in San Francisco. After that, L’Arpège and Lucas Carton, which are both Michelin 3-star restaurants in France. He then spent a summer in Japan at San Kichi-ya before returning to the East Coast to work at Sumile, Jovia, and as head chef at La Fonda del Sol in New York City.
Needless to say, the dude knows his way around a kitchen.
Josh and his wife, Jennifer decided to return to Hunterdon County and opened their restaurant, Juniper Hill in Annandale in 2017.
My son and I did some Google research on Josh and I pulled some info from my own brain-vault. I helped him organize a timeline and he wrote up the questions.
We arranged to meet up at Juniper Hill in the afternoon, right before the busy dinner course prep started.
Interview with Josh DeChellis at Juniper Hill
Annandale, New Jersey
February 27, 2018
Were you born in Hunterdon County?
JD: I was born in Bogota, Columbia. And I was adopted by two, basically American mutts and raised in Hunterdon County from when I was an infant. All I know is Hunterdon County.
What was your first job and did you like it?
JD: My first job was washing dishes at a restaurant and I will consider it my favorite job I have ever had.
What did you do after that?
JD: I went to CIA, cooking school in Hyde Park, New York. It stands for the Culinary Institute of America.
What did you like more, the city or the country?
JD: Me, it was very easy to appreciate the cities. Because I knew so much about living in the country. And it was not until spending so much time living in cities, that I could fully appreciate living in the country. I like them equally for different reasons.
Why did you decide to move back?
JD: A good question. I ask myself this frequently. The short answer is, my wife’s mom was very sick. So, we moved close so we could be around to care for her. And also, we have two boys. Being a bit of a mischievous boy myself, I kind of know, in Hunterdon County, you can only get into so much trouble. I feel like if I am raising them here, I know kind of the worst they can get into. And if I made it through it, hopefully, they do also.
What was the nicest thing about working in Japan?
JD: Man. Where to start. I think working in Japan, traveling to Japan, living in Japan, sleeping in Japan, commuting to work in Tokyo, allowed me… it allowed me the time to understand myself, which sounds kind of weird. Because there is all of this stimulus that is happening, especially in Tokyo. But, because we don’t even share the same like.. the alphabet, everything is so foreign, there are no letters I can recognize. It’s spongy, you know, the symbols. There is all of this stimulus going on. It was kind of quiet and peaceful. Because I could think, there were so much going on, I could not understand. So, I got to process the experience a little bit differently. That was the most valuable thing, getting to understand perspective. The nicest thing is perspective — it gave me a perspective of America that I did not have before. And it gave me also an idea of how religiously respectful people can be. Once I understood that about the Japanese culture, it makes me understand, for better or worse, other cultures a bit differently. The nicest thing is perspective. Good question.
What do you like more, French food or Japanese food?
JD: I worked in Paris also. I feel like I have a very strong understanding of both types of food. I could never choose, ever. I find that the best representations of both foods, both cultures, they both subscribe to a common thread. The earth, or where something came from, and honoring that. And delivering it in a way that captures the spirit of that ingredient. The most impactful French food is very much like Japanese food.
Have you ever met Jordi Roca?
JD: I have met Jordi Roca. I don’t know him. I watched that episode. I watch them all*. He came over with his brother to do a demonstration at something called Starships in New York. And I was on a board of advisors. So, I got to meet everybody. I got to shake hands with him. These guys are famous. Did you watch this episode?
AM: Yes.
JD: What did you think?
AM: It was my favorite.
JD: Pretty cool? I really liked I like the spirit, you know. I thought it was very cool.
*Chef’s Table on Netflix
What is your favorite dessert?
JD: I’m not a very big dessert person. To end a meal, to me, it’s not whether it is sweet. Traditionally it is sweet. Conventionally. But dessert is at the end of the meal. For me, the last bit of some red wine is my favorite dessert. Hands down.
Have you ever been on a TV show?
JD: I think you probably know the answer to that. I have. I have been on Iron Chef.
AM: Yes, I know that.
JD: I also did 14 episodes for Discovery Network. This weird competition show called Go Ahead, Make my Dinner. Again good perspective. It made me understand who I want to be, kind of thing, you know? And it is definitely not a TV thing. It is entertaining, cooking and television. Especially Netflix, to me, that is much different. They tend to capture this. But, I think what is popular, the kinds of shows that are popular, I don’t know, I would not like to have done that. I would not aspire to do that.
Would you like to work with Gordon Ramsay at Caesars Palace?
JD: I would say yes.
AM: For the money?
JD: No, I’m not saying how long I would work with Gordon Ramsay at Caesars Palace. But, I would definitely work long enough where I could send him something terribly overcooked just to hear his vociferous onslaught!
[Laughter]
JD: Exactly. I would like to feel the wrath firsthand.
[Laughter]
JD: I have to know what it is like.
Bonus Question:
Who was a better skateboarder, you or my Dad?
JD: There is only one answer to that. Your Dad, of course.*
*He’s lying, he was a very good skateboarder.
[End of interview]
It was a great experience for all of us. Our son thoroughly enjoyed the interview, the learning process and the freshly made ice cream. I enjoyed reconnecting with Josh and learning more about the path his life has taken him on since we last saw each other 20 plus years ago.
Thanks again for your time and your thoughtful, insightful words Josh.
Juniper Hill Resturant
73 Beaver Avenue, Annandale, New Jersey
908.335.8905
Technical note: I’m deaf, so I utilized a remote captioning service which transcribes the conversation in real-time via phone connection which is then displayed on a webpage. This was my first deaf interview experience.
Being a bit of a mischievous boy myself, I kind of know, in Hunterdon County, you can only get into so much trouble.
