Working in the restaurant business has always been a family affair for Jack H. Tate, the corporate chef for Hub Restaurant & Creamery.
He started working at 15 washing dishes at Mama Louisa’s Italian Kitchen in Tucson. It was a natural choice for his first job: his mother, grandmother and brother all worked there.
“You could say (working in the kitchen) has been running in my blood for a long time,” he says.
Raised by a single mom, Tate did the cooking for himself and his brother when his mother worked nights.
“It was a matter of survival,” he says. At 17, he dropped out of high school to take care of the family when his mother had several back surgeries. Twenty-five years later, Tate has built a career as a professional chef, working alongside several mentors who provided him with on-the-job training, and taught him important lessons about how to run a kitchen.
Tate was accepted to the California Culinary Academy but just as he was about to leave Tucson, his mother passed away. Shortly after, he was named corporate chef for the Metro Restaurant Group; he was 22 years old. He decided he would stay in Tucson.
“It was a very good thing for me,” he reflects. “It was hard work but I learned a lot at Metro.”
Tate says among the chefs who have helped him are Michael Brown at Metro Restaurant Group; Albert Hall at Acacia; and Grant Krueger with whom he opened Union Public House in St. Phillips Plaza. A year ago, he took over the Hub properties.
“All of my background comes from learning from good chefs,” he says. “I learned how to treat people. You have to treat people the way you want to be treated. Michael Brown was all about that.”
Tate adds that he puts a lot of focus into this philosophy, spending time training young cooks, teaching them new skills and treating them with respect as they “earn their stripes. When you do this, you build loyalty and people want to work for you.
“This can be a thankless job. Not many people will tell you you’ve done well. I always try to let my kitchen staff know when they’ve done a good job. It’s not about me, it’s about my team.”
We had a couple of other questions for Tate.
What are three things we will always find in your ‘fridge?
“Ice for my bourbon, boneless, skinless chicken, and an array of hot sauce.”
What is your go-to kitchen tool?
“It has to be my 10-inch chef knife. You can do anything with that thing.”
What are your must-have spices?
“Mexican oregano, for sure. I also use a lot of thyme and garlic, and ancho pepper.”
