FOOD Obsessed and hungry for more.

Past staff members that flew the nest, and we couldn't be more proud.

This is Sam

Sam was our final kitchen hire for ZZest Cafe. So right there, that tugs at my heartstrings. But, even if that weren't the case, Sam is super easy to like! He's laid back, quick with a smile, and I never saw him lose his cool, and, in a kitchen that is almost unheard of. Our final night at ZZest was a blast, and I am so glad Sam was a part of that. Here’s 8 things you need to know about Sam, and then some.

1.Loves to chat

2.Found glory in a burger

3.Went to Emeril's in New Orleans with his mom awww… love this 

4.He is chasing down that dream, "individual freedom to pursue a personal passion and interest, and it is a beautiful thing."

5 A hot sauce with a flavor profile

6 A lovely toasted bagel with cream cheese, with Sa'house. 

7.Cheese makes the refrigerator cut

8 Drank liters of tea a day in tiny 2oz teacups during his high school years

AND… His Food Union? It’s as standout as he is! 

1.Hey, Sam! Where are you working now? 

I am currently the chef at The Old Mill, a restaurant in Austin, MN. One of the historic restaurants in southern Minnesota overlooking the beautiful Ramsey Dam. The restaurant used to be the Ramsey Flour Mill in the 1850s 

2. What was your first job? 

My first, really enjoyable job was at a local greenhouse and nursery, Johnsons Floral. They taught me about growing fresh vegetables, sustainability, and customer service. If you know me, you know I love to chat! (He does) My first food gig at a restaurant was this amazing Thai restaurant in Austin, The Bamboo Hut. The authentic dishes from the Thai-trained chefs opened my mind greatly to flavors I had never tasted before. 

3. When and why did you come to ZZest Cafe? 

I was traveling around the nation, learning as much as I could. Continuing to grind my teeth in the industry was my only concern. When moving back to the area, I was set on being a part of the ZZest team led by Chef Justin Schoville. This wasn't a stepping stone, rather a company I could root myself in and look forward to the oncoming challenges. I joined the ZZest team during its final year of operation in 2017. (I wish you had been there; in the beginning, it was really something. I genuinely don't think ZZest of 2012 could exist in 2021)

It would have been a humbling experience, one I doubt I would have left for anything! The compassion and love customers shared with me from the early days of ZZest were extremely rewarding.

4. You knew we were changing to Hot Chip, correct? 

Yes, I did! Some may have questioned the new direction because this was anything but "fine dining," which people with strong culinary backgrounds seek out only to test their skill and, let's say it... selfish gains of glory. (And yet you found glory in a burger?) 

I personally loved the idea because, at the end of the day, anything can be made well. Everything can be presented from the chef's perspective and intention to detail. So whether it's a pan-seared wagyu steak with sauteed matsutake mushrooms & slivered garlic... or a chef-inspired craft burger, quality food is quality food that we all wish to enjoy often. 

5. Famous or not so famous Chefs influence you? 

As a child, going to "Emeril's New Orleans" with my mother made me really want to pursue cooking as a career. I was a fan of the show, watching it with my father regularly, but ultimately was swept off my feet by the overwhelming professionalism and the classic brigade system in place to make that restaurant tick. Anthony Bourdain was another that my father and I kept an eye on regularly. He presented the world in a perspective that was never shown before. He highlighted real food, real tradition in real rugged organic environments. He will be greatly missed. Lastly, besides all the great instructors I had at Le Cordon Bleu, Ken Alston helped shape me. I worked with him at the Austin Country Club when I was still relatively fresh out of culinary school. He was the living example of a brigade system at work. 

6. So now you are in the hot sauce business? 

Yes ma'am! I started my LLC, the winter of 2020. Due to covid and the industry going through struggles and facing unseen challenges, I had to shift my mindset on what else I could do that I am passionate about. So how could I utilize my free time? "Make It Spicy!" of course. 

7. Who influenced you in that? 

While working with Chef Justin Scoville he gave me the chance to be very hands-on with developing spiced-up aioli's and sauces alike. I have been making hot sauce for years, casually trying different techniques: open crock-fermenting, Lacto-fermenting, and pickling, so it has always been interesting. He gave me a serious push in the right direction with the realization that "This Stuff Doesn't Suck!" He previously mentioned someone that he worked with in the past made killer granola. The young cook brought it to the restaurant and was also urged by Justin to pursue it. He started that in his garage, and now it's his full-time gig! Now I am trying to chase down that dream for myself. Individual freedom to pursue a personal passion and interest is a beautiful thing.  

8. I remember you made some sauces at Hot chip for a hot burger challenge. Did any of the sauces you used then make the cut to your hot sauce line? 

Piña Dañada was one that really came out of the challenge with the use of the Yellow Brainstrain chilies. That pod is a yellow super hot with insane amounts of citrus & fruity notes that well exceeds 1million Scoville units. Piña Dañada overall is a highly balanced sauce with the addition of salt-cured lemon, a blend of vinegars, and charred pineapple. By no means is this a "SUPER-HOT CHALLENGE SAUCE," but it is a hot sauce with a flavor profile I personally enjoy greatly, so I am a happy guy and use it heavily. 

9. A hot sauce with a flavor profile. This, I think, is quite important for people to realize, correct? It's not all about melting faces. So you are actually making every component that goes in the sauce, IE- charring pineapple? That is fantastic. 

Whether it's a pickled item, salt-cured, fermented, or toasted-everything is done by myself. Except for Smokey J, I have my buddy Hayden Lundt take care of the smoking process. It's his passion, and I let him do his thing. Together we created something we're both proud of. The fresh produce is Cherry wood smoked, which lends a great character not found in other sauces. 

10. How did you name your sauce? 

"Sam Sa'house"-was created from a playful use of words. It could be interpreted in many ways, which I find great joy in hearing. From people new to my line of products, this could help. Sam Sa'Hooouuuwzse (Get Raspy with it)!  

11. So the fact that we lived with ZEE-Zest didn't scare you off?  

No, just as ZZest wasn't average, neither is this sauce... it's a unique experience in its own right. A more straightforward name would not have given this product the edge needed that I had initially envisioned. 

12.Do you have a favorite?

That's a loaded question! These are all my babies. But, truthfully, they all deserve a seat at the table. "Thai'ga Style" was the first. Creating this proper Thai-inspired hot sauce with authentic ingredients was a gentle nod to Thai chefs of my past. Piña Dañada is another instant classic. Sa'housed heavily on all street tacos with a beautiful balance of sweetness granted from the charred pineapple and ginger. The yellow super-hot chilies add citrus & fruity notes to the sauce, while the blend of vinegars and toasted spices elevate it further into a sauce I cannot create enough of: for my own personal consumption. (Spoken like a proud papa)  

12. What's your favorite way to use it, 

Not to sound generic...but literally everything. 

At the end of the day, these are sauces I personally enjoy and utilize heavily day to day. None are too specific to give a crutch to "certain-cuisines" only. They simply elevate food. A lovely toasted bagel with cream cheese and Sa'house. Pizza, Fried Chicken, Bland Leftovers, or Take-Out all can get a Sa'house kick.   (I can’t stop thinking of the bagel) Food is just a vessel to carry additional flavors. I am rarely satisfied by simplicity. 

13. Age-old question. What are 3 things always in your fridge? 

Pickled Onions, Salt-Preserved Citrus & Cheese!

14. I know you play Disk golf -any other hobbies? 

I frequently joke about this because Hobbies are my Hobbies. I have too many to list. Some have come and gone. As a youth, the art of the Chinese Tea Ceremony & Bonsai was huge for me. Playing guitar, growing peppers and other vegetables are more consistent today. Another slippery slope I am heading down is cross-breeding my own chili pepper. By design, time will tell, but this could be another dangerous and time-consuming hobby. 

15. Hot sauce tends to have Asian influences, Don't you think?  

When I was a kid, man, oh man, I loved kung fu movies and tradition. I used to have my little Yixing clay teapots for gongfu-style tea sessions. I would literally drink liters of tea a day in this way, tiny 2oz teacups during my high school years. Ethnic food, in general, did boost my interest in added spice. Americans are typically scared of chilies; black pepper is as hot as they can handle! 

15. What are you watching on Netflix right now? 

"I Think You Should Leave"....no seriously" I- Think- You- Should- Leave!" with Tim Robinson is comedy GOLD! Inspired from his previous works with Saturday Night Live. SSL is packed full with memorable skits that urge oneself to binge over and over again." You're probably sick 'cause you ate paper, you fricking psycho. – No, I eat paper all the time!" 

16. Finally, we need to know your secret FOOD UNION. And we are really hoping it's something weird and something to *Groke over. 

"Buffalo Chicken Pizza"- with scoops of cold potato salad...mmmm. (ok, that is a standout!!!!) Huge complementary flavors, textures, hot crispy, cold creamy… Damn, I am hungry now; thanks a lot. 

*Groke: Verb| grohk | 19th Century Scottish.Dialect. To stare eagerly at someone who is eating, hoping they’ll give you some food.