Given that he runs something like 36 high-end restaurant concepts in the Midwest, it’s probably safe to say Bradley Gilmore is the hardest working man in chef-business. Gilmore was “raised learning to cook from my mother and granny, which sparked my passion for cooking early on,” he says. The JCCC culinary program grad cut his teeth at Grand Street Café, Trezo Mare, and Gram & Dun, just to name a few. Now he’s the Corporate Chef de Cuisine at Riley Drive Entertainment in Lenexa. His newest claim to fame? The carnivore-friendly Ignite Wood Fire Grill where Gilmore is revered for his meat-forward menu.
It took a while for us to pin down the culinary maestro, but when we did, Gilmore was more than willing to offer up five oh-so random things we didn’t know about him. Cheers, Chef!
5. “I’m afraid of hippos. I’ve never liked them. I used to have a reoccurring dream as a kid that a hippo was chasing me. Also, when my oldest was born, baby hippos were on everything—so I was begrudgingly surrounded by them.”
4. I’m North Carolina-raised, Kansas City-aged. I was born and raised in North Carolina and lived there until I was 18. Now I’ve lived in Kansas City as long as I did North Carolina.”
3. “I was in computer school and worked at a Waterway before becoming a chef.”
2. “Only people that I am close with know this: Not unlike Marky Mark, I have three nipples.”
1. “I have a taco tattoo on my ankle. I got it when our company was opening Taco Hangover. My boss was going to get one of his tattoo’s touched up and I went with him. He said he would pay for my tattoo if I got a taco. Sold!”