We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Schmidt and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Chris, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in Tampa, FL and spent most of my child hood up and down the east coast. I was fortunate enough to call Atlanta and the surrounding areas my home base. Being raised in the south presented me with so much food history, culture and amazing food. I have been gone for almost 20 years now, but the south will always be home and will always inspire me.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career started in Acworth, GA at the age of 15 working at the most glamorous food establishment imaginable….Waffle House! After failing to get into any fine dining establishments or “proper” restaurants in or around Atlanta I took the gig at Waffle House slinging eggs and bacon. Although not the dream gig at the time it established a baseline for me and instilled a sense of urgency into my cooking mentality. After Waffle House, I finally got into a great kitchen at Marietta Country Club working the fine dining line. I was the whipping boy and was constantly heckled and messed with by the older more seasoned cooks. I learned a ton here and was lucky to work with some amazing chefs. I ended up at MCC for a few years before heading to Cherokee Town and Country Club in Buckhead where I worked under Certified Master Chef Kevin Walker and Certified Master Pastry Chef Chris Northmore.
After CTCC I attended Johnson & Wales in Denver, CO on a full scholarship for winning a national recipe contest. Through my time at Johnson & Wales, I popped around some of Denver’s best restaurants, took off to NYC to intern at Per Se, and spent time competing in ACF culinary competitions. After graduating with my culinary and bachelor’s degree in nutrition my now wife and I headed to Atlanta where I was a Sous Chef at Bacchanalia and eventually the Chef at Floataway Cafe.
Fast forward a few years later and Janelle and I were ready to get back to Colorado where we opened The Squeaky Bean in Denver. After a change of ownership at The Squeaky Bean we finally decided to head to the Mountains where I took the position of Chef de Cuisine in Vail at Sweet Basil. After years at the helm of Sweet Basil, we finally opened our flagship restaurant Craftsman, and now have il Mago, and Bird Craft.
The journey has been a blast, it has also been humbling, frustrating, and downright defeating at times. I was warned by my father and pretty much everybody else in the world to not get into restaurants and to especially not open your own. As hard and frustrating as it can be at times it is also very rewarding. I don’t think I could see myself doing anything else.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Although the Vail Valley is known for amazing skiing and snowboarding I would almost always tell people to come visit in the summer. The summer’s out here are absolutely amazing.
Throughout the week we would be all over the valley hitting up some of the best hiking trails, bombing downhill tracks on the mountain bikes, fly fishing the Eagle river, and soaking up all the sunshine. A day trip down to the San Juans to relax in the hot springs and sip whiskey by a campfire.
Breakfast and pastries in Edwards at Hovey and Harrison, get our coffee fix whenever at Yeti’s grind, and head to the village for some killer lunch at Mountain Standard. For dinner we would have to splurge at Matsuhisa, then head back to Edwards for cocktails and snacks at The Rose.
A trip to Vail wouldn’t be complete without a day trip down to Denver. Rocky Mountain Taco would provide the road snacks. Once in Denver we would probably cruise federal boulevard looking for yummy bites and hit up Pacific Ocean Market place for some awesome groceries. Grab an early dinner at Senõr Bear then head to Red Rocks for an amazing concert.
The final night would be the perfect time to invite all the friends over and cook up all of that delicious food we picked up at Pacific Ocean.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is a hard one as I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing people my entire life that have inspired and supported me along the way!
As cliche as it may be I have to start with my family, more specifically my mother. My parents ran restaurants my entire childhood so I suppose I was “born into” restaurants. She managed, served, and bartended all while raising my brother and me. She was as loving as any mother could be but kept me in check and pushed me to be the best version of myself. She supported and encouraged me and always had my back.
Chef Jon Nishiyama who took me in as a very young cook and mentored me for years before entering culinary school. He took a chance on a young naive kid with grand visions of being an amazing chef. The entire chef team at Per Se especially Thomas Keller, Jonathan Benno, and Chris L’L’Hommedieu. Anne Quatrano chef/owner of Bacchanalia in Atlanta for exposing me to so much more of what the South has to offer and for taking a chance on me for my first chef gig. Chef Blake Edmunds for being such a constant in my life and for being an amazing and inspiring chef.
Most importantly I want to give a shoutout to my beautiful wife Janelle & my two sons, Oliver and Elliott. Without them, I’m not sure what any of this would be for. Their love and support keeps me going!
Website: www.ilmagoedwards.com www.craftsmanbrewco.com
Instagram: @ilmagopizza @craftsmanbrewco @birdcraftco
Image Credits
Susi Thurman Donovan Sornig