Lazia’s Aaron Cross Wells-Morgan talks inspiration in The Pitch Questionnaire
Photo courtesy of Crossroads Hotel
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Aaron Cross Wells-Morgan worked in fine dining establishments all over the country and learned from Michelin-star chefs. In Kansas City, he’s been the executive chef at Cafe Provence, Grand Street Dining, Verbena, and The Market at Meadowbrook. He also opened two McLain’s Bakery locations.
Now, he’s the executive chef of Crossroads Hotel and its Italian restaurant concept, Lazia—a most fitting gig for a chef with a long-standing affinity for creating pasta dishes.
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Social handles: @crosschefkc on Instagram
Hometown: Columbia, Missouri
Current neighborhood: Waldo
What’s your go-to drink?
That is a toss-up. I have to say the top three for me are Mickey’s Fine Malt Liquor, Plantation XO Rum, and the Melon Balls at Dodson’s in Waldo.
What’s the last book you read?
Fish Butchery by Josh Niland and a somewhat nerdy fiction book called The Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind.
What made you decide to move to Kansas City?
I’m currently on my third tour through KC, and it has always been an anchor city for me. I can’t seem to stay away. I never planned to stay in my hometown, and Kansas City has always intrigued me, even as a kid. I think we can all agree that Kansas City stands out among the region for so many good reasons.
What’s your hidden talent?
I was an amateur Muay Thai fighter for a large portion of my life. At this point, it has become more of a hobby than a talent, but in another life, I was very much involved with the sport.
What’s a cause you’re passionate about?
I lost my mom after a long battle with cancer last year. She was my best friend. I credit her for any successes I have had thus far. It has always been a mission of mine to find ways to garner funding for cancer research in hopes that I can support those affected. I have, throughout my career, championed multiple events that highlighted raising money for cancer research, proceeds of which are donated to the ACS to help in the fight against cancer.
How did you fall in love with cooking?
For as long as I can remember, cooking has been a family event. My grandmother was an incredible cook and instilled in me the notion of nurturing through food at a very young age. That notion permeated into the rest of our family and made it really easy to fall in love with creating those experiences for others. My big brother (who is a Chef as well) taught me how to make mac and cheese from scratch, and it was all downhill from there.
Photo courtesy of Crossroads Hotel
What do you enjoy most about making pasta and pasta-inspired dishes?
I got into the industry to make pasta. It has been the most impactful vehicle for food I have used in my career. I have dedicated more time to pasta production than any other medium in the business. I suppose it mostly comes from my own personal love of all things noodle. It is one of the most versatile, cost-effective, and nourishing foods available.
I grew up in what some may consider the lower-middle class, so we could always put together a satisfying meal for very little money by preparing pasta. I always asked my mom for spaghetti carbonara on my birthday when I was a kid. Now, as an adult with a lot of time in the business, I am always pushing to see new, inventive presentations and preparations. It’s a satisfying, rhythmic process that has an attractive aesthetic—not just the finished product but all of the preparation steps as well.
What is your favorite part of working for Lazia and Crossroads Hotel?
Honestly, the people. There are really incredible people here. Our team, over the last year, has developed into a solid group of talented, eclectic, fun, stone-cold weirdos. I have a really incredible roster of leaders on the property, from our Chef de Cuisine Michael Martinez, to our Director of Food & Beverage Cat Flynn, as well as outstanding hotel managers. Being my first real corporate and hotel role, I was nervous to step away from the private sector. I honestly don’t feel that at Crossroads Hotel and Lazia. Our property leaders truly care for the team as well as the work and manage genuinely.
What’s been your favorite thing to make lately?
Lately, we have been diving into our pizza program at Crossroads Hotel’s XR, located in the lobby & bar. I dug deep into this program to achieve a nostalgic concept with a lot of levity included in the programming. We are sourcing all flour for our fermented pizza dough from a local milling company, Marion Milling. This flour really gives the crust a great texture and flavor. The foundational concepts for our pizza are the “classic” pizza ingredient combinations with one, more elevated ingredient. An example of this is the Ultimate Supreme Pizza, aka the Junk Drawer Pizza. In addition, we have a weekly pizza special where we take this a step further with fun, goofy concepts like a walking taco pizza with chili cheese Fritos and cheese whiz. It has become a really fun program to tinker with.
Photo courtesy of Crossroads Hotel
What inspires you to keep cooking?
So many things—it’s hard to narrow it down to one. I am extremely fortunate that I get to go to work every day and do what I really love. It is a creative outlet that has no limit and is constantly evolving. There is literally no way to get bored in this business. I genuinely love creating experiences for people through food. I live for the moment when I see that “look” on people’s faces when they glare at you for how good it is.
What advice would you give to yourself 20 years ago?
I would tell myself to further enjoy the meals others prepared for me and those family moments spent creating a meal together. These memories played such a large role in my becoming a chef—knowing where that path was taking me all along would have been even more inspiring (and maybe I could have jotted down some more special family recipes).
Anything else you’d like to add?
I am really proud of the work being done by all members of our team in all outlets at Crossroads. It’s a uniquely cool space, and all our spaces are settling into their voices well. If it’s been a while since you have been to Crossroads Hotel, or if you have never been, come try us out. We can’t wait to welcome you.
