Tune in to hear the story of a Charlotte chef who beat Bobby Flay — and addiction
Chef Sam Diminich started the year on a high note.
He took on the great Bobby Flay on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” — and won.
He held the title of executive chef at Upstream, a celebrated culinary destination in Charlotte.
And he sat down with ”Order/Fire” host Marc Jacksina in March to talk about his life both inside and outside the kitchen.
“Order/Fire,” a culinary video web series based in Charlotte, is currently in its fifth season. Produced by photographer Peter Taylor and hosted by Jacksina, each episode looks into the lives of leading culinarians, mixologists, purveyors, farmers and restaurateurs across the Southeast to “celebrate the human element in the food and beverage industry.”
The episode, which would give viewers an intimate look into Diminich’s life, was set to debut at Free Range Brewing on March 22. COVID-19 put that on hold. Around the same time, Diminich was let go from Upstream, which closed for good shortly afterward.
Eight months later, Diminich is back in the action, and the premiere of his “Order/Fire” episode is on the horizon — set to debut online at 5 p.m. Oct. 25.
He beat Bobby Flay. He beat addiction. Now, he’s sharing his story.
Diminich’s episode will cover his journey, from his cooking career to his recovery.
“I’ve been sober almost six years, so that’s a big part of the story, the evolution of how my recovery has impacted the way I cook,” Diminich told CharlotteFive.
“Sam’s story of recovery and rise to fame for his culinary talent are intrinsically linked,” said Jacksina, who is the host of “Order/Fire.” “The candid way he shares his story can also be found in the honesty of his cuisine. Besides being a talented cook, compassionate friend and loving father, he’s literally saving lives through his leadership.”
Diminich helped start the Charlotte chapter of Ben’s Friends, a food and beverage industry support group offering hope, fellowship and a path forward created in honor of Ben Murray, a Charleston chef who killed himself in 2016 following years of addiction. The group met virtually during the pandemic.
“A lot of people that have been sober are a huge part of it. A lot of people that are just getting sober are obviously the most important part of it. And, to be completely candid, it has literally guided me on my journey from being executive chef at Upstream, where I was not an owner, to being a business owner now, juggling all the balls that an owner, a parent and a sober human being has to juggle.”
Because of the COVID-19 delay, the crew filmed an update to catch up with Diminich and the changes the pandemic brought into his life, Taylor said. “We talk about what has changed and what has been good, and what has been difficult and what has not changed.”
Diminich considers the producer and host close friends.
“Of all the things I’ve been able to do, and I’ve been pretty fortunate in my career here, ‘Order/Fire’ means the most to me,” Diminich said. “That’s Charlotte. That’s community. That’s local. I really look up to those guys, not only for who they are, but for what they’re doing for the community as a whole, specifically food and beverage. I would take ‘Order/Fire’ over Food Network eight days a week. I mean that.”
From corporate cooking to a new venture
Viewers will also get a deeper look into Diminich’s COVID-19 pivot.
“You’ll get to hear how I’ve been able to land on my feet and use the voice that I have in the community to tell other people’s stories, like the farmers and suppliers that have taken care of the chefs and markets,” he said.
After being let go from Upstream, Diminich quickly took a job at Amazon to support his two kids, citing that “filing for unemployment was not on [his] list of things to do.” Upon getting hired, he had a two-week gap before he’d be able to start. One night during that gap, he was grilling and thinking about his love for cooking.
“I’m looking at the grill, and I’m like, you know, I just love to cook. I feel super fortunate that I’m able to do this. This is what I love to do. I don’t want to do anything else,” Diminich said.
It was then that the idea for Your Farms, Your Table was born. He wanted to cook 10 meals per day at $30 per meal, just like a standard restaurant week, which he would deliver in his car to pay for his child’s Invisalign braces, keep the lights on and make his car payment.
Now, he’s seen the orders jump from 10 to 30 meals per day.
“I haven’t looked back,” Diminich said.
To learn more about Diminich and his story, you can tune into the “Order/Fire” episode for free on the Facebook event page at 5 p.m. Oct. 25. Suggested donations can be made to Ben’s Friends.
Unlike normal “Order/Fire” screenings, the chef won’t be able to prepare a dish in person. However, you can order a three-course meal before 5 p.m. Oct. 23 via Your Farms, Your Table for $30, which will include delicata squash soup with cinnamon, rosemary and chile; lemongrass and soy-braised beef ribs, jasmine rice and shiitake salsa; and salted chocolate-caramel tarts with sweet cream. You can pick it up at Free Range Brewing on Oct. 24 after 2 p.m. The brewery will also have canned beer available for takeout.
“If we all approach life, specifically 2020, individually, it’s very very difficult. But if we approach life, and 2020 and the pandemic together, our chances of being somewhat successful increase exponentially,” Diminich said. “I’m a big fan of the vision for ‘Order/Fire’ and honored to be a part of such an esteemed docuseries. If viewers have one takeaway from the episode, I hope they see that when sobriety became the number one priority in my life, then and only then was I able to do what I love to do.”
This story was originally published October 21, 2020 at 11:49 AM.
