Flavors Unknown

Philip Speer – A Rocky Path to Greatness

Past Chef Philip Speer - Pict by Burnet

Today’s guest is Pastry Chef Philip Speer, owner of the Comedor restaurant in Austin, Texas. Growing up spending time in south Texas and Chicago gave him access to global culinary influence. Combining those influences with his Mexican heritage gave rise to his unique style evidenced by his combinations on the menu at Comedor. Today, you’ll hear about his inspirations, the creative ways he blurs the line between sweet and savory, and his personal rocky path to greatness that’s motivated him to help other industry professionals make healthier, more sustainable choices.

What we covered in this episode

Philip Speer describes the unique architectural characteristics of Comedor (3:28)
The culinary inspiration of the food and how it’s sourced (5:59)
Chef Philip Speer talks about his sweet inspirations from the dessert menu (9:12)
Finding the right balance between sweet and savory (13:29)
Why servers are your best link to customer feedback (15:41)
How to think from a guest’s perspective according to Chef Philip Speer (16:58)
Why staging is becoming more challenging for aspiring chefs (18:40)
Philipe Speer suggests taking a culinary vacation in your own town or city (19:16)
Industry mentors who helped shape his career (23:05)
Changes taking place in the restaurant industry (26:26)
Creating an environment of openness and mutual respect (29:15)
Finding the motivation to shift bad habits into a healthier lifestyle (30:52)
Alcohol abuse within the hospitality industry (33:56)
A new, healthier way of bonding for staff (36:24)
Making Mexican inspired sweets at home (39:32)
A culinary tour of Austin with Chef Philip Speer (42:15)
One thing he’d like to change about the culinary education system (45:51)
Series of rapid-fire questions.
Link to the podcast episode on Apple Podcast

Links to other episodes in Austin

Leadership with Chef Andre Natera – What Every Senior Executive Can Learn From Top Chefs

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 1

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 2

Interview with Chef Andre Natera – The Culinary Yoda

Chef Fiore Tedesco – L'Oca D'Oro

Chef Michael Fojtasek – Olamaie

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A great chef should be eating out as much as they can and experiencing food from so many different places.

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If you don't have the money to travel, you can take a pretty interesting trip in your own city. I guarantee you there's dozens of restaurants you haven’t tried that could show you an experience that you've never seen.

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People are coming to this job now because of a love a drive and a passion and wanting to make this a career and not not just sort of a last chance of survival.

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We need to understand that vulnerability is important and being able to open up and have really important conversations in our industry.

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If someone is not feeling physically or mentally up to the task that should be said and not felt shame for feeling that way or saying something about it.

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Having an awareness and openness is what we need to continue to push. That's where we can grow, and as we grow, that change becomes less uncomfortable.

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