It is the kind of story that could be a made-for-TV movie.
A baby boy is born six months premature. The newborn baby nearly dies. Against all odds, the infant pulls through. Despite surviving the challenging birth, the child faces a number of health challenges and numerous surgeries are required. The child endures.
The child grows into a determined young man who charts a course for a life of success. Having reached a pivotal point of notoriety and career achievements, the man uses his expertise, skills, and life position to give back to the community.
We could be talking about any number of heroes; in this case, meet master-chef Luis Bruno.
A Challenging Start
Luis “Louie” Bruno was born into a Puerto Rican family in the Bronx area of New York City. After a difficult childhood in the inner city, at the age of 13, Bruno’s mother sent him to live with his brother in upstate New York. Bruno reflects:
“My childhood was bad. It was definitely rough. We were very poor and my single mother couldn’t afford taxi fares, so she carried me and walked to the hospital for all of my doctor visits and surgical procedures. In time, my mother decided I should go upstate and live with my brother to get a better education. I moved up there and life was pretty much just school and working in our family businesses, which included a mini-supermarket, a pizzeria, and then, by the time I was 18, we had launched a small restaurant. It was then that I began to develop what would become one of my central passions in life: cooking.”
In 1993, Bruno moved to Clearwater, Florida. Initially, he had decided to take the summer off, enjoy the beach, and just relax. Two weeks after his arrival in Florida, however, he had registered to attend culinary arts school. The training was grueling, but Bruno relished the opportunity to learn.
“It was very intensive training,” Bruno says. “We were cooking eight hours a day. Cooking, baking, and learning all of the basics of what is required to manage a thriving restaurant. It was intense in the beginning, but I loved it. It was a great way to get a really well-rounded education in what is required to run a successful operation.”
While in Florida, Bruno met his wife Kathleen, a native of Jackson, MS. In 1996, after completing his culinary studies in Clearwater, the two moved back to Kathleen’s hometown of Jackson. Shortly thereafter, Bruno’s career as a chef took off.
“I worked a few jobs here and there when we first got here – the Jitney Premier, Belhaven. Then a pivotal day came along,” Bruno remembers. “I interviewed for the position of Executive Chef at the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion. The First Ladies are really the ones who decide everything involving the kitchen and the house, so initially I interviewed with Mrs. Fordice. I was the first interview of the day and, after my discussion with her, I was the last. It was a perfect fit.”
Bruno served as Executive Chef at the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion under Fordice, and then for a portion of the Ronnie Musgrove administration. In 2001, he opened his own restaurant called Bruno’s Eclectic Cuisine, specializing in Spanish and Caribbean-inspired food. However, three years later, a life-threatening health crisis forced Chef Bruno to close the restaurant.
Crisis as Opportunity
“You can only really heal a situation
by moving toward it and truly facing it.”
–Chef Luis “Louie” Bruno
“The root of my health problems goes back to my childhood. No one ever taught me the proper way to eat. If I wanted three more pieces of fried chicken, I got it. Then, when I was in culinary school, I put on 150 pounds in less than 18 months. I enjoy cooking and I enjoy eating, and like so many people who become overweight and obese, I had other personal issues I was dealing with and I sought comfort in food. Trying to drown your sorrows with food doesn’t work. You’ll kill yourself. It’s a slow form of suicide. In my case, I started going downhill, fast.
At first, I could have just taken some pills and exercised to address my situation, but I was undisciplined. This led to me being over 400 pounds. I developed extreme diabetes. I required six shots of insulin a day because my sugar level was almost 300 every day. I developed sleep apnea, cirrhosis of the liver, my eyes were going bad, and I was having problems with my feet. It was my fault. I was working 17-hour days, 7 days a week, and my eating habits created a time bomb. My doctor said if I continued the way I was going, I only had five more years to live. I was 34. He said I would be dead by 40.”
With this news from his doctor, Bruno embarked on a major journey of personal transformation. He began a medically guided 800-calorie-per-day liquid diet. In less than six months, Bruno had lost 160 pounds. He eventually took up a disciplined exercise regimen. One year later, he was half his size, had taken up running, and had even been featured in Runner’s World magazine.
“Don’t get me wrong. It has been a lot of hard work and it hasn’t been easy,” Bruno explains, “but every bit of it has been worth it. This process gave me my life back. I began running 5-Ks, 10-Ks, and half marathons as well. I have totally gotten back on track and have completely reversed all of my health issues.”
On the heels of this transformation, Governor Haley Barbour asked Bruno to return as Executive Chef at the Governor’s Mansion, where he served until 2009. At that time, he became Director of Culinary Development for the Hilton Jackson Hotel. After two years at the Hilton, Bruno became the Executive Chef of The Palette Café by Viking at The Mississippi Museum of Art, where he serves to this day – overseeing all café, catering, and banquet cooking and operations.
Giving Back
When you talk with Chef Luis Bruno, it is easy to experience his passion for cooking; but it is his passion and love for life that sweeps you up and stays with you. As part of his tenacious dedication to life, and active support of the children’s medicine that saved his life as a little boy, Bruno donates his time and culinary expertise for various events with Friends of Children’s Hospital and Batson Hospital for Children. This year’s Enchanted Evening Under the Stars Gala, presented by BankPlus, represents Bruno’s fifth time serving as the event’s chef.
“Giving to children, and doing what I can to support parents and pediatric medicine, is something I love. As I have shared, I had an extremely challenging childhood. I know what it is like for a single parent to have a child facing a major health crisis, and I know what it is like to be that scared little child facing a health crisis themselves. Whatever I can do to make that healing process happen truly is my pleasure. Compared to a little child in pain, a 300-person or 1,000-person dinner is nothing. It is a labor of love. I feel like I owe it and I am prepared to do this for the rest of my life.”
To taste the culinary mastery of Chef Luis Bruno, visit The Palette Café by Viking at the Mississippi Museum of Art: http://www.msmuseumart.org/visit-pallete-cafe-by-viking.html
For more information on The Enchanted Evening Under the Stars Gala, Presented by BankPlus, please contact Melanie Schade at Friends of Children’s Hospital, at: 601.984.5273
BankPlus and Friends of Children’s Hospital announced today a new partnership in the form of the BankPlus Friends of Children’s Hospital CheckCard and Check. BankPlus introduced the charitable option for consumers today and will return proceeds from the program directly to Friends.