We believe that tantalizing food and diverse and delectable wine should be accessible to everyone – foodie, wine snob and the everyday Joe or Jill who just likes good food and a little culinary and viticultural adventure.

And we like to bowl.

Kyle Martin

Chef

As a child in Greenville North Carolina, amazing barbecue from B’s or Parkers was a mainstay of Kyle Martin’s young life.  Like most of the boys of his generation, Kyle spent his youth playing around: Pokémon through Halo; youth soccer, basketball, some high school football – even violin – but he never spent much time in the kitchen or garden. Kyle’s family moved to Greensboro in 2003 where he spent summers working in fast-casual kitchens during high school and continued working in kitchens while attending college at Appalachian State.   After a time at App, Kyle departed Boone and worked around the state as a barista, a server and a farmer –  but mostly as a line cook. During this time, Kyle honed in on his desire to become a professional chef and felt the draw of Boone where he would later cook omelets and home fries at Melanie’s on weekends and attend Wilkes Community College for Culinary Arts.  The Wilkes culinary program afforded Kyle his first experience in a fine dining kitchen when he interned at Banner Elk’s Artisanal in the summer of 2012. Later, as part of his culinary education, Kyle would travel with his classmates to France (Paris) and Spain (San Sebastian) to experience their cuisines and cultures.

Back in Boone, Kyle cooked at the local landmark Gamekeeper. He married his culinary school sweetheart, Sunshine Covington, in August 2013, and they decided to move to Wilmington, NC in 2014. While at “the beach” Kyle cooked fine food at Manna and at the wine bar The Fortunate Glass, and was sous chef at Surf House. In 2017 he and Sunshine welcomed their daughter Violette, and in 2019 the new family decided to move back to Boone where Sunshine’s family still lives. Kyle was hired as the sous chef at Chef & Somm, where his leadership, skill and genuine “good guyness” was noticed and appreciated and resulted in Kyle earning an equity stake in the venture.  Kyle is happy to lead the team as Executive Chef as it transitions into Café Violette.

Catherine Thomas

Not a Chef

While Kyle grew up eating food from his native south, Catherine grew up eating fluffernutters – and not as often as she would have liked.  She fancies herself a good judge of character most of the time and values personal responsibility, integrity, and kindness – which is why she is fond of Chef Martin and his wife Sunshine.  Characteristically lazy, these days Catherine struggles with a constant battle between doing what has to be done and actually moving herself from the couch.  Catherine grew up in the foothills of North Carolina (a long, long time ago)  and had an idyllic childhood.   Seriously.  So idyllic it didn’t prepare her for the  “are you kidding me?” episodes that would later occur in her life.  (To her parents: this is not a criticism of her childhood.) She has practiced law, has been chairman of the Burke County school board a couple of times, and was part of a beloved team that saved the school system from book-burners and other assorted troglodytes.

Catherine’s family of origin still lives in Morganton, and they include her wonderful parents and her equally wonderful older brother and his lovely wife and children.  Catherine’s family of choice (is that a thing?) includes her favorite person who is also her husband (Joe), three adult sons and a daughter, their partners, and four beautiful granddaughters.  After living in Burke county on 18 acres with horses, chickens, cats, packs of dogs and children for 17ish years, her homestead on Globe Road currently only includes Archie, her 14 year old miniature schnauzer who tolerates Catherine but lives for Joe.

Catherine got into the restaurant business in 2018 because idle hands are the devil’s playground.  Her kids were gone, her husband was often away with his job as an airline pilot, and she was done with practicing law – so why not become involved in a business that only has a 20% survival rate after five years?  While admitting that her involvement in this business is a questionable life choice, she has become beguiled with the parade of people she works with and hopes that she can help provide them with a solid, compassionate and pleasant work environment.  To her delight, Catherine has also found great pleasure in meeting the guests who have graced the restaurant and she is grateful for the relationships she has made with some of them.  Whether bookkeeping upstairs, filling in for the dishwasher or trying to remember which wines she just poured, you’ll find Catherine actively engaged in the management of the restaurant and devoted to making sure your visit is a positive one.

Catherine has learned a lot from this business, but her basic philosophy that success follows when she surrounds herself with people who are more talented and smart than she is holds true – which is why she is excited to be partnering with Kyle Martin in their venture “Café Violette.”