Responding to God’s Gifts

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Sunday, October 12, 2008

We were blessed by a special meal of thanksgiving prepared by local gourmet chef Glenn D’Amour

About the Chef:

With more than 25 years of professional experience in the restaurant and food industry, Glenn D’Amour is a Certified Executive Chef who now teaches culinary arts at the Secondary Technical Center here in Duluth.

Glenn got his start in the restaurant and food industry as a young man. A self-described “wild kid,” he grew up in the Glen Avon neighborhood and was a member of Boy Scout Troop 9. He attended cooking school because he thought he’d “pick something easy,” but his brother encouraged him to set goals and, when he did, Glenn knew that he would have to “drop the wild life…and be focused.” Today he hopes that young people will hear his message and apply it to their own lives.

Glenn earned his Advanced Culinary Arts License from the Culinary Institute of America in New York in 1982. As a young chef at Grandma’s Restaurants, he traveled to Italy and Mexico as well as Chicago to study with award-winning executive chefs. Over the years, Glenn has served as Executive Chef – which entitles him to wear the tallest hats – and sometimes General Manager at several local restaurants, including The Bellows, Augustino’s, Grandma’s Restaurants (Saloon & Deli and Angie’s Cantina), and Kamloops at Superior Shores. He has in-depth cooking knowledge of Italian, Mexican, Cajun, French, and American cuisine.

From 1997 to 2002, Glenn served as president of the Arrowhead Professional Chefs Club, which is the local chapter of the American Culinary Foundation (ACF). He was the recipient of the Club’s Chef of the Year Award in 1999 and nominated for the ACF National Chapter President of the Year Award one year later.

In 1998, Glenn was one of some 12 local area chefs who presented tempting chocolate tidbits at the “Death by Chocolate” fund-raiser and tasting party here in Duluth.

It is an honor and a privilege to welcome Glenn D’Amour back to Glen Avon.

© 2008 Glen Avon Presbyterian Church                                             return to top