Frank Fejeran has been at The Ravens Club for less than two years, but in that time, he has really upped their food game. Last November, at a food blogger dinner, he talked about how he had worked to build an ambitious menu that was anchored by stalwart favorites. Thus, at Ravens Club you can find grilled bone marrow but also fried chicken and an outstanding hamburger.
Over on Life and Thyme, Chef Frank Fejeran has written a moving essay about fatherhood and his life in and out of the restaurant industry and ultimately his decision to leave the Ravens Club:
...The passion of being a chef has now shifted to passion for being a father. I don’t want to be good at both… I want to be fucking great at one.
I love this industry with everything I have. It has given me and my family all I could ever ask for. It has made me everything I am today. I am thankful for that, but I owe it nothing. I have given this industry more than enough. This is the end of my restaurant career and I will miss it every day.
After I email this essay out, I am talking with the owner of the restaurant to discuss my exit. I’ve had one crazy fucking ride through this industry and I have enough memories to last a lifetime. It is time to make peace with myself, accept my faults, and give those who love me my time.
Have a good service, everybody.
Reading the essay, you get a wonderful sense of the intensity and dedication of the restaurant industry. For my part, I am sad to see Chef Frank Fejeran go, but am happy that it sounds like he is making the right decision for himself and his family. I will miss your grilled bone marrow, sir.
h/t: Rich Retyi