by Channing J. Mathews

Channing J. Mathews is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she works as an assistant professor at the University of Virginia. Her journalism experience comes from a desire to translate research into public scholarship, specifically by connecting her interest in identity formation to food and wine culture in the South. In her free time, Channing enjoys reading, powerlifting, exploring wineries and making new cocktails. 

Alternative routes to career training

When we think of school, we often think of traditional trajectories. We think of education as the Great Equalizer. That is, education gives access to more opportunities to succeed. So we finish high school. Often we go to college. And, in many scenarios, we land somewhat satisfactory jobs that hopefully pay the bills. And with young people’s increasing reliance upon multiple side hustles in our current gig economy, it’s more likely to have a few jobs just to make ends meet.  

But here’s the thing about traditional pathways: they are becoming less accessible as the years go by. With college costs on the rise – rising over 32% in the last two decades – young people are looking for alternatives to traditional schooling pathways.

Essentially, young people are posing the question: If college does not promise the social mobility payoff that our parents experienced, what does it look like for our generation to dream differently?

Some pursue trade school. Some go for technical school. And others try culinary school. 

The fast pace. The flavors. The knife cuts. The international travel. 

This is the path upon which Antwon Brinson, otherwise known as “Chef AB,” CEO of Culinary Concepts AB on Barracks Road, has built his career. Chef AB has created a culinary incubator and workforce program in Charlottesville working with folks from many different walks of life to help people envision more options for their future career trajectories. From young people just entering the workforce to more seasoned workers looking for a career pivot, Chef AB has curated an innovative training space that builds chefs from the ground up, incorporating valuable life skills alongside precision food preparation.

But what does culinary incubation look like?

A cook in training

Meet Jabez Maupin. A 24-year-old Charlottesville native and Culinary Concepts’ GO Cook Program alum, Maupin represents the best of what Chef AB envisioned for Culinary Concepts AB. 

“I went to Albemarle High School, and [after] I just started working. I was working at UVA [the University of Virginia], at Newcomb dining hall and my boss there at the time, Ian Hawks, he saw my passion,” Maupin said. “He brought up the [GO Cook] program. He told me where I was supposed to apply.” 

Chef AB aims to equip local talent with the skills, values and hands-on experience to transform a passion for food into a culinary career. For Maupin, that passion is rooted in his early experiences in the kitchen with his father and grandmother. While Maupin credits his dad as his first chef, his grandmother is who taught him how to cook with love. 

“My father was my first chef…when I would go visit him, we would always find something to cook…I remember one day on the porch he was showing me how to break down crab, how to eat it properly, what parts not to eat and everything. And one time he made mussels – it was the first time I had them, and it was great,” Maupin said. 

“My grandmother taught me just by eating the food, and watching her cook the mac and cheese on Thanksgiving. I didn’t do much, but I was in the kitchen and I watched her cook. It’s all love. There’s no measurements. None of that extra stuff — it’s just love.”

After multiple applications, Maupin was accepted to the GO Cook Program where he threw himself into learning the intricacies of the 5-course menu that he was to perfect across the 7-week training. Engaging sauce work and seasoning of a BBQ creole shrimp, parmesan grits and a sweet pepper relish, Maupin learned the ins and outs of a fine dining kitchen while channeling his passion into disciplined creativity, even with something as “simple” as a knife cut.

For Maupin, the knife is more than a tool; it teaches consistency and discipline. From building deep flavor with the brunoise cut, to creating beautiful presentation with the julienne cut, knife skills can be a gateway into one’s integrity as a chef, and a first step to infusing food with love.

Tasting the launch of a culinary career 

Maupin’s graduation from the GO Cook program landed him a job at Maggie’s Midtown of Charlottesville, a new Virginia brewpub style restaurant that opened in March 2026. I had the privilege not only to taste the fruits of Maupin’s labor, but also to watch his hands in action as he curated an innovative tasting menu for my eager palate.

I was welcomed at Maggie’s Midtown by the hostess and was quickly escorted to see Maupin in action. 

As a preview to my meal, I got to see some of Maggie’s Midtown signature dishes come out including the fried fish, the cauliflower carbonara and the fried olives….giving me some visual insights into what I would order for my own dinner. Maupin mentioned that he would be on the grill station that evening, so I went with the grilled fish to experience how he put his skills to work.

I began with the fried olives, a curious culinary innovation that tantalized my senses. The crispy goodness coupled with the brininess of the olive and the smoothness of the goat cheese in the middle was a bright start to what was destined to be an amazing meal. 

I coupled my appetizer with a lovely drink, aptly named “Parts Unknown,” made with citadelle gin, lavender, lemon, sassafras bitters and egg white. It felt reminiscent of a raspberry cream pie and it took my tastebuds on a titillating journey. I was thrilled by how my cocktails paired with my appetizer, both cleansing my palate and enhancing the savory smoothness of the goat cheese.

But the main event was all about the entree. I selected the grilled rockfish with clams and I could not have made a better choice. I paired it with the “Accidental Mixtape,” a mezcal cocktail that added just the perfect amount of sweetness and spice to complement the light seafood flavors captured in the broth of my dish. It was the sauce, however, that blew me away. The simplicity of the broth – only containing fish and vegetable broth mixed with some mushroom powder – gave such a powerful kick. The fish was perfectly cooked, glistening with moisture from the flavors and the sweet little potatoes that soaked up the sauce. AND THOSE CLAMS… were the perfect closer to an incredible dish.

I wasn’t planning on having a dessert, but Maupin insisted on two of the restaurant’s best: the sticky toffee pudding and the Eaton Mess. They were two very different desserts, but one very happy party in my mouth. 

The sticky toffee gave the comfort of a warm gingerbread cookie in bundt cake form, and the lightly coated honey syrup that it bathed in was a soulful boon to the tastebuds. The Eaton Mess gave me a bit of fruit and dessert, with exciting pops of raspberry crisps disbursed throughout.

I was grateful for the food journey he shared with me, and could taste the love and training in his cooking. I felt the passion in the food. 

Maupin admits he is still learning, but his passion pushes him through each mistake. Even his current mentor, Chef Casey Bauer, takes notice of the young man’s efforts.

“I love to see his frustration [when things go wrong]. It shows how much he cares about presenting the best plate of food every time,” she said.

While Chef AB notes that only 1% of chefs work in fine dining — a statistic that drops to 0.001% for Black chefs — Maupin  does not see these odds as a deterrent. Instead, he views the challenge as more fuel and drive to succeed in a space where representation has historically been rare.

“Everything that I do, I go all the way,”  Maupin said. “That’s one thing my father taught me. If you want to do something, you go do it right.”

As he continues to master his craft and set his sights on the world’s most rigorous kitchens, we can’t wait to see this young chef shine.