Meet Albertho Appolon | Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Albertho Appolon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Albertho, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success has been consistency when it comes down to working on myself. I think self improvement is key to success because it allows me to hone my craft.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Growing up, I was always in the kitchen with my mom as she prepared food for our family and friends. Being in the kitchen was a way to connect more deeply with my mom, and I began to find satisfaction in the act of feeding people. After moving to America, I began working at a Brazilian restaurant called Beer 360. My moment of inspiration happened when I moved up from dishwasher to food runner. Being a Food Runner was more exciting than being a dishwasher. I was the final person touching the plates before they reached the customers. It gave me a special feeling to watch someone look at the food when it first arrived and say thank you to me after taking the first bite. In this position, I was able to see all of their delighted facial expressions, and it made me feel good, even though I wasn’t the one cooking. It was there that I fell in love with the idea of feeding people. I remember spending most of my time at work standing in the kitchen, because that was the place where the food runners waited for the food to be finished so that it didn’t get cold on its way to the customers. From that point of view, I got to see the whole preparation process: the fire, the cooking, the baking, the roasting, the sautéing, the frying, the sauce making, the joy the cooks had when they finished a dish, and how happy they were when I told them that the customers really enjoyed the food. it sparked a desire in me to be the one preparing the food for people to enjoy. Through this experience, I fell in love with food, and the way that the entire experience, from kitchen to table, could bring people joy.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I more of a stay home guy, so I would probably cook most of the time and stay home. When we have free time we would definitely go to the Nashville Zoo. For places to eat I would take my friend to the mockingbird, June restaurant, and Etch restaurant.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my girlfriend Heather Gruber for being my number one fan and for always believing in me

Instagram: @the_upcoming.chef