A few weeks ago I filled out an employment application through Zip recruiter for a position Chef/Kitchen Manager. The job although 120 miles from my home ,proposed to be one that paid well at 100.00 dollars for each service ......Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner plus clean up 300.00 USD a day.

The location ;Malibu California. Business; Riviera recovery. Contact Jose Hernandez Director/ owner. During the week I responded to Mr. Hernandez's email request for interview and a demonstration of my skills as Chef by preparing a meal for his resident patients totalling 14. Upon my arrival at the facility,,,I was greeted pleasantly and was given a brief tour of the kitchen, pantry and utility storage area for storage of perishable foods. I arrived one hour prior to my scheduled interview to inspect the work area and to get a personal feel of the atmosphere and overall behavior of the resident clients. Riviera recovery Malibu California is a sober living facility for those who are recovering from substance abuse and continuing treatment as they reside in a home setting. I was later informed by the residential coordinator that the owner Mr. Jose Hernandez wouldn't be able to make the appointment for interview and had asked for my return for a following day of interview and meal presentation. Listen to me folks....I have been a Chef for 17 years and something just didn't feel right about all of this arrangement. After all, I it took nearly an entire week.to get this gentleman to respond to my emails and phone conversations were brief or interrupted for reasons that I couldn't explain. I agreed to the terms offered to return the following day.

I asked about the payment I was to receive for my services and the coordinator looked puzzled and said to me " I don't have the ability to do that and I was to speak to Jose, "because he handles that " Since Jose wasn't there I was expecting a phone call from him explaining his circumstances ..I insisted he contact me as soon as he was available. In the meantime, I conducted my inspection of the kitchen and found that the kitchen visually wasn't clean. There were food stains on the countertops , dirty dishes in the sink, interior of the dishwasher had exterior food stains present as well as food stained dinnerware, plates and glasses. The stove top had exterior food stains present as. The ovens had burned food particulates on the interior walls and floor. I turned on the oven good lights and vent to inspect and verify its operability, checked the grease trap and found that the there was grease present and proposed a serious fire risk to the kitchen as well as the entire residence.

Both kitchen refrigerator and freezer units were not clean ...... exterior food stains present on handles, interior was just as bad walls had appeared not to be cleaned in months and grate shelves appeared to have food stains and the presence of mold and rust , food items stored improperly sealed or covered in aluminum foil, produce stored in the refrigeration unit appeared to be spoiled and stored in the grocery plastic bags and not washed to remove dirt or debris.

Ice try in the freezer had no scoop to remove ice. I observed a resident open the ice drawer and remove ice with his bare hands. Yikes.....at this point I just want to leave and chalk it up as a loss until I thought that's the reason why the urgency of filling the position.. there was no one qualified to maintain a kitchen to the health and sanitation practices required by state law.

Okay .... time to shine and demonstrate my abilities and work around some of these obstacles and concerns. I was asked to bring only my knives,,,,, later to find the kitchen was innadquately stocked with proper tools.....sheet pans ,sautee pans , pots you name it. I had to look around and see if there was a camera crew somewhere waiting to come out and the host going to tell me this was all a stunt for a new COOKING SHOW........ I started dinner PREP and found bowls with water in them,,, that was the straw that broke this brothers back. Of course I asked to speak to the coordinator...upon her arrival I asked her to explain why there were so many irregularities and showed her a few of my concerns including the water in the bowls that have been put up for storage. Of course she replied "I will get back to you "

Gone nearly 45 minutes another person appears in the kitchen asking me to prepare another meat to go along with the SALMON and SHRIMP selected How about the PORK LOIN he suggested. With an hour left for service not possible maybe tomorrow I said. Later, the same guy returns to the kitchen with an envelope and instructions to call Jose Hernandez "AFTER dinner .

I knew it....... The coordinator Lied to me about PAY. Furthermore, The envelope contained a check for 100.00 . I prepared the meal as prescribed on time , cleaned up and left. Later I spoke to Jose Hernandez expressed my concerns and offered him a full report submitted the following day via email. I haven't received a phone call or email response from Mr Hernandez to date .