Meet Kyle Campis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Campis.

Kyle, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I come from an extremely artistic family. We are all creative in our own ways. All I needed to do was look at my life from an outside perspective to see what made me happy and others. So, for me, my hands and my belly, it was culinary. It’s not hard to become great at something you love, it just takes persistent practice and dedication. Study the history and math of your craft and create. It’s exactly what I did to get to where I am at today. I got into a fast-paced, knowledgeable kitchen, and pushed myself every day. I surrounded myself with chefs I looked up to and studied their every move. I still have that mindset to this day.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s never a smooth road, and it’s not supposed to be. I’ve embarrassed myself hundreds of times. Chefs make mistakes all the time, but it’s all about how you turn that mistake around. I tell my cooks all the time that being at the bottom of the ladder is where you learn the most. The bottom is where the action is. You are watching something you’ve never seen before, cooking something new, getting your food sent back to the kitchen, and you get treated like the rookie. I love those moments. It makes you so strong.

Please tell us about your work.
At the end of the day, I cook food for hungry people. Whether it be cooking at a restaurant, private dinner parties, or cooking for a catering event. I specialize in using local produce and proteins where I can personally talk to the farmer and get a better understanding for certain flavors. This doesn’t mean I’m different from other chefs, nor does it mean that I’m better. It just means I’m doing food the right way. I care about clean food and I care about the people who are on their hands and knees growing it. In Atlanta, this is typical for good restaurants, but I hope it becomes even more normal so we can get rid of the “Farm-to-table” label and become more sustainable as one big service industry family. I’m most proud of how far I’ve come in a short amount of time. It makes me anxious for the future. What sets me apart from others is my style of cooking. Everyone one has their own way of moving around, plating, conceptualizing and cooking. It’s similar to an architect or an author. You can recognize someone’s work by the outcome.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I wouldn’t change a thing. If anything, I wish I would have started cooking professionally earlier. Everything has happened at certain times for a reason, and I wouldn’t be in this seat if it were different.

Contact Info:

• Website: edicampis.bigcartel.com
• Email: kylemcampis@gmail.com
• Instagram: @kmcampis

Image Credit:
Shannon Barber
@shannonbarberphoto

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