Tee Jay’s encourages Carson High student worker in kitchen

Carson High School student Nathan Jurek cooks in Tee Jay’s Corner Café and recently created his own dish, the Smashburger.

Carson High School student Nathan Jurek cooks in Tee Jay’s Corner Café and recently created his own dish, the Smashburger.
Photo by Jessica Garcia.

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Carson High School student Nathan Jurek has been cooking in Tee Jay’s Corner Café for two years. The job helped to get him a little out of his shell in terms of his personality and culinary tastes, he said.

“It was hard at first, but I got it down,” Jurek said. “I’m really excited about it.”

Jurek’s work in a restaurant that serves Indonesian and American cuisine was a good starting point to learn basic skills on a grill before he even begins taking culinary classes.

“They’re so popular,” said Tee Jay’s co-owner Chuck McCray, Jurek’s supervisor. “I guess you’ve got to be waiting at the door because we’ve tried twice now (to get him in) and he’s missed it.”

Jurek has been cooking cheeseburgers and has created his own recipe called the Smashburger with fried cheese and a homemade sauce and smash it down with the buns. It’s not officially on Tee Jay’s menu, but it made its debut at the Carson City Wine Walk, offered the first Saturday of each month, on June 6.

Jurek said for students who are looking to try something new, whether it’s using their skills in a new job or wanting to try a different kind of food, they should be willing to explore to help find what appeals to them.

“I really like (Indonesian food),” he said. “It’s different. It’s noodles, fried rice, curry.”