Hari Cameron
a(MUSE.) | Rehobeth Beach, DE
OCTOBER 2019
Hari Cameron was born into an eclectic family, one that followed his father’s guru from their native Delaware to Maryland and New York before finally settling back in Delaware when Cameron was 11. All the while, he and his brothers tucked into cuisines from around the world, reveling in sushi, Thai food, and curries. When Cameron faced some youthful trouble combined with struggles with dyslexia and ADD, kitchens grounded him. He put his head to the books, scooping up all the cookbooks he could and studying the secrets they contained.
Cameron tried his hand at The Buttery in Lewes, Delaware, where he worked his way from server to garde manger. Next, he landed at Espuma in Rehoboth Beach. Inspired by owner Kevin Reading, Cameron attended The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia. He reunited with Reading in 2004 when the restaurateur opened Nage (now Fork + Flask). Throughout his seven years at Nage, Cameron exercised and strengthened his skills and creativity. He worked through the menu-writing process and learned how to craft dishes in his own style while listening to the seasons.
In 2012, Cameron opened his first solo restaurant a(MUSE.) in Rehoboth Beach. Three years later he launched casual, pasta-focused Grandpa (MAC), now with two locations. For his progressive, Mid-Atlantic cuisine at a(MUSE.), Cameron earned national attention, making the shortlist for James Beard’s “Rising Star Chef” in 2013 and “Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic” in 2015 and 2016. At the end of 2023, Cameron will be moving into a new space where he plans to teach culinary classes, hold events for charity, and host chefs from around the country while continuing to serve his thoughtful, elevated dishes.
