The Most Important Lessons Antonia Lofaso Learned From Wolfgang Puck

Chef Antonia Lofaso knows that it's not easy to be a success story in the restaurant industry. She's worked pretty hard to become a respected name in the field. Her background is super interesting: Chef Lofaso rose to prominence after competing on the popular reality show "Top Chef" in 2008. She found it to be a rewarding experience that helped her learn more about herself. She told Parade, "When I saw myself on TV, it was a big eye-opener. I saw the way I operate in a kitchen, the way I actually behave, the way I look when I talk to the people I work with."

Lofaso was intrigued by the kitchen even as a kid. As per Nikki on the Daily, she hesitated to pursue cooking full time until her late husband motivated her to become a full-time chef. She studied at the French Culinary Institute before experimenting with several restaurant gigs. The chef revealed that she was low on confidence when she was new to the industry and wondered whether her cooking style would be appreciated by others.

She was lucky to work with other chefs like Wolfgang Puck who taught her important life lessons. For Lofaso, Puck was a great source of inspiration. 

For Antonia Lofaso, veteran chef Wolfgang Puck was more than her mentor. He was her source of strength, someone who made her believe in herself when she experienced low points in her life and wasn't sure about her next steps in the industry. He taught her about the importance of staying resilient through everything. You see, Lofaso was hit by self doubt when she lost her job as an executive chef at Foxtail in West Hollywood after the eatery closed down. Puck helped Lofaso stay on track and believe in herself. 

She told Nikki on the Daily about the advice he gave her in those days and revealed how useful his words were. She said, "He'd say, 'Antonia, restaurants open and restaurants close. Get over it.' It's so interesting how everything shifts...My biggest thing is about the recovery. Always. There's more failure, and I've learned more through my failure than my success."

What seems like the simplest advice can often mean so much when coming from the right person. It seems like that was the case here and Lofaso pushed through her struggle.