Introducing Jonny Meinke: The Companion Group’s New Culinary Manager!
Did you know that The Companion Group employs it’s own Culinary Manager? Well, we do! The Culinary Manager’s job is to help test product prototypes, write recipes and books for our products, and occasionally win brownie points by letting us test their amazing cooking. They also help us answer cooking related customer service questions. Things we don’t know offhand because we don’t have the same level of kitchen expertise that they do.
We’ve just hired a new Culinary Manager that we’re excited to have on the team. Welcome Jonny Meinke! He’s an Oakland, CA native with tons of experience in restaurants in the area. We decided to sit down with him and get to know him better, so you can too!
What is your favorite thing about your workspace?
What’s not to like about having pizza ovens, grills, and a kitchen at your disposal?
Name a couple of dishes you love to make at home.
Bucatini carbonara, ramen, pho, sausage, pulled pork… I’m sure there are others. Long story short: I like to cook and eat… I’m not really sure which one I enjoy more!
Do you think you’ll be a smash hit at the TCG pool tournament, either as a player or an observer?
I’m horrible at pool so no, and I don’t think there is any chance I would in the future.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
People will probably be upset about this but it would have to be Foie Gras. Before everyone grabs their pitchforks and torches to run me out of town remember this: on that diet I probably won’t be living long anyway.
Jonny made us delicious barbacoa tacos in his first week to test a smoker box. Delicious! Bonus points for having such great shirts.
J-Lo or Mariah?
Carly Rae Jepson!!!
What’s your favorite food you’d like to cook that you haven’t yet?
I’ve cooked a whole lamb and a whole hog, so I think the next logical step would be a whole cow.
Is a hot dog a sandwich?
Absolutely not.
What’s your favorite TCG product and why?
I love the Pizzeria Pronto. I am finally able to eat pizza and call it career development. I also like the wok attachment. It doesn’t look like I’ll need to cook inside this summer!
