What do you do?
Matthew Devenyns

Where do you work and what is your title?
       I am the kitchen manager at Mountain Shadows Restaurant.
What do you do there and/or what are you responsible for?
       My main job is to run the line and oversee the food we put out. I also cook all fried goods, eggs, meats and omelettes.
How long have you been doing this kind of work (total)? How long on the Westside?
       I've been a cook for about 10 years the last three years I've been at Mountain Shadows.
What do you like best about it (other than quitting time)?
       The best thing about working at Mountain Shadows is the people I work with and the wonderful guests we feed each day.
If you could change one thing (other than pay), what would it be?
       The one thing I would change is I would make it bigger – bigger kitchen, bigger dinning room so we can serve more people faster.
What part of your work did your training/education never prepare you for?
       All my learning has been on the job. My life is a constant and ongoing education because there is always something new to learn. Kasie is always teaching me new recipes, methods of cooking and I’m also learning how to jar the chili. I started as a dishwasher and worked my way up at a commercial restaurant and now I’m at a family run/ homestyle cooking restaurant. I can make it more my own and work on each plate instead of the cookie-cutter method of a chain.
What makes working on the Westside special?
       The best part about the Westside is the wonderful people and the general outlook they have on life.

“What do you do?” is a regular feature in the Westside Pioneer. If you know someone who has an interesting job on the Westside (but doesn’t live here), he/she might be a candidate for this column! If you know someone who might qualify, give us a call at 471-6776.