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07_Chef_Alfredo_Russell.mp3

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My name is Adam Keene. I’m 23 years old. On June 28th, 2012, I interviewed Chef Alfredo.

I was born in the Bahamas in a place called Mastic Point, Andros. Small community where everybody knows everybody and the school I went to, we didn’t hav no bathroom. We didn’t have no bus. Everywhere we go, we had to walk, and at that time, if you want a bicycle, figure you’re one of the rich people on the island, which is good whenever you want for anything you know, because that’s all we had. But I think I had different vision at that age. Just seemed like that island there, or that parish there, was too small for me. I had to get out-out of there. And that’s make me leave there. Not that I was hungry, or I didn’t have no clothes to wear, or anything like that. I just felt I need to move on. I left Andros when I was 14 years old and I went to the capital, which in that is Nassau in the Bahamas. So I stayed in Nassau about for 3-4 years. And I got a-a job on the sightseeing boat taking passenger from Nassau to Paradise Island. This particular day, this man and his wife, they was going to Paradise Island. I took them there, however. And on my way back then they said to me, “You know, me and my husband. We was talking about you and we like you and we was wondering, would you like to go to the United States to be our chauffeur and butler?” I didn’t know what to say at the time, so I went home. Tell the old lady about it and she said “Oh, those people always talking foolish.” I said, “Well, I don’t know.” She said, “Well, if you feel that way about it, get yourself together.” She pressed me some nice clothes. Make me look very, you know, very presentable. I went to the hotel where there was and sure enough, he said to me “Yeah, we want you to come over to the United States. We want you to come and be our chauffeur.” And I say, “OK, fine.” So I came to the United States to Fort Lauderdale. And then in 1976, somebody, no, I know a lady by the name of Telma Bell called and she said to me, “How you like to go to Pittsburgh?” Pittsburgh? Who, me? I don’t know nothing bout Pittsburgh. The only thing I knew about Pittsburgh at the time was the Steelers and the Pirates. I didn’t know nothing bout Pittsburgh. They say “they will take care of you.” So after a while, I agree, and they moved me from Florida to Pittsburgh, so I said, “Well, the best thing for me to do is to go and find myself a job” which then I did. And I set my goals in Pittsburgh in 1976. And my goal was I want to own my own place. I want to be in the newspaper. I want to be on TV and I want to be a caterer. And I achieve them all, achieve all the goal, because I’d find a way I’d fit in Pittsburgh and I never look behind. So Pittsburgh was good for me all the way around. I never miss a beat and I grow and grow and grow and grow that in nine year time in Pittsburgh, I landed my own place in Swissvale. And I name it Buckingham. Yeah, that was my first place in Pittsburgh in 1985. I landed that business and I stayed there for 13 1/2 years and I outgrow the place. And from there, I went to Homewood and I stayed in Homewood another 12 years there, right there on Dallas Ave. And I had a place here called… It was Buckingham, but I put my name out front and I said Alfredo’s Buckingham, and after that, then I wanted to quit, which then I did quit because I want to retire, get out the food business. But something keep it telling me  “No, you ain’t over yet. You’re over here. Something’s wrong with you.” But I’m heading to-to Hazelwood. I like to do the same thing in Hazelwood. I see is a need for such eatery business because I went to Hazelwood many times. Matter of fact I-I attend church there in Hazelwood. And not only a restaurant, my goal in Hazelwood is to teach the young brothers and sisters the art of cooking, because I see it’s a need. I don’t want to go to a place where you’re not needed. I want to go to a place where you’re needed because if you’re needed, I believe you’ll be successful. Hazelwood need a change, and I believe with bringing such eatery place to Hazelwood, it would do it all the good in the world.