Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Hinton.
Hi Christina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I go by Chef Chrissy. Chrissy is a family nickname but I go with it for my career because if you’re a client of mine, you’re family. I come from a cooking family. I grew up working in the family Catering and Restaurant business. Because cooking came so easy to me I just knew I would grow up to be something else. Being from Atlanta, I thought it would be in the music industry but we see that’s not the case. In high school, I would cook for all of my friends and that went on well into College. At Savannah State, I had six play brothers and they all played Football so I would cook for them all the time. They would tell a friend who told a friend. And I would find myself with a line out of my college dorm. At this point, I’m making money from these plates and it’s good money. But unfortunately, I was also in the streets and got caught. I would spend the next few months in jail and that’s where I told myself it’s time to take this cooking thing seriously. My life was spared but now I’ve been kicked out of college and headed back to Atlanta without a plan. I began working with a really wealthy family in Alpharetta. I was cleaning and cooking and they loved everything about me. My employer suggested culinary school. I had never put thought to it but she supported me so much paying me my full wages while my work cut to part-time.
I started at Atlanta Tech (all black program) by the second year I was a star student. I was in Chef Mutellis, he was a real hard chef who never smiled. One week the school didn’t have chicken and he made a statement, “I guess if you want to learn this chicken, you’ll have to bring it yourself”. The next day I brought three chickens in 1 for him to demo to the class 1 for myself and 1 for each classmate to fabricate a piece of the chicken. That day after class and he says to me. You’re better then this program I really want you to go to Chattahoochee Tech. (All white program, huge difference in the program) well this program was not easy to get into but he got me in, and we both agreed I’d start over, yes after almost completely done I started from the beginning. And it was Worth every min, the 45 min drive the three additional years, the racism I experienced for the first time in life, yes it was all worth it. The knowledge and skills I obtained were priceless. After culinary school, I interned a few places and then landed at the Buford Hwy Farmers market, there I opened up the international cafeteria. From there began my catering Company at the time, it was Chrissy’s Creative Catering. 13 years later, new name, stronger Brand Epic Flavors is still going strong. Epic Flavors is the catering company but I am moving into restaurant owner phase with Chrispy’s Chicken & Egg Rolls Due to open any day now.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been easy but the struggle is a part of the journey. Straight out of culinary school, I was granted the opportunity to work with a very prompt actress, and although the situation was rewarding, I made a huge era in judgment one day that caused me to be terminated. This termination motivated me to continue, go harder, but to pay attention to all details along the way. This company started in a one bedroom apart. Feeding hundreds out of a small kitchen with an electric stovetop and one dining room table as prep space. Once we found shared kitchen space and the company began to grow. That company shut down. So back to the home kitchen for a few more years. Although working in a home kitchen poses its problems, we continued to get it done. I then opened my first restaurant with a business partner. Needless to say, everyone is not meant to be in business and that partnership ended terribly. Although the road has not been smooth, it has been very rewarding and worth every bump and hiccup along the way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I consider myself a Southern Cajun Chef. Who specializes in Epic culinary greatness. I’m a creative out of the box Chef. You can literally ask me for anything, any cuisine, and I am guaranteed to put the Epic Cajun Flair to the dish(s). I specialize in Cajun Southern Dishes such as my Creole Shrimp & Grits Epic Cajun Lamb Chops, especially known for my Chrissy Mac, Southern Green Trio, and Crown Peach Cobbler to name a few of my staple dishes. As I move into restaurant phase of life I am known for my unique Egg Rolls such as the Cajun Creole Roll and Shrimp fried rice Egg Roll. I am known to make the best Lamb and Shrimp burger that is out of this world. As Charcuterie is a growing art, I’ve been creating these insanely massive Charcuterie displays.
I am most proud of my growth within the catering world. It’s pretty cool to go somewhere like a Falcons game and people and chefs recognize who I am. I think my reliance and consistency in the industry I’ve created my own lane. Although I have a celebrity clientele, I do not like to use the overused word “Celebrity Chef” I’m simply an amazing chef with a high-profile clientele. I service all types of clients from Athletes, Entertainers, Realtors, Politicians, I’ve proudly served most of our favorite civil rights leaders such as the late John Lewis. I’ve been blessed not to be boxed into a certain clientele which has allowed me to Cater all over the city even outside of GA.
My wide range of culinary knowledge and cuisine choices is what sets me apart. I’m not a one trick pony. I have a very the capability to cook all types of food, not just traditional soul food or basic brunch. I give my clients unique and creative menu options within all types of budgets. I customize all menus based client’s wants and needs. This allows me to continue to create outside of the norm and to provide each client with their very own unique culinary experience.
What are your plans for the future?
In the near future for Epic Flavors will continue to grow and produce some of Atlanta’s premium events and occasions. Any day now, we will be opening Chrispy’s Chicken n Egg Rolls located in Brookhaven. We are looking forward to opening several more restaurant concepts in the future. From brunch spots to bar to life-changing food experiences.
Contact Info:
- Email: epicflavorsatl@gmail.com
- Instagram: epicflavors
- Facebook: epicflavors
- Other: chrispysatl….. ON IG
