Thomas Leonard readily admits he is not your typical foodie. He did not grow up on or near a farm. His family was not food-oriented. “It was not a foodie atmosphere,” he said. “This was before the wave of Food Network chefs. Our food was home-style Midwest cooking.”

Though cooking was not on his mind, he enrolled in culinary school only because one of his friends did. “My friend went to one and loved it,” he said. “Being a chef is really not the typical 9-to-5 job.”