We lost a great man today

The first day I worked for Mike West I remember my immediate admiration. He was whisking a dressing in a large mixing bowl while doing business over his cell phone. He had the bowl in one hand, the whisk in the other and the cell phone held by his head and shoulder. He was talking casually while using a creative mix of profanity. As soon as he hung up he immediately came over and introduced himself. I could tell he was a down to earth cowboy with a true love for the restaurant industry. He shot straight from the hip. He was a solid mentor who smelled like hickory smoke.

I felt right at home on my first day in his kitchen. He treated his team like family. He told me, "Our first priority is to make sure every single person who walks through that door is satisfied. Our second priority is to have fun with it." He treated his cooks very well. He made sure we were happy and well fed. He went out of his way for us. One day he saw me at work bummed out cause I lost my wallet the night before. He offered me $50 out of his own pocket and told me to take the day off to deal with getting a new license and calling my credit cards. He had a lot of cooks at several restaurants and he was quick to do that for me. He was a very generous man.

The first day working for him was hallmarked by my first taste of his baby back ribs. They were fucking delicious. So good that we still to this day use his recipes when we make ribs and bbq sauce at our restaurant. Coincidentally, we have a catering tonight who requested those ribs and sauce. I was telling a cook about that recipe and Mike just yesterday. We are proud to carry on his legacy.

I caught wind that the big fella died this morning. My heart goes out to his family, especially his son, KC's own eatlocalfood. I am grateful to have known your father. I am also grateful to have worked for him. I met so many wonderful people while working for him. Still some of the most wonderful people I've met to this day. I'm sure every single one of them is torn up inside just as I am right now. I will never forget your father, his kindness, or his generosity. Thank you Mike. Thank you for everything.