Chef Kevin Warren is the first African-American chef to have appeared in episodes of America’s Test Kitchen on PBS. As a Test Cook for ATK/Cook’s Illustrated magazine in Boston, he was frequently filmed working in the kitchen for the 2011 season’s shows.
Before launching his private chef and catering services full time, he most recently served as Executive Chef for the development and opening months of Daddy O’s restaurant in San Francisco—creating the menu and recipes for the soul food restaurant, which received rave reviews during his tenure.
Born and raised in Richmond, California, Chef Kevin began his culinary career in his home kitchen at age 12, sneaking a portion of his mother’s beloved gumbo into a separate pot and experimenting with his own spice ideas—eventually leading to a recipe that not only impressed his mother (who now says it’s better than her own) but also has become his top-requested dish by event planners for celebrations and fundraisers at Bay Area businesses and charities.
Chef Kevin formally trained at Le Cordon Bleu at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, where he was immersed in the techniques of French, Indian, and Thai cuisines—in addition to having traveled extensively in Italy and France, and being “homeschooled” in Southern and Creole cooking by his mother and both grandmothers.
He combines all of this knowledge with his personal attention to layering flavors while letting ingredients shine through to create crowd-pleasing comfort food recipes and elegant multi-course meals.
Chef Kevin Warren has held positions at top restaurants and catering companies, including Line Cook for the opening year of highly-regarded Latin-fusion restaurant, Bocanova, Jack London Square; Line Cook at world-renowned Creole restaurant, Brennan’s, New Orleans; and Onsite Culinary Staff with top SF Bay Area caterer Paula LeDuc; he has been offering his own private chef and catering services and cooking classes since 2003.
