WHO I AM!

I got my start in the culinary world in 1997 at The Airport Grocery in Cleveland MS, mostly as a way to get off the family farm. What started out as just a job, slowly turned into a career then an absolute affair love with food.  After 2 ½ years at Airport Grocery an opportunity to move to KC’s Restaurant in Cleveland came open and I jumped at the chance, it was at KC’s where I had my 1^st look at fine dining.  After about a year as a Commis, I decided to make food my life. I enrolled in the Culinary Arts Institute at MUW were I graduated at the top of my class with a Bachelor of Science, in Culinary Arts. While in School, I was fortunate to be able to train and work with the late Chef Joseph Broussard at J. Broussard in Columbus were I learned the art of New Orleans Cuisine, large scale butchery and how to manage a kitchen. Upon Graduation I went to work for the Viking Range Corporation as a Product Test Chef and with in a year was promoted to Director of Food and Beverage at Viking’s new Hotel, The Alluvian.  In 2003, as a way for me to stay in the culinary world, while I took time off to get married and start a family, I started Crews Culinary Investments a private dining and consulting business. Over the next couple years the events steadily increased and I started developing a following that was receptive to my "creative" look on the culinary world. It was this creative look that caught the eye of local restaurant owner Andrew Westerfield, of Crawdads of Merigold. In 2005 I joined the crew of Crawdads and over the next few years helped lead Crawdads to Numerous awards such as best restaurant, Top 5 Steak houses in Mississippi and countless others. In 2008 I was offered and accepted a position as Chef Instructor at Mississippi Delta Community College in their newly formed Culinary Arts Technology Program. While at MDCC, I have started an International Study that takes students to Mexico to study traditional Spanish Cuisine, attended Johnson and Wales, Pastry Program and also paired with the Southern Foodways Alliance, where we have served as part of the “behind the scenes” staff for the past 4 Southern Foodways Symposium.  Along with the position at MDCC, I serve as the Executive Chef of Six Shooter Land and Timber and personal chef to 3 Mississippi Families. I live in Cleveland MS, where I am married to Maribeth Crews, a Kindergarten Teacher, and we have two beautiful children John Pittman, who is 6 and Mary Courtland, who will be 2 in February.