The executive chef previously worked at the MGM Grand and the Four Seasons Hotels.
Jeffrey Arthur spent years behind the scenes of several hotel restaurants, including the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Newport Beach, California.
Now, he’s in charge of new recipes for Ohio University’s dining halls — his dream job all along.
Arthur decided to jump from West Coast hotels to Mid-Western universities with the dream of becoming an executive chef, a goal he’s hoped to reach since he first began cooking professionally at age 14.
“From the very beginning I had a passion for cooking,” said Arthur, who became OU’s new Executive Chef in August.
Though Arthur can usually be found in the kitchen testing recipes for Boyd Dining Hall’s new menu, he also occupies an office cubicle in the front corner of the Central Food Facility.
There, while filing through papers in his slightly stained chef’s apron, he described some of his favorite recipes from the past semester, including a Churrasco beef sandwich and turkey roulade, which is turkey wrapped in bacon.
Before OU
Arthur first started working for a fine dining restaurant at 16 years old and has been in the business for 18 years.
“What I believe started it all was baking chocolate chip cookies in my mom’s kitchen,” he said, adding that he used to steal handfuls of cookie dough.
After working at several restaurants, Arthur decided that turning to colleges seemed like the right decision, especially since both his parents had worked at universities while he was growing up.
He served as the executive sous chef at Ohio State University catering before he was hired at OU.
“OU has a much tighter community feel,” he said. “OSU is such a large campus that at times you could get stuck in your own little world and not see what the other facilities are doing.”
Culinary Services interviewed four chefs before Arthur was selected, said Mary Jones, associate director of Culinary Services, in an email.
The job pays $68,000 per year, which is about the “market rate” for a job of this caliber, Jones said.
First semester at OU
Arthur said he has been testing new recipes that will soon be offered across campus. The Hungry Cat, OU’s food truck that has been feeding West Green students since Boyd closed for renovations, has some of the newer options.
“Getting the food truck up and running and seeing that there was actually following and show for it was great,” he said, highlighting that he had been working on the setup of the food truck since he started working at OU.
Arthur said with a laugh that the food truck was both his favorite memory and biggest challenge so far.
“It’s something completely new for the campus,” he said. “I’ve had a little experience, but it was difficult getting all of the parts together.”
In addition, Arthur has worked with students to get their opinions on some of the new menu items, feedback he has used to help create the final menu for the food truck.
“This has been an incredibly helpful tool for us and we will continue to use it as new items are rolled out,” Arthur said.
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Boyd renovations
Arthur also plans to have a new menu for Boyd Dining Hall by the time renovations are complete.
Some of the concepts Arthur has tried so far include French and Italian cuisines as well as Asian-style noodles.
“I’m most excited to see the look on our customers’ faces the first time that they enter Boyd after it reopens,” said Dennis Washington, general manager of Boyd Dining Hall.
Washington, who works with Arthur, said he is excited about some of their new menu items, including Churrasco and rotisserie stations, with meats cooked in the dining hall.
“I think everyone is going to be very pleased with the final results,” Washington said.
Arthur also said that he wants to increase awareness of what Culinary Services does on campus.
“There are so many things happening within Culinary Services that very few people know about,” Arthur said. “Our staff is amazing at what they do.”
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