By Bill Barth and Stephanie Klett
LAKE GENEVA, Wisconsin – In this often-divided world, there’s one thing we can agree brings people together.
Everybody loves great food.
Meet Chef John Bogan, owner and the culinary genius behind the Lake Geneva School of Cooking. Located at 301 Geneva National Ave. S., the unique business is designed for the inner chef in all food lovers.
Chef John originally is from upstate New York and retains his share of the fast-talking, hand-waving vibe native to that energetic part of America. Get him talking about food and it’s clear he has followed his dream.
“I knew at 12 that I wanted to be a chef,” he told us.
After taking food trade classes in high school, followed by collegiate culinary studies, Chef John started his career at high-end restaurants in Boston. There, the ambitious young man learned the importance of advancing to the executive chef level in order to control his own destiny.
“Until you are an executive chef, you can do all the responsibilities of the chef but until you are the executive, you have that title, that responsibility, you’re not (at the top),” Chef John explained.
With Stouffer’s restaurants in Boston he reached sous chef level – second in kitchen command – and when, at age 23, the company offered him an executive chef position in Chicago, he moved to embrace the challenge.
“By age 25 I knew I wanted to open my own restaurant,” he said. “I ended up opening my own restaurant in Old Town Chicago. We set a goal and we did it.”
He called the restaurant Fedora – like the hat – and the Chicago Tribune named it one of the city’s top 10 openings that year. (By the way, the tall chef hat is called a toque. The higher it is, the higher the wearer’s rank in the kitchen.)
The recipe for every story is better when served with a dollop of love. A lovely young lady, who hailed from the paradise of Hawaii, lived near Chef John’s Chicago restaurant. “I courted her with food,” he told us, sending over delightful plates for her dining pleasure.
The strategy worked and Jacque became his wife. And in a way, that’s what brought Chef John to Lake Geneva. They discovered the joy of visiting the beautiful lake community and decided their future included a move.
Chef John began his career at the St. Moritz (now The Baker House) on the lakefront downtown. Soon, he took his culinary skills to Kirsch’s at the French Country Inn on Lake Como, where he built a strong reputation over 15 years for great food served up with a healthy helping of flair and showmanship.
When he arrived there was no dining outside, or in the bar, and little imagination or entertainment. Chef John had the remedy.
“We can serve food anywhere,” he said. “We can serve it in the men’s room. I don’t care. We’re going to take care of our guests.”
Eventually, there would be live music six nights a week. The patio expanded to four busy levels. Guests could enjoy incredible dining, wine and adult beverages, in their choice of indoor or outdoor seating.
Along the way, the idea of teaching guests the joy of upscale cooking began to take form.
“It was all weird. I love running a restaurant. I never thought I’d have a cooking school,” he told us. “At the French Country Inn we used to do another food promotion, called the Thrill of the Grill, on the last Friday of the month. We would do a live cooking show on the waterfront. We were having so much fun.”
So were the diners. So why not make them part of the show?
“You can make this food now, with us,” he said. “That way I thought we could have a whole different business, if I could show them how to make the food.”
The year was 2008. For those with short memories, the world economy teetered on the brink of disaster late that year and into 2009. Not the optimum time to start a business.
Yet Chef John believed in the idea, and himself, and the Lake Geneva School of Cooking debuted downtown. He acknowledges the first five years were challenging, but anyone who meets Chef John realizes quickly this man lives on energy, enthusiasm and total commitment.
Today, the cooking school is located just off Hwy. 50 by the Geneva National complex, in a new facility built to enhance the joyful experience for guests. Classes can accommodate any size group. Team-building experiences can be scheduled, along with private parties. Bookings may be made at the website (lakegenevacookingschool.com).
The new site is a beauty, with a home-like feel. There’s a state-of-the-art kitchen and an impressive selection of wines for pairing. Hands-on teaching takes place at four stations staffed by “Chef Mates,” as meal courses are prepared. Guests move on to cozy dining tables to enjoy what they have prepared together. All the while, Chef John oversees the process with quick wit and deep knowledge.
The school uses locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible, tied to what’s fresh for the season.
And Chef John loves aspiring career dreamers and works with students from Badger High School learning the culinary arts.
We discovered Chef John many years ago, falling in love with the food – and each other – and the atmosphere at Kirsch’s at the French Country Inn. The experience has only gotten better with time. Chef John’s cooking school is a Lake Geneva gem.
Try it. Your palate will be pleased. As will your spirit.
The column is produced by the husband and wife team of Bill Barth and Stephanie Klett. Bill is the former Editor of the Beloit Daily News, and a member of the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame. Stephanie is the President and CEO of Visit Lake Geneva, and the former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.
