The last time a fictional chef caught the world’s attention like FX’s The Bear was probably 2007’s Ratatouille. But a movie about an animated rat in a Parisian kitchen doesn’t quite capture the chaos that happens in a restaurant kitchen, nor the glorious relief of a 10-minute break, that The Bear captures. 

OK, not every restaurant is as dysfunctional as the eponymous fictional restaurant from The Bear, but certain tropes ring true, like how do chefs find a desire to cook for themselves after spending all day cooking for others? 

Eugene Weekly reached out to some local chefs about their fridges at home and how they find ways to eat with a hectic schedule of running kitchens, keeping kitchens stocked, and feeding hungry customers. 

“When I get home, I will eat whatever that has the absolutely least amount of steps to do,” says Billy Reid, owner and chef at Dueling Spoons in Fall Creek. 

Where everyone is family

Since opening its doors in 2022, Dueling Spoons has been in high demand. The family-run restaurant’s social media is always full of comments from fans, and Reid says reservations for a table or booth in the Fall Creek-based restaurant are often booked several months in advance. 

Back at home, the Reid household’s fridge reflects the family’s wide range of tastes, Reid says. His wife, Kathleen Reid, pretty much lives off potato leek soup and homemade Irish wheat bread, which she eats whether she’s home from the restaurant or has a day off. And when their daughter is home from college, she eats a lot of pasta. 

The Reid fridge has plenty of fresh veggies, but chefs usually don’t have great diets, Reid says. He looks at food more as fuel, cramming it in whenever there is a brief moment between orders. “I had a customer ask what I was going to eat,” he recalls. “Two soft boiled eggs and a toasted English muffin. I’m from Ireland and my go-to is eggs, chips and beans, and homemade French fries.” 

After spending hours cooking fine dining dishes from scratch for about 50 people a night over a gas range, Reid says he’s not itching to eat right away. But he does stick around to make sure his staff — including the non-family members who won’t be coming home with him — are well fed after a long night.

“I cook my staff whatever they want,” Reid says. Restaurant “family meals” bring together the staff either before or after meal services, and for Dueling Spoons, that means filet mignon can be on the menu, no matter where you are on the hierarchy. “It’s important that we eat as a family. I rarely eat with them, but I sit down with them. I remember coming up in restaurants with ‘family meals’ and it stuck with me.”

Chefs, treat yourselves

Rocky Maselli is driving while talking with EW, hauling the Pizzeria DOP food cart trailer, when someone shouts out to him, “pizza, pizza!” And no two words better sum up Maselli’s eateries in Eugene. He owns the Pizzeria DOP food cart, which roves around town, and the downtown Osteria DOP. 

But when he’s home, pizza and pasta don’t always take the spotlight (though he says he may be tempted to order from Hey, Neighbor! sometimes). With two adult daughters at home right now, Maselli usually comes home to eat what they’ve made, which can be Japanese- or Korean-inspired meals. “Those flavors appeal to the opposite of pizza and pasta,” he says. 

Maselli also spends time cooking at home, preferring to grill proteins like chicken with light marinades rather than heavy barbecue sauce. And being a fan of the farmers market, his fridge is often filled with what’s available seasonably, such as berries, summer squash and cucumbers during summer.

Eating well and keeping fresh food stocked at home is about finding balance, rather than just eating and drinking booze late when you’re off the clock around midnight, Maselli says. In a way, it’s about making sure you extend the reverence of the customer’s eating experience for yourself, too. 

“As a chef, your priority is to make the most amazing food for the guests,” Maselli says. “You get into work mode, and you’re not thinking about it, but it’s super important for longevity to treat yourself and the people associated with food to enjoy food in the same way as the customer. We need to carve out time to make it happen.” 

Leaving town with an empty fridge 

Chef Andrew Hroza is about to head to Europe to do a lot of eating (aka research for chefs) after running a pop-up restaurant at Alesong Brewing. And his sparse fridge reflects his summer adventure — or someone who is always eating charcuterie-type meals.

“We’re down to the bare essentials,” Hroza says over email. “There’s a nice bottle of Alesong sour, thanks to my pop-up there. Also some excellent Antiquum pinot gris. I’ll be cooking a lot there over the summer and getting to know their catalog has been a real treat! There’s leftover paczki dough from a recent dinner with friends and lots of leeks and herbs, cooking staples of mine for sure.” 

Since Ninkasi closed its Better Living Room in 2023, Hroza has been collaborating with Alesong, trying out new recipes for Domek, a new restaurant he’s planning that will be an Eastern European style bistro. So far, his favorite menu item has been làngos, smoked pork pierogi. “It spoke to my childhood growing up in a large Polish family and to my days in Copenhagen, working the smoker at Warpigs,” he says. 

When Hroza and his family aren’t keeping a minimal fridge, he says between him and his wife, there’s always leftovers to rely on. “I always keep stuff stocked for simple tacos and late-night sandwiches. Pickled herring, too,” he says. “My arsenal of spicy condiments — Valentina, Momofuku chili crunch and Ají (a local company) — help keep even the boring stuff interesting.” 

Hroza plans to have a fall pop-up at Antiquum Farm in Junction City when he returns from Europe, and he and his wife are looking for a more permanent location for Domek and hoping to open later in 2024. “Goulash pot pie, moules paprikash, pelmeni noodle soup — there’s nothing like Eastern European comfort food in the winter,” he adds. 

Dueling Spoons is at 39074 Jasper Lowell Road, Fall Creek. Hours are 5 pm to 9 pm Wednesday through Saturday, 541-398-8929, DuelingSpoons.net.

Osteria DOP is at 1122 Oak Street. Hours are 5 pm to 10 pm Tuesday through Saturday, 541-913-6460, OsteriaDop.com. Find Pizzeria DOP’s next location via Instagram: @pizzeriadop. 

Keep updated with chef Andrew Hroza on Instagram: @ChefAndrewHroza.