Andrew Klamar

Growing up on Long Island, Andrew Klamar learned the value of hard work as a teenager in the dish pit of a country club kitchen, where his father was general manager. His dad was a Hungarian exile who found the American dream by working his way up from the bottom of the ladder and wanted to impart that ethic onto his son. A love for fine hospitality came with it.

Klamar set out to explore the southern states after high school, landing in Charleston, where he gained front and back-of-house experience in restaurants. An opportunity in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a growing hospitality group gave him the chance to run a kitchen that was simple in concept but technique-driven in execution, and then to transition into management as they opened more eateries. But Klamar wanted to cook, and McCrady’s in Charleston was among the best places in the country to do it at a high level.

After three years there alongside acclaimed Chef Sean Brock, Klamar had a chance to join Chef Tyler Brown, who had become Executive Chef at the Capitol Grille in Nashville’s historic Hermitage Hotel. Together, they managed all culinary operations for a five-star, five-diamond property at the pinnacle of a food city on the rise.

While a family emergency took him back briefly for a stint at the top-rated Durham Hotel in North Carolina, Klamar was able to work with Brown to envision Southall, where the symbiotic relationship between the land and its people could cater to locavores seeking a seasonal epicurean experience at a world-class destination. As Executive Chef at Southall, Klamar now oversees the culinary team in developing and bringing to life daily menus that delight visitors in the farm’s restaurants, guestrooms, conference center, and special event spaces.