Adam Sappington

Always comforted by food’s ability to incite conversation and generate close-knit bonds, Adam Sappington is the Executive Chef at The Country Cat, the premier made-from-scratch, farm-to-table restaurant located in Southeast Portland. Known for his whole animal butchery and American craft cooking, Adam’s passion for food dates back to his upbringing on the central Missouri farmlands, where he spent hours with his mother in the kitchen and attended the local farmers markets with his grandmother.

Hungry and ready to plunge into his new career, Adam started work at a cutting-edge trattoria in his hometown. He moved to Portland to attend Western Culinary Institute and soon landed at Wildwood Restaurant were he worked his way up from pantry cook to executive chef over the course of 11 years, which shaped him into the chef he is today. Three-time semi-finalist for Best Chef Northwest’s James Beard Award and lauded as one of the pre-eminent butchery chefs in America, Adam believes his butchery skill set has made him a more well rounded chef while also supporting farmers and minimizing waste. Adam has now called the restaurant kitchen home for over 20 years and cannot imagine spending the majority of his time anywhere else.

Adam has been nominated as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef Northwest in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The Country Cat has been featured on many national TV programs: its butchery program was highlighted on the “Meat Lover’s Paradise” episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2013, Adam appeared on ABC’s The Chew to demonstrate The Country Cat’s famous Cast Iron Skillet-Fried Chicken and Biscuits in 2014, and Adam and Jackie both competed – and won! – on Food Network’s Chopped program in March 2015. The restaurant will also be featured on Travel Channel’s Food Paradise this summer.