Matt Hummel first set foot into Bondir Restaurant in March of 2011 as a dinner guest. He immediately fell in love with the atmosphere. When Matt, a cook with a deep respect for daring and creative flavor styles, saw the menu he decided to order everything. At the end of the dinner he had only one thought: "This is what I want to cook!"

But Matt did not start out wanting to be a cook. His journey to Bondir began in the town of Trumansburg, New York about ten miles outside of Ithaca, where he was raised with his two sisters. Throughout high school Matt spent weekends helping his father make homemade sausage, beer, and pizza. However, his interest was not yet to pursue cooking but to study computer programming. He was accepted into college to pursue a degree in computer science. He later decided to change his major to television and radio, with a concentration in scriptwriting. An internship brought Matt to Hollywood, and after he graduated he decided LA was the place for him.  Like many other people in the entertainment industry, Matt almost always had a second job in food service.

His first job in the food industry was during high school when he worked at the local Friendly's restaurant. After that, in addition to maintaining a career in entertainment, Matt continued to work at one restaurant after another, building not only his experience but also an intense interest and passion. He worked at the Boatyard Grill for two years, helping to cook for up to 1,500 people on a busy Saturday night. "It was really intense and fun," Matt says. "That's where I learned how to work really fast and clean."

When he got to LA he pursued stand-up comedy, as well as work in art departments for several commercials, music videos, and magazines. As a side job, Matt became a cook at Herb Alpert's Vibrato Grill Jazz Club. "It was the first real fine dining establishment I worked for. The music was always amazing, and the food was great." After that Matt spent a year doing high-end catering, including helping to cook for the Emmy Awards. "Catering was fun. We were always doing something different. I had to learn to work in many different environments."

Wanting an even greater challenge, Matt went on to work for some of the West Coast's best restaurants. He cooked at Jardinière in San Francisco with Chef Traci Des Jardins; the Michelin Star restaurant Hatfield's in LA; and a James Beard Award semifinalist, Animal, also in LA. "I saw the menu at Animal and knew I wanted to work there," Matt says. "I liked it a lot!"

With a desire to get back to the East Coast, Matt moved to Boston and began working for the award-winning, upscale sushi restaurant, O Ya. It was almost a year later when he ventured into Bondir for dinner. After experiencing Chef Bond's restaurant and cooking, Matt became convinced that Bondir had to be the next step in his culinary education. A month later, in April of 2011, he answered an ad for a line cook working under Chef Bond.

Matt still does a little stand-up comedy on the side, but most of his time and talents are spent in the Bondir kitchen, which is "unparalleled to any other kitchen I've worked in. It's been intense. It's also an honor and a privilege to cook for some of the culinary pioneers who have visited. I'm equally proud that we have so many regulars. Jason goes above and beyond for each and every diner at Bondir. I'm proud to work here."

5 Questions for Matt:

Question: What two things do you always have in your refrigerator?

Matt: "Sriracha Sauce and Butter"

Question: Do you have a favorite Bondir dish?

Matt: "The menu changes so much. I like the always alternating pasta Jason does. Garganelli, agnolotti, chitarra with different flavors, herbs, and flours."

Question: What's your fantasy restaurant?

Matt: "I've often fantasized about a taco bar in the middle of New York. Small, simple, authentic tacos."

Question: Besides Cambridge, where in the world is one of the most exciting food scenes?

Matt: "I'd honestly like to try Austria. I think there are a lot of great restaurants there.

Question: Do you have a favorite cookbook?