Merritt Paulson knew something was up when he saw a new face manning the grill. Earlier this year, the Portland Timbers were hosting a cookout for players and their families at their training facility when the club’s owner/CEO – puzzled that someone other than team chef Richard Meyer was at the barbeque – asked why outside help had been hired for the event.

Turns out it was a cook from a well-regarded local Italian eatery who’d recently crossed paths with the Timbers’ new head coach, Giovanni Savarese. They’d hit it off so well, and so quickly, that the chef traveled out to Beaverton to put in a pro bono shift on the grill on his day off.