Chris Davies, born in Portland and raised in Egypt, has been cooking for more than 15 years. While attending college near Seattle, he decided to pursue a career in cooking and learned how to cook on the job—literally a trial by fire. The cooking bug stuck, and he moved to Portland as sous chef of Mediterranean restaurant Olea, where he drew on his childhood experiences in Egypt. Chris moved to Chicago in 2009, where he spent 8 years cooking in Michelin-starred and award-winning kitchens. As executive chef of The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, he oversaw several Chicago kitchens including Homestead on the Roof, a leader in the slow food movement. In 2017, warm weather—and acclaimed Japanese restaurant Uchi—lured Chris to Houston, where he spent five years running the Houston location. In 2021, Chris joined Underbelly Hospitality as executive chef of Pastore, the group’s Italian American concept opening in mid-2022. At Pastore, Chris hopes to be a part of the evolution of what Italian American cuisine can be and should be.