Max Kuller
Living in Kuller | Washington, D.C.
October 2019
Born in Los Angeles and growing up in Maryland, Max Kuller was surrounded by fine foods. With his mom’s home cooking and his dad’s penchant for finding the tastiest grub, Kuller’s palate was spoiled. After graduating from Brown University, he made his way into a job at Providence’s famed Al Forno, where top chefs such as Suzanne Goin, Ken Oringer, Wylie Dufresne, and Karen Shields also got their starts.
When Kuller relocated to Washington, D.C. in 2005, he returned to his family and started waiting tables at his fathers’ restaurant Proof. There, he enhanced his already burgeoning wine knowledge and developed a love for and expertise in craft beer. Kuller helped open Estadio, another addition to the Kuller family business, as assistant general manager and resident “beermolier.” In 2013, the group opened Doi Moi, a Southeast Asian spot, where Kuller collaborated with Estadio Chef Haidar Karoum to pair eclectic wines with fiery cuisine. In 2014, Kuller’s father passed away, leaving the group in the hands of Kuller and his Uncle Jason. The pair split the group in 2017, with the younger Kuller holding onto Estadio. In 2019, Max formed restaurant group In Living Kuller to encompass a new Charleston, South Carolina outpost of Estadio and the sustainability-centric Oyster Oyster, opening in late 2019 in Washington, D.C.
