Executive chef Mario Raymond at The Washington Court Hotel’s Bistro 525, looks like an energetic teen. While talking about his cooking, his family life and his childhood, Raymond gives listeners the sense that he really never slows down, even though his workdays may extend for very long hours.

His enthusiasm for his career spills over to his cooking, but it turns out that this Ohio native actually has come by his culinary gifts naturally. “I came from a big Italian family,” he explained. “We cooked all the time. At 4, I already was cooking eggs in a cast iron skillet. You just did it.”