Farm to Table, literally
Josh Moore defies stereotypes the moment he walks into a kitchen in Louisville, Ky., or anywhere else.
It’s not the tribal tattoos emerging from the seams of his white coat nor his linebacker stature that give him away. It’s his food.
No formal culinary education, “just the school of hard knocks,” sustained Josh through 20 years of making a name for himself in the industry he calls home.
His role as executive chef, executive pastry chef and partner at Volare Italian Ristorante in Louisville is the fulfillment of a dream born long ago.
Josh is young. At 34 he’s approaching his tenth year at Volare, but the idea of one day running his own restaurant dates back much earlier.
“My mom says she would bring me home from preschool and sit me down in front of cartoons and I would change the channel to a cooking show. So it was kind of just born into me,” he remembers.
While most kids were playing football and hanging out in parking lots, Josh was icing and slicing cakes. Oh, he had the talent and physique to play in high school, enjoyed the excitement and camaraderie of teamwork, but it took him away from his real passion: becoming a chef.
“I get asked all the time what I would do if I wasn’t a chef,” he says. “I don’t know how to answer because there’s nothing else I’ve ever wanted to do other than this.”
But then he took it a step further.
Perhaps the most talked about theme in Josh’s career is rooted—and produced—from his desire to deliver fresh ingredients to his customers. A trailblazer, Josh picked two of the most labor-intensive trades and brought to life consumers’ burgeoning desire to eat local. He brings his farm to your table. Literally.
On land where he purchased a 110-year-old farmhouse, Josh entertained the idea of a small garden to supplement some items for Volare’s menu. A first year’s dozen tomato plants turned into 600, and his now two-acre “garden” boasts a spring assortment of greens and vegetables. Those faithful tomato plants? They recently yielded 100 pounds per day.
“Everybody always asks, ‘So, when do you sleep?’ and my answer is, ‘Winter,’” he jokes.
A staple within Louisville’s prominent food scene, Volare is inviting, with cuisine that channels traditional Italian with a bit of a Southern flare.
But when left up to Josh, his recommendation is the ribeye. Simple and classic, he’d take it as his last meal.
If you happen to miss the steer tattoo on his forearm, he quips, “It’s obviously a passion of mine.”
Inspired by an 18th-Century butcher’s chart, he’s been known to pull up his sleeve to educate guests on where their cut of meat originated.
Never one to shy away from hard work, Josh shares a great deal in common with those of you who ultimately supply the high-quality beef that ends up in his restaurant and others like it.
A farmer AND a chef, he’s not one to take the easy way out. He’d rather make a difference.
We’re sure glad he does.
Thanks for allowing me to tell your story,
Laura
Miss the first days of our series? Catch up here:
- Introduction: Nice to Meat Ya
- Day 1: Ashley Pado
- Day 2: Scott Redden
- Day 3: Jesse Stucky
- Day 4: Bridget Wasser
- Day 5: Amanda Barstow