Name: Matt Oltmanns

Position: Kitchen Manager

Started at Silver Fox: 2001

How Did You Start: “I was working another job and I just came in here [to Silverfox] and applied for the dishwasher job 20 years ago and never really left.”

Favorite Things to Cook: Ribeyes, Hamburgers, and Beef Medallions

On the Turnover Rate at Silver Fox: “I’ve watched some of these people grow up. Some of our waitresses kids were doing dishes when they were young, and now they’re going off to college. I’m getting old, man.” 

Favorite Part of the Job: “The people around me. After you get in here, it’s really like a family environment. Gina and Bernard care a lot. Bernard is like my other father and Gina is like my other mother and everyone else is like a brother or a sister. It’s a family.” 

On Catering: “Going on caters is one of my favorite things about the job, too. You get to meet a lot of different people, some of them in higher-end establishments. Like the Vice-President [Dick Cheney], I’ve met him a few times. We get to do things for the governor [Governor Gordon] here and there too. The best part of a catering job is getting all of the stuff ready for it, getting it all out and making everything look really nice. The worst part is all the dishes when we’re done.” 

Hobbies: “Hanging out with my nieces and nephews. I don’t have kids, so they’re like my kids. They’re spoiled rotten. I also like hanging out with my little brother, fishing with him.” 

On Working with Chef Bernard: “He’s actually a father, that’s the relationship. Trust me. It’s definitely father and son. He’s really good. He wants you to succeed in life. He doesn’t want you to fall behind or do anything stupid. He cares a lot about everyone that works here.”

Why Silver Fox: “It’s a quiet, family atmosphere and you’ll get a good meal.”