Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2024
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Current

Employment History

• 1921, Mount Dora, Orlando; King & Duke, Atlanta; Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta; Holeman & Finch Public House, Atlanta; North Pond, Chicago; Cafe Boulud, Palm Beach, Florida

Education

• Culinary Arts Degree from Johnson & Wales, Charlotte, NC

Birthplace

• Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Languages Spoken

• English

Chris Edwards loves to cook on an open fire, and that’s just one of the many reasons why serving as Capa Chef is a great fit for him. Edwards enjoys cooking meat to perfection and believes over a wood-grilled fire is the best way to do so. “I love this process of correctly cooking proteins,” he notes. “Capa’s wood-fired grill, on which we grill all of our meats and seafood over pecan wood, gives a distinct flavour profile that you won’t find at any other restaurant in town.”  

Guests have also come to love the ambiance created by the grill, a centrepiece in the beautiful show kitchen, newly renovated in 2024 and featuring a beautiful display case for the aged meats and variety of specialty foods Capa offers. The open kitchen invites diners to keep an eye on the action as Chef and his team of cooks prepare everything from the small tapas plates on the menu such as the gambas and pan con tomate, to the grandest of steaks, the 32-ounce prime Creekstone Farms porterhouse.

Joining Capa in time for its 10th anniversary, Edwards aims to position Capa as “the best version of itself since its conception.”  He’s most proud of the amount of local ingredients Capa is able to incorporate, including herbs grown on the Resort property and eggs sourced from local Le Koope Farms’ pasture-raised chickens in nearby Clermont. “I love to support local agriculture whenever possible; it’s really something I enjoy,” adds Edwards. “I hope to bring some of my relationships with local farmers and regional producers to Capa. It’s a passion I’ve had for a long time.”

Edwards has served as an executive chef for the past 12 years, most recently joining Capa from 1921 restaurant in Mount Dora, a scenic lakeside community southeast of Orlando. Prior to 1921, he was executive chef under the stewardship of Chef Linton Hopkins at Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch in Atlanta.  Previously, he was at North Pond in Chicago, and also at Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach. Undoubtedly, Edwards knows his way around a kitchen, having first started out washing the dishes in a sports bar his father managed, when he was age 14.

In his free time, Edwards loves to spend the days with his family, wife Nicole and two young daughters, Evelyn and Olivia. They enjoy building Legos, going on walks to the park, and spending time at Orlando’s renowned theme parks.  Edwards’ favourite place to eat with his family is Waffle House, and he says that at this moment in time, he and his wife tend to prioritize restaurants that also have great chicken tenders and cheese pizza options. “Occasionally, we will splurge for some good, buttered noodles,” he jokes, noting they also eat ramen noodles often. When not with the little ones in tow, Edwards shared his most “incredible” recent meal was at Omo by Jont, a tasting counter concept in nearby Winter Park.

Edwards loves to give his own spin on recipes, and often tries new ideas, always incorporating different ingredients to create new flavours. “My favourite quote is one by Julia Child-- ‘the only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking, you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude’.”  Time will tell if Edwards’ favourites such as chicken and waffles, or ramen noodles, will make a special appearance on Capa’s menu - but in the meantime, there’s no shortage of mouthwatering options served up by Chef and his team of culinarians at Capa.