Interview with 2013 Carolinas Rising Star Chef Brian Canipelli

Dan Catinella: What inspired you to pursue cooking professionally?
Brian Canipelli: Culinary school was the start for me. I worked in chain restaurants in high school and while I was going to college. I attended Johnson & Wales in Charleston, and after that I moved to Asheville. I think what drew me in was the camaraderie. I had a bunch of friends that were in restaurants, and I knew that I wanted to work with my hands.

DC: Where have you worked professionally as a chef?

BC: After Johnson & Wales, I started at Savoy, which is now closed, as a line cook. I quickly moved to sous chef, too quickly, and at around a year into it, they asked me to be the chef. I stayed there for two and a half years. I left Savoy wanting something new and went to Table, which at the time was doing something totally different than everyone else. It wasn’t like a meat, veg, and starch restaurant. Jacob Sessoms was cooking there in a totally different way and looking at things in a completely new way, as well. He was looking at farms for vegetables and not just waiting for deliveries. After a couple of years, I was ready to start doing my own thing, and Jacob and I were considering it. For some other reasons, I took a sous chef position working with a man named Rezza at a Mediterranean spot. I was there for about two years and asked myself, "What do I want to do next?" That’s when I decided to open my own spot. It’s been about five and a half years now.

DC: Would you recommend culinary school to aspiring cooks?

BC: I would. Culinary school for me was good, because it got me completely interested in cooking. It taught me technique and all that. I’ve seen just as many people that don’t go that route and still do great things though, so I think it’s all about how much you put into it and what you want out of it.

DC: What question gives you the most insight to a cook when you’re interviewing them for a position in your kitchen?

BC: I don’t know. Interviews for me are a little bit different. I’d much rather get someone in and watch them work. I feel like, talking to someone in an interview they just as easily tell you what you want to hear. With a trail, I get to see how they move, how clean they work, how organized they are, and more. I do always ask what kind of food they’re into or what cookbooks they read. But for me, it’s more about the way you handle yourself on the line.

DC: What is your philosophy on food and dining?

BC: It’s kind of always changing. When I first opened, there was a need for an Italian restaurant around here. There was no restaurant cooking real Italian food instead of American-Italian food. So when we opened, that’s the niche we wanted to fill. As the years have gone by, it’s kind of turned into how an Italian cook would cook if they came into Asheville. Maybe they would use prosciutto in Italy, but here we use country ham, or maybe butter beans instead of favas. In the end we try and keep the philosophy if Italian cooking—good ingredients, simple and clean flavors, and being true to the region you’re living in.