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A South You Never Ate at Chatham Vineyards on Oct. 28 will celebrate the foodways of Virginia’s Eastern Shore along with the culture and stories behind them. This progressive dinner of all tapas includes an open bar with Eastern Shore beer and Chatham wine and a signature surprise cocktail. Twelve chefs have committed their time to crafting two dishes apiece for the small plates that will showcase some of the Shore’s most distinct ingredients.
This is another in our Meet the Chefs series that will introduce an all-star lineup of creative cooks who have committed their time to make this an unforgettable farm-to-table experience.
The scoop on Kip Poole
His bio in a nutshell: “At an early age, I was eating at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, K-Paul’s in New Orleans and even the shady burger places down dark alleys late at night. Then, when I came home I always felt bad for my mom because she was always stuck at home cooking, so I started recreating all these fancy meals at home. I headed to Virginia Tech and after a year, I found myself back to culinary. I worked at Walt Disney World where I learned the importance of professionalism and hospitality.
“After graduation, I journeyed on to Philadelphia Country Club where I became the Kids Club Director and learned more of the restaurant business at Harry’s Savoy Grill. Years passed, and I was asked to help open up a seafood restaurant and assist with running restaurants in Norfolk, with Zoby Hospitality Group. I later realized I wanted something different, so I decided to go back to school for my master’s in education. After a few years of teaching at Philadelphia’s William Penn High School, I noticed that many students had tremendous talent but no direction, so I founded The CROP Foundation and decided to take a job back home as the Executive Chef of Virginia Beach City Public Schools to help change the way kids eat. From here, I took a leap and partnered with Kevin Jamison of Commune Restaurant and started Commune X CROP. So, with all that being said, I teach, I cook, I CReate OPportunities for our youth.”
What Kip loves about Eastern Shore food, culture: “The water, from succulent crab dishes, flavorful oysters and clams and ingenious produce! The food on the Eastern Shore often brings people together in a communal setting, where traditional recipes and culinary heritage, incorporating elements of Southern and coastal cooking, are cherished.”
His favorite Eastern Shore ingredients are . . oysters and figs.