Of course there are the expected lunch, dinner, brunch and carry-out services, but one can also meet a party of six or more and receive family-style meals. It’s a menu that offers the best of American comfort food and steakhouse fare, including signature dishes like Chopped Salad, Parmesan Crusted New York Strip and Barbecue Chicken and Ribs. The portions are Chicago-sized (that means big) and the real surprise is the extensive gluten-free menu.

It’s an ambitious operation with a voluminous menu, quite an undertaking for any chef. At just 28, Eddie Ishaq embraces the challenge. He understands what the company expects and knows how to make it happen. Ishaq is a Chicago native with a Jordanian heritage. “My mother loved to cook and so I was exposed to traditional Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods early on,” he says. “I borrowed ideas from my mother, but in the Jordanian tradition, the kitchen was her domain. I concentrated on grilling, smoking, and pig and lamb roasts.”

Up Through the Ranks
After high school, Ishaq began to study hotel management. One year later, he discovered he was in the wrong place. “I knew I didn’t want to work in an office. Or even worse a 9-to-5 job. I wanted to cook.” Ishaq transferred to Kendall College, a top-rated culinary-arts school in Chicago, where he earned an associate degree in culinary arts.

While at school, Ishaq began working with Wildfire. He literally grew up with Lettuce Entertain You, a company that emphasizes in-house training and likes to promote from within. This philosophy works well for employee morale, and Ishaq says there is tremendous loyalty between staff and company management. Unlike many aspiring chefs who restaurant hop, moving up by continually changing establishments, Ishaq has found value in staying put. “With hard work and determination, even the dishwasher can move up to chef,” he says. “Everyone starts at the beginning. You have to pay your dues. You learn to work every station.”

Ishaq, who has made his way to overseeing a 60-member kitchen staff, is grateful for the experience. “We are chef trained,” he says. “Culinary school is important. You learn knife skills and sauces and things like that, but a school’s focus is to train you to work in a 50-seat French bistro and make sure that everything is perfect. They don’t teach you to pump out 500 covers.”

And while Wildfire gets the food out, quality is also paramount. “Nothing falls through the cracks,” says Ishaq. “It’s clear what is expected. There are guidelines, photos and recipes for the food. Everything is on paper. Every detail is straightforward.” When a new restaurant opens, a trainer from the corporate office grooms and mentors both the front- and back-of-house staff for four months. Once the restaurant is running smoothly, the trainer returns for monthly reviews.

“Our training is ongoing,” Ishaq says. “I’m still learning.  I listen to ideas and comments from everyone—not just management, but also other kitchen staff and servers. When I get feedback, I don’t yell and scream or throw things. And when I train my own staff, I’m here to help each individual. I understand what they need because I was once in their position.”

Operation Improvement
Wildfire is a collaborative, family environment. “What do you think of this dish?” or “Is this presenting well?” are questions management poses to employees. Ishaq explains that these kinds of direct queries are not meant to be threatening to the staff. “We are always trying to improve,” he says. “In a kitchen, nothing is perfect, but you have the sense that you are part of this. You know that if you do your job right you’ll be promoted.”

Customer opinions are also taken seriously. With locations in different parts of the country, ingredient availability, local purveyors, farmer products and costs vary. So do palate preferences. “For instance, Maryland and D.C.-area customers are very particular about their crab cakes,” says Ishaq. “What is popular in the Midwest isn’t always what the East Coast is expecting. Our McLean clientele didn’t like our crab cake. We listened and changed the recipe to meet regional expectations.”

There is also an effort to engage nearby neighbors. Wildfire offers an eclectic selection of community events, including wine and beer tastings, holiday special dinners, cocktail and cooking workshops and kid’s classes like pumpkin carving, cookie decorating and pizza making. Area celebrities participate in the kid’s events and proceeds are often donated to a local charity.

There is no denying that overseeing a kitchen with this much range takes enormous time, effort and commitment. Ishaq admits that he often works 60-plus hours per week.  Still, he knows that he is in the right place.

“I chose the restaurant business,” he says. “I thrive in this environment. There is no time to be bored.” Ishaq also knows this: “I have more to learn and more to accomplish. There are still many steps to climb.”

Lynn Schwartz, a former New York City restaurateur, is a writer based in Maryland.