Kevin Sousa (chef) facts for kids

Kevin Sousa is a talented chef and food consultant. He is known for creating exciting new American dishes. He used to be the head chef and co-owner of a famous restaurant called Superior Motors in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Today, he works as a private chef and helps other restaurants.

Kevin Sousa's Journey as a Chef

Early Life and Training

Kevin Sousa was born on November 21, 1974, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. He started his cooking career at the Duquesne Club. There, he learned important skills in the kitchen. He worked with Chef Keith Coughenaur, gaining valuable experience.

Gaining Recognition

After his early training, Kevin worked at several well-known restaurants. These included Kaya and Soba, Bigelow Grille, and Alchemy. He also helped as a consulting chef for Nine on Nine. His skills and creativity began to get noticed in the food world.

Opening His Own Restaurants

Kevin Sousa decided to open his own restaurants. In 2010, he launched Salt of the Earth. This restaurant quickly became very popular. It was even named a semi-finalist for "Best New Restaurant" by the James Beard Award in 2011. The Week magazine also gave it a great review.

In 2011, Pittsburgh Magazine named Kevin Sousa "Chef of the Year." His restaurant, Salt of the Earth, was recognized by Food & Wine Magazine for having one of the "Ten Best Restaurant Dishes of 2011." It was also praised by The New York Times for being part of the farm-to-table movement in Pittsburgh. This means using fresh, local ingredients directly from farms.

In early 2012, Kevin and his team opened two more places: Union Pig and Chicken, and Station Street Hot Dogs. Both were in the East Liberty area of Pittsburgh.

The Superior Motors Project

In December 2013, Kevin Sousa started a special project. He used a website called Kickstarter to raise money for a new restaurant. It was going to be called Superior Motors and located in Braddock, Pennsylvania. Many people believed in his idea. Over 2,000 supporters helped him raise more than $310,000.

After some delays, Superior Motors finally opened in July 2017. It quickly became a huge success. Within its first year, Food and Wine Magazine named it one of the Top 10 best restaurants in the entire country. Pittsburgh Magazine also called it the best new restaurant of 2018.

Recent Ventures

Superior Motors closed in 2020. Kevin Sousa is no longer involved with its operations. In October 2021, Kevin opened a new restaurant called Mount Oliver Bodega (M.O.B.) in Mount Oliver. However, in December 2021, he and his wife announced they were stepping away from that restaurant as well.

Today, Kevin Sousa continues his work as a private chef. He also works as a consultant, helping other restaurants with their ideas and plans.

Awards and Recognition

• 2004: Voted a Rising Star Chef by Pittsburgh Magazine.
• 2011: Salt of the Earth was a semi-finalist for "Best New Restaurant" by the James Beard Award.
• 2011: Named Chef of the Year by Pittsburgh Magazine.
• 2012: Semi-finalist for "The People's Best New Chef" by Food & Wine Magazine.
• 2012: Semi-finalist for "Best Chef: Midatlantic" by the James Beard Award.
• 2018: Superior Motors named one of the Top 10 best restaurants in the country by Food and Wine Magazine.
• 2018: Superior Motors named best new restaurant of 2018 by Pittsburgh Magazine.