Jeremiah Langhorne: From pizza boy to top chef

Albemarle High School graduate Jeremiah Langhorne, 26, has come a long way from being a pizza delivery boy. That was his first job in the restaurant business. Eventually, he moved on to being a sous chef under John Haywood at OXO, the famed Water Street restaurant that closed several years ago, and that's where he began to learn his trade.

"I thought I took it seriously at OXO," says Langhorne, who mentions that he actually worked at OXO for free for about six months, going there on his days off from delivering pizza, just so he could learn. "John is a great chef, but at 21 I wasn't really aware of the outside world. But when I started to explore what was going on around the world I saw what it really took to be a great chef."

Recently, Langhorne was named one of the top five rising chefs in America by GAYOT.com, the internationally known dining guide. On Monday, The Eater named Langhorne one of 16 restaurant professionals who have distinguished themselves nationally in the last year.

Today, the young chef works under Sean Brock at McCrady's (one of the most famous restaurants in America) in Charleston, South Carolina as chef du cuisine. As part of his training, Langhorne traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark to work at Noma, which has been rated the world's best place to eat for the last three years.

“I have a big focus on natural elements,” he notes in his McCrady's bio. “I describe my food as modern Southern cuisine with indigenous ingredients, which displays a connection with the land. It’s all about showcasing the place where we live and eat.”

And if we're lucky, and someone makes him an offer, we could enjoy Langhorne's cooking right here in Charlottesville.

"I love Charlottesville to death," says Langhorne. "I grew up reading the Hook. If I was invited to cook there, I would definitely come."