When Matthew Richey took a summer job as a kid washing dishes at his local fine dining restaurant, he was under the impression that it was “just a summer thing.” Thirteen years later, his would-be summer fling has become a full time love affair.

The son of a chef, Richey began his culinary career in 1995 at the Craftwood Inn, a Manitou Springs, Colorado destination specializing in wild game. He started as a cook and worked his way up to lead line cook in just a few short years. Inspired by his experience in the kitchen, and overcome with a desire to become a full-fledged chef, Richey moved to Burlington Vermont to attend the New England Culinary Institute, where he received an AOS Degree in Culinary Arts.

Richey then traveled to Florida to work under Chef John Farnsworth at the John’s Island Club. There, he worked in almost every capacity in the kitchen learning the importance of paying attention to the details even in a very high-volume setting. It was here that Richey met face to face the farmers and fisherman who supplied the enormous country club with local products, bring a new meaning to “Buying Local”.

In 2003, Richey found himself in Portland, Oregon where he accepted a position as a line cook at the Kimpton-owned Red Star Roast House. As a result of the promise Richey showed, he was eventually promoted to the position of Lead Sous Chef, in this capacity, Richey applied his formal culinary education to create new menu items for the popular Portland eatery. Working under then-Executive Chef Mauro Pando, Richey was immersed the philosophy of sustainable agriculture, and using local, organic food products whenever possible. Little did he know at the time, this would be an influential philosophy he would carry with him for years to come.

After working his way up the ranks and further developing his culinary skills at the Red Star Roast House, Richey was offered an opportunity to transfer within the Kimpton Group – a move that would take him all the way back to the east coast in Cambridge, MA. He was named Sous Chef at Bambara in the Hotel Marlowe under Executive Chef Nathan Powers. In this role, he was given more responsibility than ever. With his newfound creative license, Chef Richey was involved in menu changes – be it season-to-season, or day-to-day. He was also given a broader management role, and became a key figure in Bambara’s highly lucrative special events sector.

In the fall of 2007, Richey joined the team at Grafton Street as Executive Chef, where he serves up contemporary American cuisine for lunch and dinner seven days a week, including a prized Sunday brunch. A Harvard Square institution, Grafton Street is named after the spirited cobblestone-lined shopping district in Dublin’s famed Temple Bar area.