When most think of a summer job for teens, bagging groceries and scooping ice cream usually come to mind, not working as an assistant chef at a restaurant in New Orleans recognized by the Times Picayune newspaper.

Senior Tyler Honn did just that this summer. Working at the Carmo restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans has been a formative experience for him.

After taking a culinary arts class his junior year at Lincoln, Honn now has a passion for not only eating, but making amazing food.

“It was some of the most fun I had,” said Honn, looking back on his experiences in the city of jazz. The restaurant specializes in serving fresh seafood, caught in the coastal waters off of the city, while also specializing in vegan food. “It was always really cool to see the fisherman bring in the fresh fish,” he said.

Honn worked as a food preparer. “I ended up cutting over 500 onions over my time there,” he claims.

While Honn still maintains his passion for preparing food, he needs a break for the time being.

“Now that I see what actually preparing food and cooking it is like, I see how exhausting it is,” Honn said. “It has been a learning experience.”