Charlie Palmer always knew he wanted to be successful and “be someone,” he says. As a child growing up in Smyrna, Palmer says his father always told him he could do whatever he aspired to do and as Palmer entered high school, he found that what he really wanted to do was cook.

Palmer says he always had an interest in cooking, and it was when he took home economics in high school in Sherburne he realized his life journey was about to start.

“I was probably one of the first guys to want to take home economics, but I was interested in it. I also made a bunch of my football friends take it with me,” said Palmer.

After staying upstate directly after graduation and working in restaurants as a dishwasher or kitchen assistant, Palmer wanted to fulfill his dream of going to The Culinary Institute of America. Once he completed college, he moved to New York City and in a matter of a weekend he got settled in an apartment in Manhattan and started a new job. He worked at La Cote Basque in mid-town, among other established restaurants; oftentimes he says he worked more than one job when he was getting started.