Kevin Westmoreland, Co-Owner
Kevin Westmoreland, co-owner of Corner Kitchen, Chestnut, and Corner Kitchen Catering is an Asheville native. He grew up less than ½ mile from the site of the Corner Kitchen and spent much of his childhood exploring what is now Historic Biltmore Village. A management graduate of UNC-Asheville, Kevin spent the first 20 years of his career in customer service related management. He worked in retail settings, hospitals in both Asheville and Denver, CO, and as an IT manager. Taking care of customers and guests has always been of primary importance to him.
Outside of the restaurants, Kevin serves on several local non-profit boards and spends time with his wife Amy and his children Matthew and Lauren.
Joe Scully, Co-Owner
Joe started working in restaurants in 1977. His first job was as a Host and then as a Cook at a very busy Houlihan’s Old Place in Hackensack, New Jersey. In 1987, Joe entered the Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, NY. After graduation Joe was given a fellowship at The Culinary Institute’s Escoffier Room Restaurant. Then Joe became the Executive Sous chef at the prestigious Cherokee Town and Country Club.
In the following years leading up to opening Corner Kitchen, Joe held Executive Chef positions at Indigo Coastal Grill, The Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta as well as the United Nations in New York City.
Joe is the Chef/Owner of two of Asheville’s most distinctive and popular food operations: Corner Kitchen, and Chestnut. Corner Kitchen opened its doors in February 2004 and Chestnut in September 2012.
Rachel Morgan, General Manager
Rachel, a native of Michigan, spent a summer at Penland School of Crafts blacksmithing and quickly fell in love with the Appalachian Mountains. In 2003, she made Asheville her home and with a long list of hospitality jobs in her past, including everything from coffee shops to fine dining, Rachel started working in restaurants bartending, managing, and serving all while owning her own landscaping business. She joined Corner Kitchen in the Spring of 2014.
Through her landscaping, Rachel spent significant time designing, installing, and maintaining gardens. Her love of nature and hospitality harmoniously coexist. “Nature is soothing for the mind, body, and soul just like a great dining experience.”
When she’s not at the restaurant, you’ll find her in Fairview, NC with her two daughters, husband Billy, and two dogs, Wrigley and Rocky Top, right behind. Chances are she’ll be gardening, working on home renovations, frolicking in nature, or eating sushi.
David Van Tassel, Executive Chef
David Van Tassel, a graduate of AB-Tech’s Culinary Arts program, is an Asheville native, which is rare to find even in a city known for its love of all things local. After working in Columbia, South Carolina’s food scene, and various local restaurants, his first Executive Chef position was at Asheville’s The Junction. In 2019, he assumed the role as Executive Chef at Corner Kitchen.
Son of retired health professionals, and brother to two sisters, David admits to being a boisterous kid with an affinity for the outdoors. That childhood nature shines through in his approach to cooking and plating. He enjoys making “seriously fun” food with “nuanced ingredients.” Preparing meals according to season, staying in a culinary lane, and honoring the whole animal are integral parts of David’s cooking philosophy.
Homelife for him might seem more like farm life to others. At present, David has two dogs, three cats, six chickens, and three ducks named Snap, Crackle, and Pop (a nod to his love of cereal). His two acres in Asheville also bear fruit trees and several lively gardens.
Heather Gressett, Executive Pastry Chef
Heather Gressett is the Executive Pastry Chef at both Chestnut and Corner Kitchen. Having made her way to the Blue Ridge Mountains via the West Coast and Chicago (where she earned the nickname “Sugar Chef”), Heather is one of the best kept sweet secrets in the South.
Having her restaurant career begin at the early age of 14, thanks to her adoration of movie character Matilda and a fondness for a hometown restaurant’s magical flan, Heather followed her love of food straight to Santa Barbara City College’s culinary program, where she was chosen to visit Europe as part of her studies. At 21, she moved to Chicago to work with Paul Kahan’s One Off Hospitality Group where she founded the Chicago Bridge Project, which still operates to this day, partnering with area restaurants to use their excess resources to address the needs of the city’s vulnerable populations.
In her role as Executive Pastry Chef for Westmoreland & Scully, Heather brings joy, comfort, whimsy, and a dose of sensibility to the world of sweets. She believes everyone should enjoy dessert at the end of their meal, so she aspires to produce a menu that includes creative, healthy options, in addition to decadent selections.
