Before opening his own restaurant, Christopher’s Eats, in Barboursville in January 2013, Chef Christopher Dixon spent several years working in all sorts of kitchens throughout Florida and Louisiana.
“Between privately/family-owned establishments, corporate restaurants, quick-service, full-service, country clubs, an exclusive, seasonal living community and even a barbecue joint — they’ve all been learning experiences,” Dixon describes.
But his passion for food was ignited much earlier.
“My mom would let me crack eggs for her when I was around five years, and I thought that it was just the coolest thing,” Dixon recalls. “Being around my mom, grandmothers and aunt while they were cooking and baking sparked my interest. My mom would make family dinner every evening and, of course, when we visited family there was always plenty of cooking going on. Our family definitely communicates and fellowships with food. It just seemed natural for me to want to be a chef.”
Dixon’s career aspirations also included opening his own restaurant one day. So, with support and guidance from his parents, he decided to first pursue a business degree before going to culinary school. Dixon attended Marshall University for a year before enrolling at Florida State, where he later graduated with a bachelor’s in management in 2001. He then went on to get a degree in culinary management from Valencia College in Orlando.
In 2012, Dixon received an unexpected phone call from his cousins, Jeremy and David Adams, asking if he wanted to come back to West Virginia to invest in an existing restaurant. Although that initial plan didn’t work out, the three decided to take a chance and do their own thing. Dixon returned to the Huntington area that summer, and a few months later, his namesake, Christopher’s Eats, opened its doors. The goal was to create a place with an inviting atmosphere, quality food and great drinks.
“We wanted to have a restaurant where folks can gather, relax, celebrate and shed some of life’s stress from time to time,” Dixon says. “We still do.”
Although it’s now in a much larger location since its original spot in Barboursville, Christopher’s has kept its charm and the “casual, upscale, Americana” cuisine its customers have come to love.
“My philosophy is to use quality ingredients and proper techniques and to do simple well,” Dixon explains. “It’s very easy to muddy the waters of a great dish by overdoing the complexity.”
Christopher’s menu ranges from artisan flatbreads made with dough from Brunetti’s Bakery in nearby Kenova, and cooked in the restaurant’s anthracite coal oven and topped with house-made sauces, to prime meat and seafood entrees sourced from local suppliers and cut right next door at The Butcher Shop, another business Dixon co-owns with his cousins.
As a local business owner, Dixon makes it a priority to support others in the same boat, from custom wood tables and the ingredients used at Christopher’s to the artisan products sold at The Butcher Shop.
“The importance of supporting the community that you live in cannot be overstated; keeping dollars spent where you live is of monumental importance for survival,” he says. “Local businesses may not be able to always offer the lowest prices and compete head to head with big box companies, but remember, these local mom and pop businesses are your neighbors, your family, your friends. They’re the first to support the local little league team, dance group, schools, et cetera and donate to local fundraisers.”
Achieving his dream of owning his own restaurant has also taught Dixon some valuable lessons.
“I’ve learned to embrace that everyone is different, to learn from the positive and reflect on the criticism, to foster potential and provide a place of growth for my team and myself to flourish,” he says.
And he’s grateful for those that have mentored him and made him the chef that he is today.
“I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been around so many great chefs and all around good people to learn from,” Dixon says. “It doesn’t always happen that way. So, as arduous as the path has been at times, I am lucky.”
Christopher’s Eats is located at 5340 US Route 60 in Huntington. The restaurant is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Butcher Shop is open from noon to 6 p.m. on Monday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Visit www.christopherseats.com and butchershopwv.com for more information.
