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Scott Crawford

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Scott Crawford
Crawford's Portrait
Born1972 (age 53–54)
Pennsylvania, United States
Culinary career
Cooking styleAmerican cuisine
Current restaurant(s)
  • Crawford & Son
    Jolie
    Brodeto
    Sous Terre
    Crawford’s Genuine
    Crawford Brothers Steakhouse
Award(s) won

Scott Crawford (born 1972) is an American chef and restaurateur based in Raleigh, North Carolina.[1]

He is the owner of the Crawford Hospitality Group, which includes restaurants such as Crawford & Son, Jolie, and Brodeto.[2]

He has been a five-time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southeast award, and was nominated as a 2025 Outstanding Restaurateur.[3]  

His restaurant, Crawford & Son, was a finalist for the 2024 James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality.[4][5] Three of his restaurants are featured in the Michelin Guide to the American South as "recommended."[6] Crawford has been profiled in Garden & Gun,[7] Bon Appétit,[8] and Southern Living,[9] and his recipes have appeared in The Wall Street Journal[10] and Tasting Table.[11] He won Bravo TV's Recipe for Deception in 2016.[12]

Biography

[edit]

Crawford was born and raised in a small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[13] He experimented with drugs and alcohol during adolescence.[14]

At age 17, he relocated to Florida and entered the restaurant industry,[15] initially in front-of-house roles before moving into the kitchen.[16] He later trained formally in culinary arts in Tampa, Florida.[17] Early in his career, he worked under Chef Michelle Williams at The Hardshell in Richmond, Virginia.[17] He also served as executive chef at the Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton[18] and later at The Woodlands Inn, a Relais & Châteaux property, where he oversaw fine dining operations.[16][19]

Professional career

[edit]

Under Crawford’s leadership, Herons at The Umstead Hotel and Spa received its first Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award, the only restaurant in North Carolina to achieve the distinction at that time.[20] During his tenure as executive chef at The Georgian Room at The Cloister at Sea Island, Georgia, Esquire recognized the restaurant as a Best New Restaurant of 2006.[21]

In 2016, Crawford opened his restaurant, Crawford & Son, in Raleigh.[22] The restaurant was subsequently named Restaurant of the Year by The News & Observer[23] and Indy Week.[24] In 2019, he opened Jolie, a modern French bistro.[25] He expanded his group to include Brodeto, a wood-fired Adriatic-inspired restaurant;[26] Sous Terre, an underground cocktail bar;[27][28] Crawford's Genuine at Raleigh-Durham International Airport; and Crawford Brothers Steakhouse, a modern American steakhouse in Cary.[29][30][31][32]

Crawford has participated in culinary competitions and programs, including Bravo TV’s Recipe for Deception[33] and the Peter Millar Artisans of Craft initiative.[34]

Personal life

[edit]

Crawford is married and has two children.[25]

Advocacy

[edit]

Crawford is an advocate for sobriety, hospitality workforce development, and community support.[35] He founded the Raleigh chapter of Ben’s Friends, a peer-support organization for hospitality workers affected by substance use, and led the chapter for its first five years.[36] He serves on the board of Healing Transitions, a Raleigh addiction and recovery center, and initiated its annual Freedom Harvest Dinner fundraiser.[37] He has also supported disaster relief and food-security initiatives through Sunday Supper and Now Serving, and children’s charities such as Green Chair’s Sweeter Dreams.[38]

Awards

[edit]

Crawford has received awards including the Triangle Business Journal CEO of the Year (2019)[21] and NCRLA Restaurateur of the Year (2023).[14] His restaurants have been recognized: Crawford & Son was named Restaurant of the Year by multiple local publications, and Jolie and Brodeto have been consistently highlighted for excellence.[1] Crawford & Son was a finalist for the 2024 James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Tauss, Leigh (2021-03-24). "Scott Crawford's Journey to Sobriety Guides His Vision for a Healthier Industry". INDY Week. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  2. ^ "Chef Scott Crawford on Building Raleigh's Restaurant Scene - Modern South". modernsouth.co. 2025-01-06. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  3. ^ "The 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalists". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  4. ^ a b dathan (2024-03-29). "James Beard-Nominated Chef Scott Crawford Opens His Fourth Restaurant". www.midtownmag.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  5. ^ Eanes, Lucille; Sherman, Zachery (2024-06-11). "Crawford and Son loses out on a James Beard". Axios. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  6. ^ "Crawford and Son". guide.michelin.com. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  7. ^ Gomez-Misserian, Gabriela (2025-07-14). "Meet the Southern Chef Carrying the Flame at a Luxury Ranch in Montana". Garden & Gun. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  8. ^ Goldstein, Li (2024-01-24). "These Are the James Beard Awards Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists, 2024". Bon Appétit. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  9. ^ Mansel, Lydia. "7 Underrated Food Cities In The Carolinas Chefs And Locals Love". Southern Living.
  10. ^ Andrews, Betsy (2020-09-28). "How to Bring the Cookout Inside". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  11. ^ Munro, Lizzie (2014-09-09). "Raleigh-Based Chef Scott Crawford's Butter Bean Soup Recipe". Tasting Table. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  12. ^ Weigl, Andrea. "Raleigh chef Scott Crawford to appear on Thursday's 'Recipe for Deception'". The News & Observer.
  13. ^ sean (2025-05-01). "Chef Scott Crawford's Personal Journey - 5 West Mag". www.5westmag.com. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  14. ^ a b chris (2023-09-22). "5 Ways Scott Crawford Supports His Staff". NCRLA. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  15. ^ Tobey, Annie (2017-10-27). "Fire, Flour & Fork Promotes the RVA Culinary and Beverage Scene". BOOMER Magazine. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  16. ^ a b Ladner, Addie (2024-09-27). "20 Years Sober by Scott Crawford". WALTER Magazine. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  17. ^ a b Acosta, Elliot (2025-05-01). "Chef Scott Crawford's Answer to Wanderlust - Midtown Magazine". www.midtownmag.com. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  18. ^ "Look what's cooking at Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  19. ^ Khoury-Hanold, Layla (2018-07-25). "Scott Crawford Knows That Getting Sober Is Hard, But Staying Sober in the Hospitality Biz Is Harder". INDY Week. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  20. ^ Pratesi, Gwen (2012-11-05). "Executive Chef Scott Crawford - The Umstead Hotel and Herons in Cary, NC and a recipe for Chestnut & Parsnip Soup". Pratesi Living. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  21. ^ a b Brummett, Laura (2023-02-06). "Raleigh chef Scott Crawford named Restaurateur of the Year". Triangle Business Journal. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  22. ^ Perkins, Erin (2016-11-04). "Scott Crawford Premieres Crawford and Son in Raleigh". Eater Carolinas. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  23. ^ "N&O names Crawford and Son Best Restaurant of the Year for 2018". News & Observer.
  24. ^ adminnewspack (2019-05-08). "The Wake County Restaurant of the Year, 2019: Crawford and Son". The INDY. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
  25. ^ a b "Celebrating Fatherhood with Scott Crawford". The Local Palate. 2021-06-17. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  26. ^ "Brodeto Feels Like Floating in the Adriatic on a Weeknight". Wake Living. 2025-01-07. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  27. ^ Hahn, Nation (2024-05-28). "With Recent Openings of Brodeto and Sous Terre, Scott Crawford Has Sunny Skies Ahead". The INDY. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  28. ^ Perkins, Erin (2024-06-06). "Chef Scott Crawford Opens Underground Cocktail Bar in Raleigh". Eater Carolinas. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  29. ^ Athans, Elaina (2025-11-04). "19 restaurants receive Michelin recognition in the Triangle". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  30. ^ "Chef Scott Crawford opens latest restaurant in Raleigh's Iron Works district". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  31. ^ Reid, Heidi (2024-07-25). "Crawford's Genuine Opening at RDU Airport Mid-August". Raleigh Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  32. ^ "Restaurant Profile: Crawford Brothers Steakhouse". Cary Magazine. 2025-03-03. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  33. ^ Cain, Brooke. "What to Watch on Thursday: Standard Foods chef and ShondaLand". Charlotte Observer.
  34. ^ "The Perfect Pairing A comforting fall dish from Chef Scott Crawford and a unique beer from Wicked Weed Brewing". www.petermillar.com. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  35. ^ Daniels, Steve. "'We have issues and it's OK': Raleigh chef Scott Crawford advocates sobriety, healthy work-life balance". Abc11.
  36. ^ Banov, Jessica. "Chef Crawford wants safe space for those struggling with addiction in restaurant industry". News Observer.
  37. ^ "Scott Crawford - Freedom Harvest". Healing Transitions. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  38. ^ Pratesi, Gwen (2012-11-05). "Executive Chef Scott Crawford - The Umstead Hotel and Herons in Cary, NC and a recipe for Chestnut & Parsnip Soup". Pratesi Living. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
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