Elliot Kelly, Cafe Annie - Recipe for Success

Elliot Kelly, Cafe Annie

Elliott Kelly is the Sous Chef at Cafe Annie where he oversees all kitchen operations for the Houston-based Schiller-Del Grande Restaurant Group's flagship restaurant concept. He has worked with James Beard Award-winner Robert Del Grande since 1994.

Kelly was born in Houston, Texas. As a young child, he often spent time in the kitchen with his mother giving suggestions on what she should cook for the evening meals. He took his first food service job at Fircrest Country Club in Tacoma, Washington while attending Bates Vocational Institute in the field of Culinary Arts in 1987. "I didn't originally plan to make my career in the restaurant industry," he recalls.

With the support of family members, Kelly excelled, earning high marks and graduating near the top of his class in 1989.

Upon graduation Kelly immediately relocated to his hometown, Houston, Texas, in 1989, landing a job as a lead line cook and then as a breakfast cook at Stouffer's Hotel (now Renaissance Hotel), where he stayed for a year. In 1990, Kelly moved on to Four Seasons in Downtown Houston to work as a line cook under Robert McGraf and Tony Ruppe.

In 1994, Kelly left the hotel to join Robert Del Grande at Café' Annie. After more than four years of rigorous tutelage under Del Grande and his team, Kelly worked his way up from a line cook, earning the roles of chef de partie and ultimately to sous chef, overseeing all kitchen operations first at Café Annie,

and now at its successor, RDG + Bar Annie, which opened in the summer of 2009. "I want to help push RDG to the next level," he says. "Working with Robert, I'm looking to dig into new things we haven't

yet tried."

2018 Chef of the Year
Kevin Naderi, Roost

Chefs Advisory Board

Beginning in the late 1990's Chef Monica Pope joined in Gracie's efforts to establish a group of concerned chefs who were willing to get involved in a hands on way to teach kids to cook. Twenty-four answered the call and in 2006, we established our Chefs Advisory Board, a working committee with Monica as its Chair. Through the years, more and more chefs have joined our founding members, and today we have over 100 members in Houston and across the country. Monica Pope continues to lead the team as Chair Emeritus.

These busy professionals donate their time month after month, year after year, bringing their unique insight and perspective of food to the children, turning on their taste buds and opening their minds to new foods. It's a Recipe for Success! Would you like to join us? Drop Paris an email and get started today!

The Foundation's Chefs Advisory Board served as inspiration for the White House campaign for Chefs Move to School! Six members of our Chefs Advisory Board joined members of our Board of Directors at the White House in June 2010 for the kick-off of Chefs Move to Schools! where Recipe for Success was featured as a national model and resource. See pictures here. And read about the trip here and here.