Native to Western Massachusetts, surrounded by local dairies and small organic farms, my family has always had a passion for good food. My mother was the butcher, baker, and cook of the family and I was her sous. And although she never cooked professionally, she always dreamed of the possibility. I started my professional career in food service washing dishes at the local mom and pop family diner, later serving then cooking breakfast and lunch. I took those skills and passion for the restaurant business to Martha's Vineyard, serving at the famous Black Dog Restaurant by day and cooking at a Seafood restaurant on the Harbor by night. In the off season, I would return to Western Mass to pick up Catering gigs and work the restaurant scene in the Five College Area. Wanting to return to school, I was encouraged to join the culinary team at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. At UMass, I worked in Retail and Catering while earning my BA in Hospitality and Tourism Management with a concentration on Food Service. After graduating I decided to pursue a long time dream to go to Culinary School and was accepted into the exclusive ACAP program at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, CA. There I was able to work with world class chefs and instructors which helped fine tune the skills I had learned in the field. After California, my wife and I decided to move to her home town of Athens, GA to raise a family. Here I have worked as a Catering Chef and as an Executive Chef of a gastropub start-up before coming back to the world of College Dining. I have since found my home here at the University of Georgia as the Managing Chef of the Commissary Kitchen and Catering since March of 2016.
-
Campus Grown Salads at East Side DeliMade with produce from the vertical aeroponic gardens at O-House -
Composting Efforts ExpandedLeftovers at Campus Catering and food prep from Tate retail locations are now composted! -
Student Workers Now Earn $9.00/HourCome work for us! Free meal per shift, real work experience, and much more. -
Virtual Tours of Dining ServicesTake a virtual walk through the Bulldog Cafe, one of the most popular areas on campus. -
UGA Meal Plan Scholarship ProgramA need-based scholarship that awards meal plans to several UGA students each year.
20 Feb
Inspired by street food from around the world, the Snelling culinary team has created a menu to showcase a palette of flavors.
26 Mar
Join us for an all-day event on Thursday, March 26th, to enjoy the favorite family recipes of UGA students in the dining commons!
Request Us for Your Next Event
Interested in having UGA's food truck at your next event? Simply complete the request form below and our staff will be in touch with you shortly. Custom menu options are available.
Steven Graves
Chef at Retail Operations