Sample Works

Josh Galliano is just starting to engage the cooking school students in his Kitchen Conservatory class. His posture is relaxed, his hand and arms are gesturing just like any Sicilian and his voice is welcoming. He stands at the end of a long wooden table dressed in a comfortable mix of running shoes, blue jeans, and a t-shirt that he just covered with a white chef coat and apron. He emphatically states, “Y’all, I like fried chicken. No one is going home hungry tonight. There’s going to be plenty to eat.” He has just transformed from his job at Companion Bakery to a chef for the next few hours.  This evening in the cooking class, no one would assume that this dark-haired, convivial man standing before them describing a half dozen delectable fried chicken preparations has achieved several prestigious accolades and titles in the culinary world. Galliano’s wife Audra Galliano reflected, “One of the proudest moments for me, was when the kids and I watched his Food Network show to air for the first time, with friends, family, and coworkers.”

Shortly after that proud moment on Guy’s Grocery Games, life became a little more tumultuous for the Galliano family and that’s when the scales of their lives tipped and balance was soon to come. Seven years ago, in June 2017 Galliano took a step out of the chef realm and became the Production Supervisor and Innovation Leader at Companion Bakery. He traded late nights, weekends, holidays, and special events in a restaurant kitchen for a job in a production bakery. Galliano said, “I was tired of coming home exhausted and with the feeling that my wife was raising the kids and tending to the home like a single mom.”

Audra mimics, “The kids were getting to the age where they said they wanted Josh to be at home. They simply wanted more of Dada.” Josh’s mom Brenda Galliano echoed the same sentiments about her son and his family. “Josh being a full-time chef was alright for a while but then the children were getting older, Audra was working and going to school and things were not as comfortable as they once were. So, about the time that Josh’s daddy died, the situation was really making him and Audra question what they should do. They knew he could not continue in the restaurant world and therefore he moved to Companion where the working family and the personal family can coexist. He still gets to visit the culinary world but at his will, not someone else’s.” Tonight, in this cooking class he gets to revisit the culinary world. The chef coat is on, and he is encouraging novice home cooks how to be confident and successful in frying chicken with a variety of recipes and techniques.

Galliano was born in New Orleans. His mother Brenda’s family is from Mississippi and Jimmy, his father’s family, traditional New Orleans Sicilians. His mom was the cook for most of the family meals. His dad would step in on occasion to make “strange concoctions” and stray from the traditional preparations of Italian dishes. Josh and his brother didn’t really help in the kitchen, not even with the dishes. As Galliano reflects, he says, “I guess you could say that we were spoiled and probably took it all for granted.” Many of the Galliano family meals that were shared around the table were usually enjoyed at his grandparents’ home. “Eating at my grandparents was always special because Maw Maw would cook hearty Southern food.”

Galliano helped in his dad’s construction business as a kid, and he also worked at a small neighborhood grocery store. Galliano attended Louisiana State University and received his bachelor’s degree in history and political science with a minor in anthropology. The chef bug bit while he was in Graduate School studying political science. He shares that he “didn’t have the mental discipline to stick with the research. Cooking was a lot more fun.” He found his way at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in London and received a Le Grand Diplome in March 2003. After culinary school, Galliano remained in London for a time honing his newly acquired culinary skills. When asking Brenda Galliano about some of her proud mom moments she gladly shared a couple of early career highlights that included her son cooking at the American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival and his job in Gordon Ramsey’s London kitchens.

After some time in London, Galliano was ready to return to New Orleans and began work at Commanders Palace where he met his wife, Audra. Among many of the roles at Commanders Palace, he managed a brigade of 35 cooks. In November of 2005, Galliano moved to New York City and experienced some of his most memorable moments of his career working at “Daniel”, the flagship restaurant of French chef Daniel Boulud. After the stint in New York City, the Gallianos moved back to New Orleans. Josh once again found a leading role at Commanders Palace. When Hurricane Katrina hit the area, the Gallianos were displaced and made the move to Okawville, Illinois.

Audra poignantly shared that transition, “A memory that will always be imprinted in my brain was the eerie drive up from Nola during Katrina. We didn’t know what to expect at all. We had next to nothing for money and next to nothing with us. It was a weird thought, to imagine not going back to Commander’s Palace in time for our next shift. That shift didn’t come for months; after a lot of rebuilding. With a hope and prayer Larry Forgione’s, An American Place Restaurant downtown on Washington Avenue took us both in. Fine dining, prior to the 2008 economic bust was a good fit.” In the St Louis area, Galliano became Chef de Cuisine at “An American Place” followed by Executive Chef at “Monarch”. After the closing at Monarch, he freelanced a bit with some consulting gigs until opening “The Libertine” in March 2013. By the time “The Libertine” closed Galliano had acquired a number of recognitions. In 2014 he was invited to prepare a multi-course tasting menu at the James Beard House in New York City. He had been nominated five times for a James Beard award and took the semi-finalist title each time as “Best Chef Midwest”. He won first prize in “Guy’s Grocery Games” and took first place in the St Louis Cochon BBQ competition, the Crystal Cajun Mardi Gras Cook-off, and the St Louis Mardi Gras cook-off.

Back to June 2017 within days of “The Libertine” closing for all practical purposes, he stopped cheffing. Audra relates that “It was from that decision where the balance came into play. Family and life balance was not there before, and could not have been an option if he remained at the helm of a menu.” The husband-and-wife team both agreed as the transition was made rather quickly. Josh says “I think I stopped being a chef on Saturday and started working at Companion on Monday. Not much of a chronological break but I didn’t mentally stop thinking of myself being a chef for a few more years. The other problem is that I kept doing side cooking gigs that kept my mind thinking about being a chef.” His job change has allowed Galliano to be at home more and participate in the day-to-day family life. He cooks most of the family meals and he is now able to participate in his kid’s activities. Audra has a happy heart when she says, “It still feels unreal to have him every Saturday, especially. And now he cooks dinner FOR US! HAH! We sit with our four kiddos for a dinner that we bless together every night. Even on rushed nights when the Google Calendar is full, he finds a way to create a homecooked, made-from-scratch meal for us. Our kids have no idea that food doesn’t always taste THIS good!” The Galliano family doesn’t get out to restaurants much, but he and his family really enjoy Balkan Treat Box in Webster Grove.

Parting words from Galliano’s mom and wife really bring it all together as these two have supported his career full circle. Brenda shares, “I have always felt that my job title with Josh was “guide”! He knows I am his mom and love him dearly…. I presented every reason and every scenario for him to constantly embrace his gift and to stay focused – “to make a difference” and be successful (doing the thing that makes you happy). I feel he chose culinary talent over the law for a good reason. It made him happy.”

And Audra follows up with her thoughts as a full-time chef wife. “I was caught at an important job interview question years ago. It was the first of three interviews, where I really needed to hammer in on my personal strengths. The question asked was, “What is your greatest achievement?” I was floored, silenced. I had lots of really interesting experiences I could have brought up. Something in me spoke from the gut, unrehearsed as it dawned on me for the first time. My greatest achievement was my husband’s career. Successful careers in the restaurant industry are centered around the food and those who prepare it. My support role, unknowingly as a project manager began early on in our relationship, with my boyfriend as my professional project. We both did everything in our creative, extremely hard-working capabilities to bravely and boldly launch Josh into the role where he could have fun with food, crossing our fingers that it would be well received. We had no funding. No investors. We are forever grateful that he was and is still a welcome influence in the food community he serves. Somewhere in the background to his tireless success, lies my success in supporting him, and crafting many of the ideas to where he got where he is today. Over the years, we’ve played to our strengths. His goals became my dreams. I got that job I interviewed for. #chefswifelife”

And for Galliano, when asked for his thoughts for those currently training in culinary or hospitality fields, he says, “Culinary students should know that they don’t just have to be chefs. There is a larger field to play in, but that may also mean further training. This further training should be discussed with the advisors and instructors in culinary school.”  And to those that are already in the never-ending, busy cycle of a full-time chef career, but yearning to get the balance back in life, Galliano quickly offers words of advice, “Learn to say no. There are too many people, organizations, charities, etc that will ask the world of restaurants or chefs and we too often feel that we can’t back away. Someone else can do the work or someone else can figure out the plan.”

The Okawville Galliano’s traveled to Louisiana for Thanksgiving. Balanced from bakery to Bayou and back again. Brenda prepares all of the meals with a mix of Mississippi and Louisiana traditions. She says, “Josh spends his time resting and they all enjoy being together as a family.”