Stan Frankenthaler Executive Chef/Owner of Salamander Dining Room & Satay Bar Long before "fusion cuisine" became a food trend, Stan Frankenthaler began incorporating traditional Asian flavors and cooking techniques into his own special style of cooking. Filled with flavor and color, Frankenthaler's food uses time-honored traditions in authentic ways that respect their origins. After years of being chased out of the kitchens at both his grandmothers' homes in rural New York state and Alabama, young Stan Frankenthaler was finally allowed to shell peas and fry chicken. Before long, he was cooking more of the family's dinners, events that often stretched on for hours. Stan came to love Asian cooking by way of a childhood in the south and a first job in a Chinese restaurant in Savannah, Georgia. Stan says he cannot remember a time when he was not completely enamored with the rituals and beauty of food. He cooked professionally as a teenager, and earned his way through the University of Georgia with kitchen jobs in Atlanta and Athens, Georgia. After graduating with a degree in English, Stan applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated first in his class. Stan moved to Boston in 1984 and found his first position as a poissioner at the Hotel Meridien. A year later, he began a 4 and 1/2 year stint at Jasper's, rising to the role of sous chef and serving as head chef while proprietor Jasper White wrote a cookbook. During that period, Jasper's won a four-star rating from the Boston Globe, and was inducted into Boston Magazine's "Hall of Fame." Stan left Jasper's in 1989 to tour the wine regions of Europe. When he returned, he took a position at Hamersley's Bistro. At the same time, Stan was launching his first independent venture, Choice Catering Company. His top-quality, prepared foods won rave reviews, including a "Best of Boston" award in 1990 from Boston Magazine. When the opportunity to become a co-owner and chef at The Blue Room presented itself, Stan accepted. The Blue Room received enthusiastic reviews from Bon Appetit and Metropolitan Home, and was named one of "America's Best New Restaurants" by Esquire in 1992. Stan wanted to strike out on his own and develop a restaurant that reflected his passion for elegantly crafted foods, carefully served in a rich environment, paired with a wine list complimentary to his Asian-tinged cuisine. The funding, concept, and the staff came together in 1994, and the first Salamander opened its doors in September of that year. Located in an old, renovated ink factory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Salamander offered adventurous foods in a setting filled with creature comforts. Exceptional reviews followed from local Boston food media, as well as recognition by national media outlets such as The New York Times, Washington Post, Esquire, Metropolitan Home, Art Culinaire, Food & Wine, Food Arts, Bon Appetit, and Gourmet. Travel & Leisure called Salamander "the one not to miss," and Zagat's Boston survey has ranked Salamander in the top ten since the restaurant's first listing. Stan has been a frequent television guest, including appearances on "Ready, Set, Cook" and "Chef du Jour" on The Food Network, and on "Food New England" and "Chronicle" on WCVB-TV in Boston. Stan has always felt a strong responsibility to teach cookery, and has enlightened culinary students and kids through classes and demonstrations at Boston University, the Culinary Institute of America, Williams-Sonoma, Cakebread Cellars, Bloomingdale's, New England Culinary Institute, Whole Foods, Hay Day, and Salamander. When not in the kitchen, Stan devotes time to charity events, many of them related to hunger relief. Over the years, he has organized dinners and participated in fund-raisers for Share Our Strength and the AIDS Action Committee. Stan has been a guest chef at the James Beard House eleven times, most recently preparing a Mother's Day Brunch in 2000. He was voted First Chair of the National Board of Overseers of Chef Collaborative 2000. Locally, Stan has lent his ongoing support to Community Servings, The Greater Table, Rosie's Place, The Food Project, and several other health and cultural groups. Salamander underwrites public radio broadcasting on WGBH and WBUR. Jim Smith Managing Director/Owner Salamander Dining Room & Satay Bar Jim Smith has a distant memory of his mother encouraging him to apply for a job as a dishwasher at a Maine diner. Although Jim thought of the job as a stepping-stone onto his way to a career in teaching, it led him instead towards a different vocation. Jim's diversity of experience during his 17 years in the restaurant industry has made him well qualified to oversee the staffing and operations of Salamander, having held five different positions at Salamander alone. His range of restaurant experience includes everything from waiter, host, and cashier to kitchen prep and pastry apprentice. In his role as managing director, Jim strives to provide Salamander's staff with the same opportunities that led him to carve out his own rewarding career path. Jim works closely with Salamander co-owner/executive chef Stan Frankenthaler to provide a supportive and challenging work environment that encourages employees to find their passions and pursue them. Raised in rural Maine, Jim attended the University of Maine at Farmington where he double-majored in secondary education and U.S. history. During this time, he put himself through college by working in local restaurants. Jim relocated to Boston in 1989 and spent five years at Legal Sea Foods, first as a server, then as a corporate trainer. In this role, he worked throughout the company teaching standards of food and wine service. Working in a variety of roles at the front of the house led Jim to develop his interest in the kitchen. He went on to graduate from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in 1993. Following graduation, he became a teacher's assistant at CSCA and taught pastry classes at both Brookline and Cambridge Adult Education programs. Jim was a founding staff member of the original Salamander in Cambridge, starting out as a waiter and pastry apprentice, and then advancing to dining room manager. He later became the restaurant's general manager. At Salamander, Jim found a professional home, embracing the company's unique cuisine, enthusiastic clientele, and philosophy. In 2000, Jim partnered with Stan Frankenthaler, and assumed the role of managing director at Salamander as the company took new form in preparation for its relocation to Trinity Place in Boston's Back Bay.