Before she was an executive sous chef at Chicago’s highly renowned restaurant Monteverde, Abby Schroder was a City High student discovering her passion for the
kitchen
“Sports definitely helped me from a team aspect, as well as [with] staying organized. I had many coaches who were highly organized and kept many high school students in line day in and day out. They were stern yet soft at the same time. [They] were leaders we looked up to, but we could talk to them about anything,” Abby Schroder said.
Moneverde, a highly renowned Italian restaurant in Chicago, can be intimidating, but with that intimidation comes lessons that shaped Abby. The lessons Abby learned in her first days in Monteverde have continued to follow her.
“Do not be intimidated by older or more tenured cooks. Learn from them, train with them, but know that you belong in the kitchen just as much as they do,” Schroder said. “You might not know as much as they do, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be taught and become as good as them one day. You have to hold your own in a kitchen,” Schroder said.
Throughout high school, Schroder developed skills and habits that she uses every day in the professional kitchen. Staying on top of things and staying organized are things that carry her throughout her everyday life.
“I have always been a Type A person. Keeping my school work, my locker, and my room organized was the name of the game for me. I was fairly strict about getting up early enough to get myself ready and pack my sports equipment. This greatly helps me stay sane now. [It] keeps me in a routine, which I am thankful for,” Schroder said.
Schroder developed a close bond with her own teachers and instructors, which helped her later on.
“Become close with your teachers and instructors, especially the ones you know you can get the most out of,” Schroder said. “I always gravitated towards instructors who were most like me, and they were always the ones who helped me the most in the end with either homework, recommendation letters, or jobs,” Schroder said.
Throughout Abby’s journey from high school to becoming an executive sous chef, one concept that differed from high school was teamwork. Individual work in school evolved into working as a team. Schroder encourages getting out of the “I’ll do it myself” and letting others participate.
“In school, everything is so technical, and you are working mostly by yourself. In a restaurant kitchen, you often work as a team, whether that [is] on a station with teammates, on a prep team, or on a chef team. You swim as a team, and you sink as a team,” Schroder said. “You have to learn to rely on other people and trust others to do their jobs as well as you do. Things can become too overwhelming, and you are likely to sink,” Schroder said.
The journey to becoming an executive chef for Schroder was difficult, but it was one of the most rewarding choices she has made. She works with her fellow line cooks throughout the ups and downs and the unbelievable pressure of the restaurant industry. For her, being a chef is about being there for those in her work circle just as much as it is about cooking.
“Although it is very hard, it is so, so rewarding. The adrenaline you get from working in an amazing service and the camaraderie you have with your fellow line cooks is top-notch.
Abby learned that they are all in the pit together, and when cooking, they all have to push through getting “drilled”, and they have to help dig each other out. When it is over there is nothing else like it after it’s over.
“The feeling you get when someone passes by you at the expo and compliments the food you just made for them, instant smiles on everybody’s faces,” Schroder said.
Although facing adversity is difficult, Schroder shows that challenges are a necessary part of growth and improvement. Facing setbacks and moments of doubt builds determination, a crucial factor in achieving long-term success. These struggles have prepared her to handle greater responsibilities and push past limits.
“You gotta put in the hours and grind in order to build your gut. This doesn’t mean you have to work at a Michelin-star restaurant. But you have to cook, and continue cooking; it’s not something you can only learn about in books. It will be hard at first, but if you stick it out, it will be so, so rewarding,” Schroder said.
Schroder’s advice is to be real with yourself and know what you’re good at. She explains that she didn’t try to be the most creative chef, but instead focused on staying organized, working hard, and leading her team well. Her message shows that success doesn’t look the same for everyone, and that finding the role that fits you best is what ultimately matters.
“Just be yourself. That’s the only advice I have. I have never wanted to be the most creative, inventive chef that ever lived, but I am very good at what I do,” Schroder said. “I stay on top of my line cooks and what they are doing in hopes that one day, when they are promoted, they will do the same thing. You will find the lane that best suits your skills,” Schroder said.
