NEWS BITES from CHEF CLINT JOLLY
Culinary Storyteller
For me, every bite, each taste should mean something. It should be a new experience, evoke a long lost memory, or create a reaction that is based on your mind’s ability to connect the flavor and sensory stimulation with a past experience. Being a chef is the ability to transport people through their own collection of memories…and I love it,” Chef Clint Jolly
After the Merger...

In early July, Great Thyme Catering merged with Blend Catering, owned by my good friends and awesome chefs, Josh and Whitney Deri. The merger allows us to grow the business together, while maintaining our existing relationships and building great new ones. It also frees me up to explore new opportunities, forge new partnerships and build community with other professional organizations in food service.

 

I had a great time last week as a brand ambassador for Rancho Llano Seco demonstrating how to take apart a whole pig for chefs from around the Reno area. I love helping people like the great folks at Rancho Llano Seco grow their brands in the food service world, and to help bring better products into the local market.

 

This new chapter in my life is so exciting – I will be focusing on working with people with good products and interesting, challenging business problems they are trying to solve. I won’t be reinventing products or recipes, I’ll be helping take them to the next the level with my 20 years of insight in the food service industry.

 

The best part is I still have the opportunity to experience my favorite part of catering – savoring that moment when we just finished serving a big group of people in an interesting venue. We’ve served 300 people 5-course meals using nothing but propane burners in the middle of a forest. Some of the stuff we pulled off for happy customers seemed impossible and we did it. Those are my fondest memories in catering and I’m thrilled to be able to do it as I move forward.

Food Porn on the Fly

With the merger complete, I took full advantage of being out of the kitchen and headed up into the Sierra for a few days, camping and fly fishing. The simplest meal you can have is putting a line in the water, catching your food and preparing it in a remote campsite. Getting closer to nature and where food comes from takes the complexity out of it. Good food and great experiences don’t have to be over manufactured. Simple ingredients done well make the most authentic dining experience. I highly recommend it.


Falling into Foodie Event Season

Kicking off event season in the food world for me means recruiting talent for Sample the Sierra and demoing at Baconfest in Central California. I did it last year and let me tell you, popping up on stage to cook in front of 30,000 people in the audience is a little daunting – and totally cool!

 

I’m proud to launch the inaugural Fall Affair to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada in Genoa on October 1. Josh and Whitney Deri of Blend and I will be slow roasting Borda lambs and regional produce over an open fire Argentina style. Tickets will go on sale soon at www.bgcwn.org.

 

Right after the Fall Affair, I head out to Mexico City for the World Summit on Mexican Gastronomy. I can’t wait. Five days with the best chefs in Mexico and from around the world coming to learn about Mexican cuisine – wow!


I’ll get back from Mexico right in time for the 6th annual Reno Bites October 9-15. This year’s theme, Road Trip, is certainly near and dear to my heart! We want to inspire chefs to use favorite memories of road trips to put together their offerings.Throughout the week, restaurants throughout the area will offer specials and dishes including themed events like the Murder Mystery dinner and interactive show at Homage and a Beer Geek dinner featuring an educational session of beer and food pairings. More information to come.

 We end the week with Chef Showdown – a CHOPPED style competition with eight chefs at Czyz’s Appliance Oct 9. The best part? Free admission. Super fun, and the best way to truly see what is happening in the Reno food scene.


I’m Chef Clint Jolly. My entire life has been in the food world, having grown up in a butcher shop, learning how to properly cut meat at five and serving my own creations to customers at age 13. Mentoring culinary students is also a passion, along with traveling and gathering the flavors of the world, and telling my culinary stories through every delicious bite. Enjoy!
Every bite, each taste should mean something!