TSTC Culinary Arts graduate cooking his way to success
(HUTTO, Texas) – Bradley Streetman’s days are filled with green salads, fried chicken sandwiches and ceviche tostadas.
Streetman, a graduate of Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County campus, has worked as a line cook for about a year and a half at Geraldine’s at the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt in Austin. He recently moved from cooking in the evenings to mornings.
“I like nights, but it’s nice to have a little more of a life after work,” Streetman said.
A typical workday involves getting to the hotel at about 7:30 a.m. and setting up his cooking station. He said the kitchen is divided into five stations: pastry, pantry, fried, grilled and saute. The restaurant also handles room service and poolside cabana orders.
“We don’t just have anybody (as a line cook). They need to have good knife and communication skills and get along with everyone on the line,” he said.
Streetman said he enjoys learning how to cook new dishes, something he gets to do at the restaurant with other line cooks to prepare for new menu items.
“I get to learn something new every day,” he said. “It’s a fun environment to work in.”
Streetman said he wants to get professional cooking experience in Austin and later transfer to another Kimpton-owned hotel.
Before attending TSTC, Streetman was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, studied radiology and worked in construction. He said he enjoyed barbecuing at home and decided to expand his culinary knowledge by making the career change.
Streetman studied with TSTC Chef Nelson Adams during his last semester at TSTC. Adams said Streetman asked thoughtful questions and he is happy to see his professional progress.
“It’s who you know that gets you into jobs like that,” Adams said. “Competition is fierce in the culinary industry.”
Streetman graduated in 2019 from TSTC with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Culinary Arts.
“TSTC was a life-changing experience,” he said.
For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.
