Aaron Sanchez: At the Crossroads
by Dana Donovan
Life is pretty good for celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez, but he’ll be the first to tell you that it could have all turned out very differently.
Sanchez lost his father when he was just a teen and admits he “didn’t handle it well.” He credits his work in the kitchen with keeping him on the right path. “Everyone one was cursing and had tattoos. I thought it was so cool,” he says. “The kitchen gave me the discipline, structure, and mentoring I needed.”
Of course, even as a kid Sanchez couldn’t have dreamed he would have this type of success. Not only does he have several shows on The Food Network, he was also named “Rising Star Chef of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation, his third book just came out in October, and he owns restaurants on both New York and Kansas City. On top of all that, Sanchez has been named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in both People Magazine and People En Español.
Recently, Sanchez took over the House of Blues menu as the company renames the restaurant Crossroads and transitions to focus equally on music and food. When asked why Sanchez became involved with the venture, he says, “Crossroads is a combination of food, music, art, and spirituality…and that represents me as well.”
Even though he kept a couple of items from the old menu, he tweaked the recipes to add his own special touches.
“I wanted to create a menu of things I like,” says Sanchez. “This is my interpretation of American food.”
With so many irons in the fire, Sanchez works hard to balance his work and his personal life. He and his wife, Ife, a musician, and their 6-month-old son, Yuma, live in New York City. He also has a stepdaughter, Sophia, who lives with her dad in Atlanta. “I struggle with balance every day, just like all families,” he admits. “You can have all the success in the world, but others must be there to enjoy it.”
Speaking with Sanchez, it’s clear that he knows how lucky he is and how easily his path could have been different. It’s no wonder that, when asked what else he’d like to accomplish, he says he wants to make a difference in the lives of teens whose lives are also at a crossroads. He says he’d like to start an outreach program for inner city kids, teaching them kitchen skills so they can learn the same kinds of discipline that helped him.
His other goal is to improve on what he already has. “Why does it always have to be the next thing?” he wonders. “Why can’t it just be making what I have better?”
He adds, “I want to see my family grow, and I want to be a better husband.”
Spend any amount of time with Sanchez, and you’ll realize that he has a deep affection for two things: food and family. In my book, that’s a man who has his priorities straight!
