Meet the Frida Staff: Gretchen Windt

Gretchen is always smiling...and making customers smile as well!

What's that sound?!  Oh, it's just Gretchen laughing from across the restaurant.

A lover of food and drink, Gretchen is one of those people that was born to work in the hospitality industry.  That's not to say she's not multi-talented (she has her Bachelor's in Music Education, her Master's in Vocal Performance, and is working on her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Utah!) - but she has that "it" quality that Frida guests adore.  Gretchen is a tireless professional who takes her work here very seriously, always taking notes on our newest foods and wines so she's able to educate our guests with ease.  When she interacts with guests, she performs with complete sincerity - it's pretty impressive.  She truly wants every guest to have the best possible experience at Frida Bistro - she wants them to savor ever course and drink, and makes sure they have everything they need so they can enjoy Frida as much as she does.

Twelve years ago, as a freshman in college, Gretchen started working as a server at a small restaurant in Chicago, and has been part of the industry ever since.  Aside from an impressive stint at Cincinnati's Vito's Cafe, home of the singing servers, where she would sing arias and showtunes throughout dinner service, Gretchen has performed operas, oratorios, and choruses in Chicago, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Albuquerque, Amherst, Sarasota, Salt Lake City, Boise, and Italy.  In fact, she moved to SLC from Cincinnati after receiving a young artist contract with the Utah Opera.

Always willing to take on extra responsibility, Gretchen recently added bartending to her resume when a few shifts became available, and she's catching on quickly.  She's already started coming up with some fantastic new drink recipes (get ready for our Fall drink menu, debuting soon)!

We're lucky to have had Gretchen on our staff for over a year already, and hope she sticks around for a few more.  When asked what she enjoys about working at Frida she listed the food, namely the unique flavors and presentation.  She loves how our margaritas are seasonal, fresh, and of course, delicious!  Lastly, she relishes the beautiful space: the artwork, colors, and especially the patio...when it's not 100 degrees out!

When she's not at school, studying, hanging out around town with Frida friends, or at work she's been known to cover Johnny Cash songs on the ukulele (maybe her album will be available on iTunes before long)!  We were also surprised to learn SHE DOES NOT CARE FOR CAPITAL LETTERS (I wonder if that drove her crazy)!  She also likes using language as colorful as the walls at Frida Bistro (see below).

Quite colorful indeed.

There are so many great things to say about Gretchen...like how she pays close attention to detail, is an outstanding multi-tasker, is a natural leader, and is able to put a positive spin on anything...BUT, we wouldn't want her head getting too big!  So thank you, Gretchen, for all the hard work and dedication you put into Frida Bistro - we truly appreciate it, as do all of your guests!

Meet the Frida Staff: Steve Terry

Steve posing in "the window."

Steve Terry joined the Frida Bistro culinary team nearly 4 months ago after cutting his teeth at Lamb's Grill in downtown SLC for the past 9 years.  We were happy to have Steve come on board due to his sharp attention to detail and ability to remain calm and cool under pressure. 

If you're eating at Frida, there's a good chance your food went though Steve's station: he prepares soups and salads, most of the appetizers, and many of the side dishes for the entrees.  His position in the kitchen is at "the window" - the area where servers pick up food that is ready to be served to our guests - meaning he is the last chef to see the plates before they're served.  He ensures they are plated beautifully and are immaculately flawless, as the presentation of our food is just as important as the unique and delicate flavors.  If that wasn't stressful enough, Steve is also the liaison between the Front of House and Back of House staff, meaning at any given time there are no less than 13 people shouting instructions his way! 

Steve grew up in Virginia, just outside of Washington DC (his favorite football team is the Redskins), but has lived in Utah for most of his life.  He began his cooking career at a young age by flipping burgers at a fast food joint (he declined to tell me which one, however!), but quickly realized his talents were being wasted in that environment.  On his days off he can't stay out of the kitchen - he enjoys cooking for his wife and 8-month-old son at their home in Murray, UT. 

One of the main draws of working at Frida is that every day we are essentially coming to an art gallery, which Steve cherishes.  He loves the design of the retaurant and how it goes hand in hand with the artistic preparation and presentation of the food.  And he takes pride in knowing he plays an integral role in the guest's experience at our restaurant.