Meet omri Aflalo | Corporate Chef Miller & Lux Restaurant / The Greater Organization LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with omri Aflalo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi omri, what inspires you?
I take inspiration from a lot of aspects from collauegues, art, to everyday architecture and structures. Its all about what moves you, what provokes emotion, memory, and comforting feelings. Cooking is a passion and we do it for the love of that passion. I find inspiration in different cusines and cultures. I tend to read a lot of cookbooks and surround myself with indivduals that continue to push the industry. This helps keep the creativite juices going and I am able to stay current on techniques, styles, and philosophies.

fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have spent most of my life cooking and it is all I really know. I started at sixteen years old washing dishes and went onto culinary school in NY. I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and upon graduation decided to live abroad to see what was going on in the rest of the world. I spent time in France before returning to the US and landing at Citronelle.

It has been a very long and hard road, a lot of time spent in the kitchen and not much work/life balance. I was away from my family for the majority of my life and now I am trying to spend as much time out of the kitchen as in the kitchen. I worked hard because its my passion to cook, but life is short and I have learned to cherish family and embrace all the time you have with them.

I got to where I am today with a lot of hard work, organization, and drive. You have to love what you do and understand how difficult the restaurant business can be.

I would not trade anything at all. I have had an amazing ride all these years and continue to learn so much along the way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Being from San Francisco there arew so many places to see, visit, and try…

I would say that we would have to head to the coast for sure. California has some of the best coastal spots in the country. I love heading to Big Sur. Nepenthe and Big Sur Bakery are a must. I even love to head up north to Mendocino. Harbor House Inn and the town of Mendocino are definitley worth checking out.

I am very particular to Anderson Valley and they have what I think is some of the best wine makers.

We would defintitely travel to healdsburg and Russain River and hang out at some great spots there. Barn Diva, Boon Eat + Drink Bistro, and of course, Single Thread are some of the great spots around there.

I live in Oakland and it has so much to offer from hiking in the redwoods to eating at some great spots like Juanita and Maude.

That’s where I would hang out and show off the Bay Area.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There is one particular person in my career that I owe everything too. My mentor, Michel Richard, allowed me to grow as a cook into the chef I am today. I worked at Citronelle in Washington DC for almost ten years and Michel was not only a culinary leader, but he was there for me in my personal life as well. Michel paved the way for me and showed me how much cooking comes from the heart. He cared so much about our industry and having a restaurant that was whimiscal, that dazzled the guests every night. Michel means the world to me….

Website: www.millerandluxrestaurant.com

Instagram: @foodlife80