Lincoln Center Chef Battles Against Hunger

By Ashley Welch

Tim Sullivan began in the restaurant industry when he was 15 years old as a dishwasher in his hometown in upstate New York. Today, he manages nine venue cafes and restaurants for Great Performances, a private and public catering company in New York City.

Though he oversees the kitchens of all nine venues, he spends a lot of time at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center.

Sullivan, 35, lives in Garden City, Long Island, with his wife Jennifer and 1-year-old daughter Anna. The oldest of six children, he grew up as no stranger to the kitchen.

“We were always cooking in my house,” he said, “and it was something I always really enjoyed doing.”

After getting a degree in business and communications at the University of Albany, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America, from which he graduated in 1999.

Sullivan started his culinary career in New York City working in high-end hotels before moving to Boston. There he worked as a sous-chef at the Boston Harbor Hotel under the direction of Chef Daniel Bruce. He returned to New York City nine years ago to work with Great Performances.

Though Sullivan said Boston was a great food city, there’s still no place quite like New York.

“New York is the mecca of food,” he said. “You have such a diversity in styles and flavors that I think exceeds any other city.”

Depending on the season, Sullivan works 10 to 16 hours a day. He is responsible for taking care of administrative tasks at all nine venues, training new chefs and working with his staff to assure all standards of quality and service are met.

Though the days are long, Sullivan said time goes by quickly because he enjoys what he is doing.

“I can do a much longer day in the kitchen and not even look at the clock than anything else I can think of,” he said.

Sullivan also volunteers his time with the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, an organization that provides food to low-income residents all over New York City. Each year, the campaign holds a dinner to raise money for their efforts. For the last three years, Sullivan has offered his services to the fundraiser, overseeing the menu and the execution of all necessary steps to make the event possible.

“It’s been very rewarding to work with them,” he said. “The individuals who are cooking this dinner are people who have come to the pantry and needed help. I think that’s what attracted me when I first heard about it—hearing about these people who needed help and, once they got on their feet, decided to turn around and help others. It’s a great drive behind how something can work and continue to flourish.”