Raised in a small fishing town outside of Boston, Urbana’s new executive chef John Critchley has developed a passion for the ocean and its wealth of food. Though he may excel in catching and cooking seafood, his real and enduring love extends to every facet of the culinary world. “I started in the kitchen when I was 14,” he said. “I worked as a dishwasher in a family friend’s restaurant, and it was very appealing. There was a real sense of family.” By the time he graduated from high school, he had advanced to the restaurant’s line cook.

With such an early introduction to the field it is no surprise that Critchley attended the Culinary Institute of America. Critchley admits that, at first, his family was dubious about his career choice. “But once they saw the campuses of the Culinary Institute and the New England Culinary Institute, they had a better outlook on the career,” he explained.