Alumni Spotlight: Cameron Kelly
After over 20 years of working in restaurants as a server or bartender and about 8 years touring as a DJ, New Orleans native Cameron Kelly thought it was time to make a change. Having battled addiction and depression, he looked for guidance and it dawned on him that it was time to go back to school. Having a passion for cooking his entire life, he sought out culinary schools in Louisiana and once he stepped foot on LCI's campus he fell in love.
Once enrolled Cameron thought it would be useless to continue to be a server or bartender while in school, so he reached out to Juban’s Restaurant and was immediately asked to be the lead line cook for their sister restaurant, Adrain's. Soon after he began Executive Chef Joey Daigle asked him to move over to Juban’s to as the sautee chef. In this role he created the daily specials for the historic Baton Rouge Restaurant. During this time, his work was noticed by the owners of Driftwood Cask and Barrel, a now defunct gastropub, located in Downtown Baton Rouge, and was asked to assume the role as their Executive Chef.
It was at Driftwood that Cameron started to catch his stride, showcasing his creative ability, while making food accessible to everyone. His Sous Vide wings landed him a feature in Dig Magazine in October of 2018. This was all happening at the beginning of Cameron’s 3rd semester at LCI. On his last day of class, Cameron posted a selfie on social media, celebrating the accomplishment that many thought would never happen and he was approached by Jamie Lux, the owner of The Landing Bistro and Lounge in Warsaw, Missouri and was offered the position of Executive Chef.
Reluctantly, Cameron paid the small town of 1200 a visit and fell in love. He found a quaint lake town in Central Missouri that was sorely in need of cuisine that was more than just fast food and fried pork sandwiches. So, he brought a touch of Louisiana flare, coupled with his love for traditional Latin, Italian and Southeast Asian dishes with him and changed the culinary scene in that small town forever. After several spotlights in the local newspaper and even a set of cooking classes that he taught at the community center, he was then offered another interesting position.
Hotel Frederick in Boonville, Missouri has been standing since 1903 and has housed many things including an insane asylum and the chamber of commerce. The current incarnation is a destination, boutique hotel that was badly in need of a chef that could create food to match the atmosphere. After visiting with the hotel in January of 2020, Cameron decided to take on the role of Executive Chef. 2 full months of planning, cleaning, organizing and menu creations yielded a restaurant that would certainly exceed the expectations of what the owners of this historic hotel were looking for. With an opening date set for March 10, 2020, The Fred Restaurant and Lounge and their new Chef were ready for the public. Unfortunately, due to covid-19, the hotel was forced to close its doors after just 6 days of opening the restaurant. Chef Cameron, like so many others across the globe was furloughed.
During his furlough, Chef Cameron was approached by the head of the Missouri Restaurant association about an Executive Chef position opening at the prestigious and historic, all women’s Stephens College in Columbia Missouri. Chef Cameron was reluctant to proceed with this opportunity, as he wanted a fun and creative environment. After a bit of research, he found that there was more to this position than simply feeding students. It was at this time that he proceeded with the rigorous interview process, including a 7-course tasting for the board of directors and landed the position.
Stephens College, founded in 1833, has many notable alumnae, such as Joan Crawford, Annie Potts, Peggy Bolton and Susan Flannery. The Historic Firestone Baars Chapel was designed by Eero Saarinen, who also designed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and is the venue in which many weddings are officiated, then catered by Chef Cameron and his team, in the gorgeous Lela Raney Wood Hall, just adjacent to the chapel. Chef Cameron also focuses deeply on student health by meeting an array of dietary restrictions, while providing delicious, from-scratch meals for all of the students, faculty and staff. “It’s the most fulfilling job a chef could ever ask for. I spend most of my days working with my team on creative ways to meet all the dietary restrictions, without losing the quality of food. I nourish these students 7 days a week, to ensure that their minds are sharp and bellies are full, so they can successfully complete their coursework without fear of getting sick. It’s truly incredible”
None of this would have been possible without the constant guidance of the instructors and staff of LCI. Chef Cameron is in constant communication with his mentors from school and having that lifeline is something that is priceless.
