Adam J. Stevenson is the executive chef at Cedarbrook Lodge’s Copperleaf Restaurant in Seattle, offering local and regional dining that celebrates the bounty and artisanship of the Pacific Northwest. Get to know Chef Adam J. Stevenson…
Hometown: Grew up in Albuquerque and moved to Seattle in 1990.
First job: In Washington, I started my culinary career at The Cliff House in Browns Point. I earned my chops at Tuilo Ristorante in Seattle
Favorite ways to spend your free time in WA: Spending time with my wife, Lynnette, and our daughter, Malaika, as well as with our two dogs, Max and Rosie. We spend lots of time at the coast surfing and sand lounging. My daughter and I spend as much time as possible in the mountains skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking.
Your biggest accomplishment and why: Creating a relationship with my wife that is bulletproof. Raising a self-confident and curious daughter. Maintaining all of this while growing in my career as a chef.
The biggest obstacle you overcame: Fatherhood! This was a deep dive in relationship building.
Someone who inspires you and why: My wife, John Sundstrom and Karl Bruno.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: I was once told while in a dark place in my career that “This is all about relationship building.” So my takeaway is “If you can do that and maintain good faith agreements and good boundaries, you’ve [done] the work.”
Favorite quote: “If you’re going to kill the animal, it seems only polite to use the whole thing.” –Fergus Henderson, Nose to Tail
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: I am a budding bee keeper and enjoy web development code.
What makes someone fabulous: A person who can practice a sense of consciousness with an awareness of their impact on others ranks high in my book. It seems we live in world where oftentimes people want to blame others for their shortcomings. With this said, someone who takes responsibility for their actions, pans the “camera” on themselves first, these are the kind of people I want to surround myself with.