Callan Buckles

Callan Buckles is the Executive Chef at Rada in Myers Park. Growing up in Seattle, with both parents working as servers, he was involved in restaurants from a young age. Getting into the industry at 14 years old as a dishwasher, he never attended culinary school, opting to learn directly from his chefs and peers. At the age of 21 he decided to take a step to gain greater experience by moving to New York City and working at Momofuku. After spending a few years there in multiple roles, eventually earning his first Sous Chef role, he stepped back into being a line cook to work at the lauded natural wine bar, The Four Horsemen, in Brooklyn.

When the pandemic struck in 2020, circumstances landed him back on the west coast in Napa Valley where he worked as a Sous Chef for Christopher Kostow at The Charter Oak. After a few years he found himself pulled back to NYC where he became the Chef De Cuisine at Claud and helped to open the raw bar Penny just upstairs. When his partner Emily became pregnant, they moved to Charlotte to be closer to her family. They welcomed their son Emilio 2 months before opening Rada with Emily's brother Eloy.

Social Handle: @rada.clt