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"This is food that brings people together. Urbana is good people."
-- J.Mark S., director
NC State Music Dept.
"My customers rave about the originality, presentation, and overall quality of food.
I can always depend on Urbana to deliver an excellent product on time."
-- Daemion J., recruiter
GlaxoSmithKline
"Working with Urbana is not only very tasty, but quite easy... Urbana's food has been outstanding at each event. I've had not one person complain once...and that is a great accomplishment and compliment to Urbana."
-- Michelle H., manager
NC Rural Center
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photos by Elizabeth Galecke |
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VAUGHN WILLIAMS | Executive Chef
Chef Vaughn Williams entered the restaurant business as a line cook while working is way through North Carolina A&T University in 1991. Realizing his interest in cuisine far outweighed that of accounting (his then-major), Vaughn decided to travel to the "big city" and become fully immersed in Food.
Vaughn moved to Washington, DC in 1993 where he landed a job under the tutelage of Rick Michener, celebrated chef for NYC-based Dean & DeLuca. After graduating from L'Academie de Cuisine, Vaughn worked his way up through the kitchens of DC as first a Line Supervisor at Sfuzzi's then as Executive Sous Chef of the Pennsylvania Avenue hotspot, Bertolini's. Driven to discover more about his passion for hospitality and food service, Vaughn accepted Embassy Suites' offer of Executive Chef in charge of Restaurant and Banquets where he acquired the bulk of his catering management expertise. When the opportunity to run the kitchen of stylish-cozy Bistro Bistro presented itself in 1998, Vaughn welcomed the change, and was named one of 1999's "14 Hottest Chefs" in DC area publication The Washingtonian.
As with many other art forms, culinary experience in New York City is a must. In 1999, with an offer from Planet Hollywood-Times Square, Vaughn packed his bags and headed north. Within a year, he was promoted to Executive Chef of Planet Hollywood's sister restaurant, the Manhattan Official All-Star Cafe.
In 2001, the opportunity to invest in a funky new Italian concept, Fontina Grille came across Vaughn's desk. Simultaneously searching for wide-open spaces for his growing family, Vaughn transferred back to DC to serve as Executive Chef of Fontina Grille with restauranteur Don D'Antona in Gaithersburg, MD. As a way to publicize the new restaurant, Vaughn did his share of shameless advertising, cross-marketing Fontina at gourmet cookware demos for Calphalon and All-Clad at Bloomingdale's, Macy's and Crate & Barrel.
A fire in 2002 closed Fontina Grille indefinitely. Vaughn used this hiatus as a great reason to say "enough is ENOUGH!!!" to the relentless restaurant life and return to North Carolina. Urbana Catering Concepts was born shortly after relocating back to Raleigh .
Since 2003, Vaughn has been driven by the desire for people to "Eat Tastefully". His urban-chic concept of using the freshest ingredients to prepare great-tasting, affordable gourmet cuisine with is a tried-and-true winner with the folks in the Triangle, as his repeat customers and their referrals proudly attest! |
