Joshua Septoski was just 13 when the power of food began to fill his soul, and he has been making a name for himself in the restaurant and hospitality scene ever since.
Today, just 20 years after he washed his first dish at Papa Joe’s restaurant in his Chicago neighborhood, he is a professional chef with the experience and knowledge of someone decades older.
Joshua Septoski, executive chef at Whiskey Kitchen
Last May, Joshua signed on as executive chef at Whiskey Kitchen, known for its extensive selection of fine whiskey and Southern cuisine. He has a vision to take the popular downtown Raleigh restaurant to new heights.
Since it opened in Nash Square in 2016, Whiskey Kitchen has largely welcomed people who find themselves downtown for business. Joshua aims to change that. “We certainly can raise their expectations and make the restaurant a destination and a reason to come downtown.”
Growing up in Chicago, Joshua spent his younger years following his nose to Papa Joe’s almost every day after school. At that time, he had no way of knowing he was setting the course for his future.
“Every day, I would come home from school, smell the Italian food cooking, and I knew the restaurant was cranking out delicious meals,” he says.
He also viewed the restaurant as an opportunity to earn some money. In those days, it wasn’t unusual for a neighborhood kid with time on his hands to get a job, but opportunities were limited.
“It was either become a mechanic, work in a pawn shop, or wash dishes in a restaurant,” he says. “For me the choice was obvious — plus I got free food.”
The restaurant staff took good care of Joshua, and when he proved himself as a dishwasher, they promoted him to salad maker. He continued to work his way up from there.
Whiskey Kitchen continues to offer an impressive array of bourbon and whiskey.
“They pretty much handed me the keys to the castle,” he says.
Onward and Upward
When he graduated from high school, he enrolled in Johnson & Wales University in Denver, laboring in restaurants while earning his culinary arts degree. After returning home to Chicago he worked under Michelin star chef Paul Virant, whom he considers his greatest mentor.
One of the lessons Paul imparted on Joshua was the concept of farm-to-table dining, which is today one of his hallmarks.
“Most of our ingredients we sourced came from within 50 miles of the restaurant, and we knew our farmers by name,” Joshua says. “They provided us with food we couldn’t buy in a grocery store or find on any shelf.”
At 33, Joshua has already enjoyed a remarkable career, including stints at Michelin-starred Spiaggia in Chicago, James Beard Award–winning Rioja in Denver, and A Pig in a Fur Coat in Madison, Wisconsin.
Despite his credentials, Joshua’s humility borders on imposter syndrome.
“I’ve never thought of myself as someone who had the capability of becoming an executive chef and creating a vision for a restaurant team to execute,” he says.
Items from the kitchen include Smoked NC Pork Chop, which is grilled bone-in and accompanied by black-eyed peas, smoked sage mustardo, arugula salad, and champagne vinaigrette; fried Brussels sprouts with pickled red onion, radish, and pop glaze; and a Chef’s Board comprising house-made and artisanal cheeses, cured meats, house pickles, and Union Special breads.
Above all, he understands the value of teamwork.
“For me, it’s about honoring our employees’ interests and giving them opportunities that will elevate their work experience, because that was what I was given,” he says.
A Naturalized Southerner
In 2016, Joshua and his wife, Morgan Reda — now the pastry chef at A Place at the Table — visited Raleigh and explored the local food scene.
“We came down here to see if we wanted to move to Raleigh, and one of the first restaurants we visited was Whiskey Kitchen,” he says. “We ended up waiting four or five years to move here, and have since learned the city has great restaurants, great people, and passionate restaurateurs.”
After moving to Raleigh about four years ago, Joshua served as executive chef at Vivace before traveling across town to take the reins at Whiskey Kitchen.
Local Roots
For Joshua, locally sourcing food means more than just going to a farm stand and picking out choice products. Following in his mentor’s footsteps, he’s all about building relationships with growers.
“I visit farms, and I know the names of the farmers, the names of the pigs I’m preparing, and I know which farm the vegetables came from and the type of soil they grew in,” he says. “No matter what the growers put in front of me, I want it to be the best.”
And that means continuing to honor North Carolina products, which he will handpick from producers he knows personally, whether they are providing food from land or sea.
“We serve the best seafood, whether it’s soft-shelled crab, shrimp, red drum, or whatever you can imagine on the North Carolina coast,” he says. “And our food will continue to be seasonal and unique.”
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