The Chef
Chef Shafer…
"Depot is not only the name of the restaurant where Chef Michael Shafer is the iron horse and engineer, it's the creative hub of culinary lines from all over the world that have marked his career, from Classical cuisine to German, Austrian, contemporary Scandinavian, pan-Asian, and Mexican to American cooking from the East Coast to the Southwest and California.
Growing up in Buffalo, New York, Shafer early understood food as a creative medium and social binder. As a child, he'd cook for his family, and as a teenager for his friends. Though his resume begins as a dishwasher at 15, he put himself through school working in restaurants. Shafer's first calling was to Art School at Buffalo State College, studying art education.
But creating itself had more of a hold on him than studying the process. Headstrong and optimistic, at age 21, Shafer moved to California in 1977 to become a photojournalist. Waiting for his career to take off, he took a job in the kitchen at the Century Plaza Hotel. Luckily for us, Rolling Stone never took notice. Instead, Shafer attracted the ire and attention of Walter Roth, Corporate Chef of Westin Hotels.
Not intimidated by the formidable old school chef, Shafer quickly blossomed under Roth's tutelage. "He taught me the discipline of being a chef, that to be successful you have to run the business and teach everyone around you how to run it at the same time." Roth also imbued Shafer with vigilant and exacting standards: "The chef's perfectionism is there for his own satisfaction," says Shafer. "The details may be perceived by only a small fraction of the clientele, but your pride is in knowing that it's all there."
Under Roth, Shafer completed the three year Culinary Apprenticeship Program, solidly anchored in Classic French cuisine. At the same time, Shafer was trolling the common waters of his student budget and age group; cheap ethnic cuisine. After theoretical classes at LA Trade Tech downtown, Shafer would dig into the local groceries and restaurants of China Town, Japan Town, and the barrio, and discover new worlds of produce in California's prolific neighborhood farmer's markets. Loving the "simple, big-flavored foods" and the "all-in-one-pot" approaches of these diverse cuisines, Shafer's palate was broadened, even as he planned the next phase of his career, working in "the motherland of classical cooking," Europe.
Europe honed his classical skills, and over the next year and a half he learned how to execute finesse with consistency in the kitchens of cosmopolitan luxury hotels in Austria: the Hotel Bristol, Vienna's Hotel Palais Inn Schwatzenberg, and Der Kaiser Hof Hotel in Badgastein.
More than an adroit culinary craftsman, creativity and leadership quickly came to bear in Shafer's Career, and his success lead to 15 years in top positions in major hotel operations. At age 26, the Hotel Scandinavia in Norway brought Shafer in as Executive Sous Chef to add an international flare to their menus. Shafer introduced them to such Southwestern American foods as burritos, taco salads, and chili fries! in 1983, he returned to the US, and Century Plaza as Executive Sous Chef. In '86 he opened the Stouffer Hotel in LA, and became Executive Chef of the Stouffer Hotel in Austin, TX. In 1988 he became Executive Chef of the Doubletree Hotel in Orange, California – and the same year took home the Gold Medal at the International Culinary Olympics back in Frankfurt, Germany.
By now the lines of Chef Shafer's culinary train were complete, and lead to the opening of Depot in 1991. Deft and imaginative, Shafer's menu draws from his whole experience. There's a bit of German, Middle American, and Pacific Rim cooking in his Rock Shrimp sausages. There's both Santa Fe and Taipei in Shafer's Debu-Chan Bento Box at lunch. And his Big Cat Mixed Grill is virtually an American smorgasbord-over-mesquite, with Mustard-crushed Lamb Chops, a petit Filet Mignon, Rock Shrimp Sausage and Roasted Mushrooms, with a Pinot Noir sauce.
Serious foodies are delighted, the sophisticated palate sated, yet Shafer's playfulness prevails without pretension. Barbara Fairchild of Bon Appetit has called him "one of the few chefs today who actually seems to be having fun in the kitchen."
More than a chef, Shafer is an astute businessman in an industry where so many artists fail.
Shafer continues to distinguish himself in the community, headlining a handful of annual local fundraisers, as well as in the culinary world. He recently became a Certified Executive Chef with the American Culinary Federation, in 1994 and in 1997 was recognized as a "rising star of American cuisine" by the James Beard Foundation, who invited Shafer to cook as a guest chef in their distinguished series at their New York Headquarters. He has been nominated "Chef of the Year" three times, by the Southern California Restaurant Writers Association.
Coming full circle, Michael Shafer has become the art teacher he once set out to be, leading sell-out cooking classes at the restaurant every month. With the comfortable control of a performer, his humor, warmth and love of gathering people around give the chef a rare ability among professionals of his caliber to connect with the home cook as well as inspire and entertain an eager audience.
Besides being the owner and chef of the Depot, Michael Shafer has raised millions of dollars for a wide variety of charities. He personally hosts two events a year, The Halloween Ball and the SummerFest. Each event raises over $100,000 a year. In addition, Mr. Shafer donates time, money and his culinary skills to other community charities including; the Torrance Education Foundation, Palos Verdes Education Foundation, the Wellness Community, Little Company of Mary - For our Children, Boys and Girls Club and the Palos Verdes Art Center. Just this year alone, Michael’s famous personal cooking live auction items have raised $10s of thousands for these local groups. Mr. Shafer has been a staple for the past 28 years at Honda’s annual Food and Wine Festival. Besides these major events, he donates gift certificates or in kind donations to other nonprofit groups. No other restaurateur or individual businessman has given so much back to the community as Michael Shafer.
To see Michael work the crowd at a charity event, is like watching Luciano Pavarotti at the opera. He works the audience to get the most money possible. He’s loud, he’s a comedian, he’s outrageously generous - adding a magnum of wine to make the bids go higher. But when its all over, he very quiet and shy about receiving any accolades. He tells the charities not to spend the money on plaques, instead to use the money for the kids or people who need it the most. He is truly an unsung hero in our community.
Check out some videos featuring Chef Shafer