Chef Casey Gipson brings nearly 20 years of experience to his role as Executive Chef at Il Solito. Originally from Sacramento, as a child, Chef Casey was inspired by the cooking shows of the 90s, especially those of Julia Child. That spark of passion for food and cooking led him to pursue studies at the California Culinary Academy before honing his skills in some of the country’s best eateries and markets across the country – from San Francisco to Maui.  

Most recently, Chef Casey spearheaded back-of-house operations and acted as opening Executive Chef for Food Network Star Molly Yeh’s first restaurant, Bernie’s. Prior to that, he spent eight years in Portland where he facilitated the expansion of the Migration Brewery’s culinary program to four locations and served as Executive Chef for the restaurant group that encompasses Picnic House, Barlow, High Noon and ChkChk. While he was there, Chef Casey was responsible for developing relationships with local farms and purveyors to bring the rotating seasonal food programs to life at the restaurant. 

Chef Casey loves to incorporate nostalgia and technique into his cooking, a strategy that won him the gold medal for two consecutive years at the Tillamook Mac and Cheese competition. His expertise in developing both strong culinary teams and successfully opening nine restaurant concepts, make him well poised to take the helm of Il Solito, which recently reopened in November following a pandemic closure.  

Guests of Il Solito can look forward to new menu items that reinvent the classics and give a hint of familiar with a forward-thinking twist.