Two Rivers Co-Owner Mark Morgan Takes Aspiring Pasadena Chef Under His Wing

It’s not often that someone can say a grocery store outing had a life-changing impact, but Mindy Nelson can thank a trip to Giant for jumpstarting her son’s career.

After Brian Nelson graduated from high school, Mindy encountered Two Rivers Steak & Fish House co-owner and executive chef Mark Morgan at the local shop and told him that Brian was interested in entering the culinary field. Morgan not only encouraged Brian’s foray into the food industry but also welcomed the youth to spend 15 months in the Two Rivers kitchen learning the ropes.

“A whole lot of kids are into cooking, but when they get into it, they realize there is a big difference between cooking in a commercial kitchen and your house,” Morgan acknowledged. “I wanted to take Brian under my wing and I told him, ‘If you still like this, then you have my blessing.’”

Although the Two Rivers kitchen and the industry were new to Brian, his mentor was a familiar face. When Brian was a Fort Smallwood Elementary kindergartener, he accompanied his sister on a Girl Scout trip to Morgan’s former restaurant, Windows on the Bay. Meeting Morgan and touring the eatery further cultivated Brian’s interest in cooking, a seed that was initially planted by his Puerto Rican grandmother, who “made food with love and by tasting ingredients, instead of always following recipes,” according to Brian.

An avid cook since the age of 8, Brian finally got to test his chops during his stay at Two Rivers, where he sought Morgan’s blessing before starting enrollment at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the most prestigious vocational cooking college in the country. Brian began his influx of training at the Lake Shore restaurant with a three-day, 40-hour work stretch under the tutelage of Morgan and executive chef Jimmy Hall, both CIA graduates.

Two Rivers served about 1,000 guests during Brian’s first day on the job. He still remembers dicing green peppers and learning how to make bread. Brian learned to always stay calm on the line (kitchen space where cooking is done), even when “in the weeds,” a restaurant term for being busy. Also, he learned not to waste resources.

“When you’re cutting celery, don’t throw away the ends,” Brian said. “The celery has a good amount of flavor in the stock, and the middle can be used for soups ... [Mark Morgan] is very resourceful.”

Brian also got acclimated to making crab mix. “I made 16-32 pounds of crab mix a day. I got good at picking out crab meat,” he joked.

After his experience at Two Rivers validated his affinity for cooking, Brian continued his education at the CIA in New York. Morgan and Hall continued mentoring Brian from afar by offering positive reinforcement and advice during the student’s time at the school. On July 25, Brian graduated from the CIA, and the evolution of Brian’s skill since high school was evident.

“What we have seen as parents is a complete change in dedication,” Mindy Nelson expressed. “It started with swimming and then with cooking. He is working as hard as he can and is someone whose work ethic has blossomed. Brian could have still gone to CIA, but having someone like Mark to let him see what [the business] is like and having the friendship with Jimmy Hall, it helped him tremendously.”

Brian had one last stop to make before leaving home to find a chef job. He returned to Two Rivers after his graduation from CIA and spent the summer working alongside Morgan, Hall and the restaurant staff once more.

“Brian is a great young man. He has the skills, he has a great demeanor and work ethic, and he listens,” Morgan noted. “If you don’t like [cooking], you don’t last very long. He proved himself and I’m proud of him. Now he has to hone his skills.”

Brian will hone those skills down south. On October 1, he departed for Florida, where he now works as a cook at the seafood bar of The Breakers, a five-star resort destination in Palm Beach. He will take his newfound knowledge with him, as well as a special memento, a tattoo he got to honor his grandmother, who passed away from lung cancer and served as the influence for his cooking. The inked artwork depicts a cancer ribbon wrapped around knives. “She’s protecting my dream,” he said.

The young chef aspires to cook in Italy and France, but regardless of where his path takes him, he will retain that love of cooking and share his enthusiasm with the people he serves.

“Every job is going to be taxing if you have a passion for what you’re doing and you push yourself to all levels of exhaustion. Food is my only true passion right now,” Brian proclaimed. “And it’s not a job to me; it’s more like an art form that allows me to make people happy.”