Steve Griffea
Age: 54
Lives: Elyria

What is your profession?

I’m an executive chef at DeLuca’s Place in the Park.

What is your style of cooking?

Basically I try to “cook around the world.” I incorporate in my profession just about every dish you could think of.

List some basic cuisines you touch upon.

American; Italian — we do a lot of pasta buffets, different sauces, too; Greek with olives, the tomatoes, the Greek chickens, the moussaka; Asian; Chinese—marinated meats with stir-fried veggies, wasabi creams; Caribbean and South of the border; Spanish dishes … I basically have trained myself to cook dishes from around the world because that’s what excites me. One of the dishes I won an award for was my crab meat potato pancakes with roasted fennel and peppers with Ahi tuna and wasabi cream served in an onion nest. It was for the Second Harvest Food Bank.

How did you get involved in making ice sculptures?

I went to school to be a chef at American Culinary back in the early ’80s. I saw that making ice sculptures was part of this business. In high school I always liked to draw and paint. We went to places where we saw the chefs cutting the ice for sculptures. My first job when I got out of the school was at the Cleveland Airport Marriott. There was a chef there cutting ice and every time he did, I said, I believe I can do that. One day, he got another job, and the new chef said to me, “Steve, I’ve seen a lot of your fruit displays and garnishes, but now we don’t have anybody who can carve ice. Do you think you can do it?” I said, “Yes! I think I can.” My first one was an eagle. I was kind of proud of myself. From then on, I’ve been carving a lot of ice since then.

What are the tools of the trade?

I use an electric chain saw. I don’t like gas cause it gives out the fumes. I’ve had to carve ice at the Midway Mall and Great Northern Mall and set up on stage and carve brides and grooms, lovebirds on a heart, Cupids. And you can’t have a gas-powered chainsaw (in places like that). I also use an ice fork and a chisel. Today, they have die-grinders and blow torches, but I don’t get into those too much.

Describe some of your most challenging or memorable sculptures?

Well, it’s always a challenge when you have to put two or three pieces of ice together. You have to make sure the ice is smooth. I thought the most challenging one for me is when somebody wanted me to do the scales of justice with Lady Liberty. When I got down to the part with the chains by the scales, I had to get in between those three chains and that was pretty thin. I think more than anything, people challenge me. The weirdest one I carved was a gargoyle for a wedding. The hardest part is when you get down to the last details, especially when you get to the areas that have a tendency to break.

Are you allowed to add common items to the sculptures?

Yes, I have used broomsticks for Halloween witches; I’ve put cigars in fishes mouths. I’ve also made an ice luge, which is where you drill a hole through the ice to pour liquor through to a diner’s glass. Say, if you have a dragon, you pour the drink into the tail and it comes out of the mouth of the dragon.

When people have summer barbeques, are you the go-to guy?

Of course. They want to hire me or say they can’t do it as well as I can. Yes, I get asked.

Do you have any hobbies?

I woodwork. I’m working on a cabinet, an entertainment stand for my living room.
Well, at least the wood lasts a little bit longer (laughs). Yeah, a long time.

Any parting thoughts?

Anyone who’s gone to school for this I would say be the best you can be. It’s challenging. There’s a wide range of what you can do. Practice makes perfect. Try to do it all, that’s what’s gotten me to where I’m at.

Chronicle photographer Chuck Humel shines the spotlight on the people of Lorain County each week. Know someone worthy of 15 Minutes? E-mail chumel@chroniclet.com.

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