The demands of being a full-time chef-owner, a husband and a father had
taken their toll on Williams in the time since he opened PotPie, in
August 2003. "When I listed the restaurant for sale, I was literally at
the pount where I wasn't sure I could do it all much longer," he says.
"The stress was overwhelming. I had no quality of life."
But now? "I could happily be here for 20 more years," he says.
What finally changed everything three years ago?
I made the decision that I wouldn't work nights anymore. I wanted to be home at night with my children. My wife, Sarah, and I have a 6-year-old, Olivia, and a 30-month-old son named Crispin. So I hired a chef de cuisine, Ivan Mattsson, to work the night shifts. Ivan and I go back a long way. We worked together at two other restaurants, Hannah Bistro and Zin. He's very talented and responsible. It turned out to be an excellent decision. We also hired a second cook, Quinn Polsonelli. I now have time to lead the life I enjoy. I cook dinner for my two kids every night. I can spend quality time with them. I even have a hobby!
What's your hobby?
Bicycle racing. We have a terrific cycling community here, and I really enjoy the competitive aspect. I've lost 80 pounds. Some of it from cutting back seriously on drinking and eating foods that weren't so good for me -- another benefit of not working nights -- but mostly from racing.
Are your children fussy eaters?
Well, they're certainly not as gracious as my customers at Pot Pie. They're not terrifically fussy, but they both have their moments.
Do you have a guilty pleasure when it comes to food?
Yes. I love McDonald's. I can't eat it very often since it's not so good for me, but I'll admit it, I like junk food.
When you graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School, nearly two decades ago, you chose not to go to college. You moved to Colorado to take up snowboarding. How did you get into the culinary field?
I needed a night job that would let me snowboard all day. So I started cooking in restaurants. I later attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. But I've been working in the restaurant business for 18 years now.
Where do you and Sarah go out to eat when you do go out to eat?
Well, Sarah wishes we would go out to eat more often, but I spend so much time working in a kitchen, I don't like dining out that often. We like Le Fou Frog a lot. And if we take the kids with us, we love Spin Pizza. It's very kid-friendly. But I'd rather eat at home. And no, I don't watch culinary reality shows, for the same reason.
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