LA QUINTA, Calif. — On Thursday, PGA Tour star Tony Finau was in his comfort zone, on the golf course ripping drives and sinking putts.
Two days earlier, though, he was in an unfamiliar setting, cutting avocados and slinging eggs at Chula Artisan Eatery.
Finau is an ambassador for American Express, the title sponsor of the PGA event played in California this weekend, and each year they spotlight a local business to link up with and do something fun. That’s why on Tuesday morning, Finau had an apron on and was learning what it takes to be a chef at a busy restaurant. And even though the entire thing was being videoed by the PGA Tour for its social media, this wasn’t just a photo opportunity. Chef and owner Katherine Gonzalez put Finau to work.
“He was so gracious and kind and relatable,” Gonzalez said of her star pupil for the day. “He came in with his big smiling face, and he said he could smell the food outside before he even came in. He was anxious to eat, and I said ‘We have plenty of food, but first we’re going to put you to work.’ And seconds later he had an apron on working alongside me and it was so fun.”
After his opening round in the American Express on Thursday, a 4-under 68 at La Quinta Country Club, Finau talked about his unique opportunity to be immersed in the kitchen of an active restaurant and learn what it takes to get all that food out to the customers. In short, he loved his time at the brunch-lunch spot that highlights Mexican cuisine.
“It was incredible. One of my dreams growing up was to be a chef, being in the kitchen with my mom and my grandma so that was cool to be in the back of the restaurant and see how it operates,” Finau said.
Finau said he was amazed at what he saw back there in terms of the knife skills and the organization, but he felt like he was able to hold his own a little.
“I was pretty good at putting the food together on the plate, not sure how good I would’ve been at making it. Mexican food is not my specialty when it comes to cooking, but overall it was just a great experience,” said Finau, who said he’s more of a grill-master at home. “To be able to watch how they do it at a restaurant that has a high quantity of customers. I’ve always wondered what they do when they are really busy and how they get the stuff out.”
And what did he contribute to the operation exactly?
“It’s a little bit like an assembly line. All the food is hot and fresh and you just have to kind of pick the right amount and put it on the plate in the right way. Maybe some things have to be cooked first like a tortilla, throw it in the fryer, make sure it’s nice and hot. It was cool to learn that stuff,” he said.
Gonzalez said she was impressed by Finau’s work ethic, easy-going personality, people skills and his knowledge in the kitchen.
“I told him some of the people I pay to work here weren’t this good on their first day,” she said with a laugh. “Tony grabbed a plate and he was putting the food on there like he knew what he was doing. I gave him an avocado and he’s scooping it out with a spoon like a pro. Maybe he’s just a natural at everything he tries.”
Gonzalez said Finau made eight to 10 plates of food, and the last couple she had him bring out to the customers’ tables. They got a kick out of it and he took a bunch of photos with them and it was just a lot of fun.
Finally, it was time for Finau to taste some of Gonzalez’s food for himself. She asked what his dietary preferences were.
“He said he eats a lot of meat and fruits and I made him a bowl of our chilaquiles with pulled pork and green sauce, and he ate it and they were filming him eat it. It was actually kind of funny, but he said he loved it,” Gonzalez said.
And then they surprised Gonzalez with a bit of a twist.
“At the end of the cooking and the eating, Tony said to me ‘It’s been great cooking alongside you and being in your food world, but now you’re coming into my world to see how I do my business,’” Gonzalez said.
Sure enough, a couple of hours later Gonzalez had a golf club in her hand on the driving range and putting green at PGA West getting a personal lesson from Finau.
“He showed me how to do some chip shots, how to hold the club, and the stance and the grip. It was awesome,” Gonzalez said. “I haven’t played golf in at least 10 years, maybe longer, and I hit some bad ones, some grounders. But he showed me how to get some lift on my shots. And just to be out in the sunshine with all the other pros, it was a special moment for sure. He’s just such a genuine guy, and he was so great with everyone at the restaurant, and he is the perfect person to be a face of the PGA Tour for sure. The whole day was great.”
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