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• Chart House

• Fandango

It doesn’t matter what you do, it’s how you do it. That’s the credo by which Chef William Poolman of the Chart House Restaurant in Monterey operates his kitchen. A 35-year veteran of the restaurant industry, Chef Poolman expects perfection from himself and his team. “I’m actually a really easygoing guy, but when it comes to food…,” Chef Poolman chuckles, with no further explanation needed.

Prior to attending San Francisco’s California Culinary Academy—he graduated with honors and received the coveted Daniel Carlisle Walker Award—Chef Poolman was a research scientist in electron microscopy and tissue culture. Having enjoyed working in restaurants during college, Poolman found it easy to trade his petri dishes for saucepans. Chef Poolman’s success at the academy led him to such notable restaurants as La Folie and the former Ernie’s in San Francisco, Mauna Kea Resort on Hawaii, and finally to the Koa House Grill in Waimea, which he owned and operated for 12 years. At the Chart House, Chef Poolman has his mind set on another industry achievement: “I want to make this [restaurant] better than all the other Chart Houses,” he says.

In addition to mentoring and motivating his crew, Chef Poolman shares with them the valuable lessons he’s learned along the way. One of the most salient is the importance of not settling for less, especially in his kitchen. “It’s either right or it’s wrong,” Chef Poolman says with conviction. “If it’s right, you serve it. And if it’s not, you do it again. ‘Do it again’ is the hardest lesson I’ve ever learned, and I’m still learning it.” It’s this staunch insistence on craft and quality that makes Poolman’s Chart House what it is. “It blows me away how many local regulars we have at this restaurant. It’s amazing,” he says. “People have confidence that it’s going to be good.” Chef Poolman’s confidence in his team is rewarded when his kitchen and the floor operate in a smooth performance. “We have 30 or 40 people running around and no one’s tripping. It’s like a dance,” he says. “It’s symbiotic.”