Brandon Dearden is a James Beard Award semifinalist and chef-owner of Ember and Grano in Montana. Jonathan Dearden is corporate chef at KNEAD Hospitality + Design in Washington D.C. Both competed on Top Chef Season 23. In this episode, André Natera sits down with the identical twin brothers to talk about what actually builds a sustainable chef career — and why prestige alone does not.
Their paths diverged dramatically after coming up together. Brandon pursued fine dining through elite kitchens including Alinea and Saison before opening his own restaurants. Jonathan focused on leadership, operations, and corporate chef roles. That contrast drives the whole conversation — two chefs, same foundation, very different answers to the same industry problems.
They get into the real return on investment of culinary school, how Michelin-level kitchen training actually shapes a cook, why impressive resumes create hiring mistakes, how menu engineering drives profitability, and what it takes to build a restaurant that survives. They also reflect on competing on Top Chef, building a presence on social media, and how AI is starting to change what it means to be a chef.
Topics covered in this episode:
What chefs actually learn from Michelin-level kitchens
The real value of culinary school and where it falls short
Why every cook still starts at the bottom regardless of credentials
Hiring mistakes caused by prestigious resumes
Menu engineering — profit drivers, loss leaders, and cost control
How restaurant ownership shifts a chef’s entire mindset
Lessons from competing on Top Chef Season 23
Social media, personal branding, and AI in the modern kitchen
*Timestamps*
02:30 Fine Dining and Recovery
09:04 Early Career Stories
14:09 Michelin Discussion
17:13 Culinary School Debate
23:22 Lessons from Alinea
28:19 Hiring Pitfalls
34:32 Union Kitchen Reality
46:09 Menu Engineering
54:09 Top Chef Experience
58:50 Social Media for Chefs
01:05:55 Creators vs Chefs
01:15:17 Profit Mindset
01:21:23 Where to Follow
Follow Brandon on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/chefauthorized/
Follow Jonathan on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/chefjonathandearden/
*LINKS & RESOURCES*
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Visit Chef’s PSA Website → https://chefspsa.com/
Sponsored by RATIONAL USA → https://rationalusa.com
#chefspsa #RestaurantBusiness #TopChef #CulinarySchool #KitchenLeadership
2 Comments
Who is watching this season of Top Chef? Who do you have to win?
That line about the chicken wings hit hard chef! Came up very similarly, same chicken wing story too lol great podcast, needed a shot of motivation!