THE CHEF/OWNER

CHRISTIAN ALBRECHT

Christian moved to Asheville, NC from Milwaukee, Wi with his three beautiful children seeking adventure and a new story with his food. Christian started working in kitchens back in 2008 experiencing family owned restaurants, cafes, and corporate kitchen settings throughout the years. He started getting serious about food in 2012 when he found himself hungering for more within his technique, passion, and skills. He joined a fine dining kitchen at Andrews (now known as I.D (Inspired Dining) in Delafield, Wi under Executive Chef Jonna Froelich. At his time at Andrews he began to understand new ingredients and flavors. His time at Andrews was a pivotal moment in his growth and future in his career. He saw passion and growth in himself that he had never experienced before. Christian then moved to Kansas City and found Chef Joe Shirley who curated an underground pop up fine dining restaurant called Uberdine who created dinners all of over the city creating a 14 course tasting menu. Christian reached out to the chef and staged to see if there was a fit. Christian joined the team and learned how to create a restaurant in an unusual space that often did not have a kitchen. He also learned the pace, plating, and setting of curating a tasting menu experience. After his experience with Chef Joe Shirley, Christian started Braised & Confit with intention and vision. Moving to Asheville, NC Christian was presented with a Demi Chef position at the The Bistro, a restaurant at the Biltmore Estate and continued cultivating his leadership skills. After some time Christian saw an opportunity at The Admiral in West Asheville and immediately took the position. Christian started as a line cook working on every station under Chef Justin Burdett current Executive Chef of Crooks Corner in Chapel Hill, NC and ended his time at the Admiral as Sous Chef under Chef Richard Neal. His time with Chef Richard at the Admiral taught him the importance of food here and now, the idea of what is happening, growing, and alive in our region and the current season at this very moment. Richard was intentional about native foraged and farmed sourced ingredients and has left an important mark on Christian in how he uses and sees ingredients and how to alchemize his food in the future. Now Christian’s focus and project is Braised & Confit bringing you his interpretation of all the things he’s learned and transformed into his own into your very home. Currently serving Milwaukee, Wi & Asheville, NC.

CHEF JAMIE CRONE

At a young age, my Pennsylvania Dutch roots taught me how food can bring us together. Learning to bake with my grandmother. A holiday gathered around a table. Traditions around a campfire. Pushing seeds in the dirt for a garden. Finding worms to fish with. I grasped what it meant to work with my hands, how it connects us, and finding the art behind it.

I gravitated towards pastry arts, and spent a decade gaining knowledge in this field- through school and restaurants in Philadelphia and San Diego. Baking taught me patience and precision. When relocating to Asheville in 2016, I aspired to move into savory cooking. I stepped away from the science and learned how to shape and adjust flavors based on taste and balance. What is it missing? How can I make it pop? Here I’ve held a variety of positions in the restaurant community, ranging from prep to sous chef. I’ve worked with teams including Curate, Burial's Forestry Camp and Eldr. Finally, seeking a shift in the industry, I've now spent the last two and a half years as a chef in catering, before joining Christian in this private chef experience.

I am truly passionate about the food community in Asheville. This culture has taught me that we each have the opportunity to be a part of a collective intentional movement. I take pride in creating dishes that have collaborated with local farmers, as well as coffee, spices, breweries, creameries, bakeries, and so much more that this region has to offer. I’ve also participated as a chef in the Utopian Seed Project’s Trial to Table events. I’ve proudly worked alongside my good friend at J Chong Eats, bringing her spin of Cantonese food to the mountains. I am a certified mushroom forager, and love bringing beautiful finds from these woods to our kitchens. When I'm not cooking, most of my time is spent hiking with my partner and our three dogs, gardening, playing board games, and seeing live music. 

-CHEF JAMIE CRONE