Chefs are all about reinvention, making something new out of the familiar, and Alex Herman is no different. Herman has traded his chef jacket for life behind the camera, leaving his position as executive chef at Noto Italian Restaurant in St. Peters to serve as a culinary assistant for chef-turned-YouTube-sensation Brian Lagerstrom.
Herman’s culinary resume reads as a greatest hits of St. Louis restaurants, including Pastaria, Niche, Porano, Louie, Beast Butcher & Block and Noto Italian Restaurant. Herman was working with the Noto team to open Bacaro – the chiccetti and aperitivo bar on the same campus – when Lagerstrom came knocking. The two had met at Niche and had become friends over the years, and Lagerstrom had a unique pitch for Herman; leave the line and come work on his YouTube channel.
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Herman has embraced his new role as culinary assistant, a job where duties are always shifting. Some days, it’s dishes and cleaning; on others, it’s hours of research on the best Basque cheesecake recipes. And, of course, there are days the crew is filming Lagerstrom. The team prides itself on producing videos with recipes and techniques that are well-researched and foolproof for the home cook. “Everything we do, no matter what, we do with the thought of the home cook in mind,” Herman says. This philosophy extends to everything from easily accessible ingredients to recipes that don’t require special equipment.
![Alex Herman pasta sheeter](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/19/c195407c-322d-11ef-acf0-973837a790a4/667974ad6d926.image.jpg?resize=150%2C266 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/19/c195407c-322d-11ef-acf0-973837a790a4/667974ad6d926.image.jpg?resize=200%2C355 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/19/c195407c-322d-11ef-acf0-973837a790a4/667974ad6d926.image.jpg?resize=225%2C399 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/19/c195407c-322d-11ef-acf0-973837a790a4/667974ad6d926.image.jpg?resize=300%2C532 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/19/c195407c-322d-11ef-acf0-973837a790a4/667974ad6d926.image.jpg?resize=400%2C710 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/19/c195407c-322d-11ef-acf0-973837a790a4/667974ad6d926.image.jpg?resize=540%2C958 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/19/c195407c-322d-11ef-acf0-973837a790a4/667974ad6d926.image.jpg?resize=622%2C1104 640w)
Chefs tend to be detailed and fastidious, qualities Herman’s new job demands of him. For a recent video on Japanese fried chicken, he went extremely in-depth. “I did different ratios of flours, different types of flours, starches, dredging methods, frying methods. It was a really deep dive into it. And it created a really special video,” he says. Herman is proud that each recipe the channel puts out is tried and tested, and something that viewers can trust again and again.
When Lagerstrom pitched the gig to Herman, he wasn’t just offering a new job: He was offering a totally different lifestyle divorced from the stress and intensity of the restaurant world, and Herman has embraced this new normal. “The work-life balance obviously has gotten way better. Instead of working 12 and 13-hour days, I’m working eight-hour days,” Herman says. For the first time in years, Herman has weekends free, and is using his newfound free time to plan his wedding. When he was younger, Herman loved the grind and the hustle of the chef life, but with age, he has realized the advantages that come with a more “typical” day job.
![Alex Herman](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/0a/c0a7fbc8-322d-11ef-a63e-4bc5e3821325/667974abda2b6.image.jpg?resize=150%2C257 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/0a/c0a7fbc8-322d-11ef-a63e-4bc5e3821325/667974abda2b6.image.jpg?resize=200%2C342 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/0a/c0a7fbc8-322d-11ef-a63e-4bc5e3821325/667974abda2b6.image.jpg?resize=225%2C385 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/0a/c0a7fbc8-322d-11ef-a63e-4bc5e3821325/667974abda2b6.image.jpg?resize=300%2C513 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/0a/c0a7fbc8-322d-11ef-a63e-4bc5e3821325/667974abda2b6.image.jpg?resize=400%2C684 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/feastmagazine.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/0a/c0a7fbc8-322d-11ef-a63e-4bc5e3821325/667974abda2b6.image.jpg?resize=442%2C756 540w)
Luckily, working a line and feeling the adrenaline of service is still something Herman can pick up when he’d like to. He regularly fills in at Louie or FarmSpirit at their farmers markets stand when they need help. On June 14, he joined the ranks of Matt Duffin’s Friends with Benefits Supper Club as a visiting chef. Given his extensive experience at Italian restaurants, guests can expect Herman’s menu to include pasta, oysters and something involving amaro.
Herman and Lagerstrom are working together to build a solid future for both themselves and the brand. Since starting at the channel, Herman has not only learned to work with a camera but has also filled in weak points in his skill set. “I didn’t really make a lot of desserts throughout my career, and we’ve made multiple desserts now for videos, so that’s been fun to have an exploration of those,” he says. The channel has also pushed him to work on his bread-making skills. When it comes to the future of Lagerstrom’s brand, Herman is full of ideas. He’d love to help produce a cookbook and help set up some kind of cooking community for subscribers or even launch a cookware line. Together, Herman, Lagerstrom and the rest of the team are building something bigger, with more reach than a restaurant. With each video, they’re sharing delicious recipes and encouraging more people to get into the kitchen.
For more information and to see what Alex Herman helps bring to life, follow Brian Lagerstrom on Instagram.
Brian Lagerstrom, brianlagerstrom.com, Brian Lagerstrom on YouTube