Chef Joe Friday: The king of burgers

It was a busy Friday night in downtown Toronto and I was seated at the wood at Figo restaurant on John Street. I overheard a couple to my right discussing their upcoming reservation at Aloette; I knew I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend their killer burger with caramelized onions and cheese that is somehow both gooey and crispy.

I injected myself into their conversation and the lovely Joe Friday and Jackie Romanow welcomed my interruption with a warmth unusual for downtown Toronto. Naturally, I assumed they were tourists.

We quickly hit it off, exchanging business cards and immediately making plans to hang out, finding ways to collaborate, and brainstorming approaches to grow a likeminded community in Toronto.

Since then, we’ve partnered on several projects and have become great friends.

LM: You’re not originally from Toronto - you have quite a dynamic history having grown up in Okinawa as well as North Carolina, now calling Toronto home. How would you say these experiences have shaped you as a chef and how you approach your work?

JF: Growing up in two opposing cultures has helped me in many ways. I have a different view surrounding food. I was eating fusion before it was trendy, or before the term was even coined. The opportunity in Japan as a teenager was incredible. Since I moved there so young, I didn’t recognize the transformative nature of my experience. 

It wasn’t until I moved to North Carolina 10 years later that I realized the impact. Although my parents cooked traditional southern food with a Japanese twist while we lived in Okinawa, it wasn’t like the culture in North Carolina. The BBQ was next level, the backyard cookouts, block parties and church dinners - everything revolved around old fashioned soul food. 

These combined experiences, along with some independent travels, all attributed to me becoming a well rounded chef. Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, and it’s helped me become more comfortable sharing the different types of food and cultures from my life. I’ve hosted ramen, sushi and fusion pop ups, along with my on going pop up Charlotte, which I’m now sharing on an app called Cookin.

My real love is a good burger, which will be on display this coming fall/winter. Stay tuned for updates. 

LM: We’ve talked a lot about the culture in Toronto, and the real lack of community and open mindedness. How are you working to change the landscape?

JF: This is something I’ve noticed from day one. It seems different from the vibe you’d get in Montreal, or even New York City. I find Toronto to be more about cliques. Montreal seems to be more like a community that embraces differences, with people who look out for one another.

Toronto alleges to be inclusive, so you’d think there would be more evidence of this claim - especially in the hospitality industry.

How I’m fueling change is by talking about it. I’m open to hearing new ways to bridge these gaps. 

I started The Chef Collective, a company that gives up and coming chefs/cooks a platform to showcase their skills. This happens with a live audience in attendance. It’s much like watching a live sporting event.

It’s an opportunity for younger chefs to meet some of their role models, or have conversations with new people in the industry. I’d hope people take advantage of this to help build and improve the industry.

LM: You’ve been working as a private chef for awhile now - tell me about some of your best / worst experiences. 

JF: I’ve had nothing but wonderful experiences. The private chef life is a good one - it’s for the true entrepreneur. It gives me the freedom to cook anything I want. I get to put smiles on peoples’ faces. Getting to know new people has been incredible. Ironically, I’ve made more friends working as a private chef for a brief period, than I have cooking in Toronto for ten years. Once I open my new restaurant, things will slow down a bit, but I’ll still take on a few new clients. 

LM: How does wine play a role in the work you do? 

JF: It plays a big role, especially when I do tasting menus or a coursed meal. A lot of customers ask me for my opinions on wine selection. Having a good knowledge of wine is crucial. 

LM: Is there a demand for local wine?

Most people still want Italian and French classics, and I can’t really blame them as those wines have proven to be reliable. However, I have a lot of clients that are intrigued by some of the local natural wines. Since getting to know you more, it’s also helped improve my knowledge. I definitely recommend local when I’m asked. Ultimately, it’s all about education. We need to implore more people to consume locally. I tell all my clients what farms I get my products from, why not educate them in the same way about wine?

LM: Tell me about your new restaurant.

I’m opening a burger joint with a southern vibe. I absolutely love burgers - my Mom said her favourite food when she was pregnant with me was Burger King, so my affinity for burgers totally makes sense with this in mind.

I started my career flipping burgers, and now I get to share everything I love about them with my community. It’s called The Friday Burger company and it’s opening soon. I can’t really go into details yet on the location, but construction is slated to finish soon.

LM: You work with your amazing fiancé, Jackie Romanow, for many of your projects. Tell me about what it’s like working alongside your partner. What are your greatest challenges ? 

Working with Jackie has been great; she is passionate and motivated to help me succeed. We have complementary skill sets, which allow us to work well together. I am a creative person and she is analytical and finance oriented. It can be challenging sometimes, as a creative, I have big visions that can at times appear very daunting to an analytical person like Jackie. But we work to blend my vision with Jackie's structured execution, so we can bring my visions to reality. With any relationship, romantic or not, communication is always something to improve on, so I would say we're always trying new strategies to make sure we're aligned and being effective.

LM: Who’s killing it on the Canadian food scene ?

I’ll give you my top 5:  

Chef Patrick Kriss - Alo, Toronto

Chef Stiefenhoffer-Brandson - Published, Vancouver

Christie Peters - Pop Wine Bar, Saskatoon

Ron McKinlay - Canoe, Toronto

Chef Jason Bangerter - Langdon Hall, Cambridge

LM: What are some wines, in your opinion, that best pair with your favourite food - burgers ?

I’m digging Hot Rocket Pet-Nat from Traynor Family Vineyard in Prince Edward County, and 2020 Folklore from Nyarai Cellars in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

But, maybe we can go over some of your favourites on what to drink with a burger. 

LM: You’re also starting a podcast. What is the theme and what message do you hope to get across to your audience ?

JF: The podcast is called FoodPolitico. Getting through this process has been challenging in a few ways. I feel I’m a person who has some things to say that people may not be open to hearing. I’ll be putting myself out there in a big way. I want to start conversations - I believe we grow that way.

I truly hope people see it in this light. We are in a different climate now, the hospitality industry has changed, we are now talking about food shortages around the world - there is so much to discuss. I want to be a part of the solution, and I hope my peers do also. 

Follow Joe on Instagram here.