Kevin Mitchell

Chef Instructor, Culinary Institute of Charleston

Chef Mitchell began his training as a young boy in his grandmother’s kitchen, which laid the foundation for his dedication to moving food from the fresh market to a white tablecloth. Chef Kevin Mitchell’s culinary work embraces traditional American flavors, sumptuous soul food flair and delicate French cuisine. This broad mastery of global and regional techniques earned him the Grumpy Gourmet’s title of “Super Chef.”

Chef Mitchell attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, where he earned an Associate degree in Occupational Studies and a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Culinary Arts Management. In 1996, Chef Mitchell became Chef de Cuisine at the Marble Gang Restaurant and was also inducted into the Columbus Chapter of the American Culinary Federation. After that, he held Sous Chef positions at the Wyandotte Restaurant and the Westin Great Southern Hotel. Over the years, Chef Mitchell has been Sous Chef at the Wyandotte Restaurant and the Westin Great Southern Hotel, and has dedicated his culinary skills at Sun Dial Restaurant in Atlanta, Willard Straight Dining at Cornell University, Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport Hotel DEMA restaurant, Seldom Blues Supper Club in downtown Detroit, and the MGM Grand Detroit Hotel and Casino.

In December of 2008 Chef Mitchell became the first African American Chef Instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston where he is involved in designing new curriculum for new students as well as teaching classes. In March 2009, Mitchell became the Executive Director of the BCA Charleston Chapter, served as Chef Coordinator for Gullah Luncheon, and founded the student BCA Chapter at Dining for Diversity. Chef Mitchell earned his Certified Executive Chef designation from the American Culinary Federation in 2011, as well as his Certified Food Service Educator designation from the Food Service Educators Learning Community. In April of 2012 Chef Mitchell became the secretary of the newly formed Edna Lewis Foundation, whose mission is to honor, cultivate, and preserve, the rich African-American culinary history.

In May of 2013 Chef Mitchell was appointed to the Board of Slow Food Charleston. In April 2015, Chef Mitchell was Chef Coordinator for Nat Fuller’s Feast, a recreation of a banquet held in Charleston in 1865 by renowned chef and caterer Nat Fuller. Chef Mitchell is a Nathalie Dupree Graduate Fellow of the Southern Foodways Alliance, having focused his graduate studies on Southern Foodways, the preservation of Southern ingredients and the history of African Americans in the culinary arts. Chef Mitchell is an active member of the American Culinary Federation, as well as a founding father of the BCA, Bridging Culinary Awareness, formally the Black Culinarian Alliance.

Throughout his professional career, Chef Mitchell has maintained a commitment to promoting the value of professionally trained chefs, and he has volunteered his time and talents to various non-profit organizations where he has showcased his culinary skills.