Chef Sven is a 2002 summa cum laude graduate of Johnson and Wales University, but had years of culinary history before ever setting foot in cooking class. In Chicago, Chef Sven got his start at a small restaurant called Marion Street Grill. He later worked at the Cheesecake Factory before moving to New Orleans, where he showcased at the House of Blues and cultivated a fervor for local, coastal cuisine coupled with an enjoyment of the entertainment side of the food and beverage industry.
“I love cooking with indigenous flavors and ingredients,” he says. " I appreciate the history of local cuisine.”
After New Orleans, Chef Sven did some globetrotting through Italy and Central America before settling down in Jamaica. There he helped open, train staff and cook for two of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritavilles, soaking up the local Caribbean flavors he still incorporates in his cooking today.
“One of my favorite entrees to prepare is a dish the Jamaicans call ‘Rundown’,” he says. “It has definite Caribbean and Thai influences. Fish or shrimp are cooked in coconut milk with hot peppers and spices."
It was after Jamaica that Chef Sven decided to go to culinary school. His father had moved to Georgetown, South Carolina, working as a charter fishing boat captain. With his love for coastal seafood and the proximity to his father, Charleston was an easy choice for him. After graduating, he worked as the Chef Du Cuisine at Fish for two years before becoming the Executive Chef of The Boathouse on East Bay. Representing the Boathouse, he won first place at a cook-off for the 2008 Food & Wine festival.
"My passion is cooking," says Chef Sven. "I am happiest when I can create an experience for someone that is memorable and will truly be cherished."
