Jonathan Kallini
Bacchanalia | Atlanta
FEBRUARY 2018
Growing up, Jonathan knew that, while standing by the stove with his grandmother, cooking was, in its simplest terms, important. Throughout his youth, his spare time was spent in the kitchen, cooking for his family and poring over cookbooks. Following his graduation from high school, he chose to first obtain his Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University, where he worked on the side as a teaching assistant for undergraduate Food Science courses. While in the last year of his studies at Purdue, he was taken under the wing of the university president's chef, who began teaching him the reality of working in a production kitchen.
Upon graduation from Purdue University, Jonathan followed the steps of his chef and mentor and chose to enroll at The Culinary Institute of America, studying Culinary Arts. From the CIA, Jonathan returned to Bacchanalia in Atlanta, GA, the restaurant where he completed his externship. Four days into his return, he was asked to become the Pastry Chef at Floataway Cafe, one of Bacchanalia's sister restaurants. With little pastry experience under his belt, he chose to use this as a learning opportunity, embracing the offer wholeheartedly.
Less than a year following, he was asked to aid in the establishment of a new pastry program at Abattoir, another of Anne Quatrano's restaurants. Once the new program had been established, Jonathan's focus returned to Floataway Cafe, where he was given the second title of Sous Chef, allowing him continue the management of the pastry program while at the same time influencing the savory side of the menu as well.
