top of page

ABOUT THE CHEF

   EXECUTIVE CHEF TIM BIRKLEY

            Executive Chef Tim Birkley has been working in professional kitchens for almost 25 years. He started at “Tonight Tonight” in North Royalton as a dishwasher at a very young age.  Within 6 months, he promoted to pantry cook, and over the next 4 years he was promoted to line cook, where his training really began.

 

 

            Realizing that this would ultimately become his lifelong passion, Chef Tim attended Johnson & Wales Culinary University, where he graduated with his Associates Degree in Culinary Arts. The whole time he attended college, he worked full time at a few local Charleston, S.C. restaurants, including Events by Stephen Duval, The Village Cafe, and Kiva Han. This experience proved to be invaluable as he was able to take his schooling and apply it directly to practical uses on a nightly basis. After graduating, Chef Tim returned home to Cleveland and worked briefly at Johnny Mango.

 

 

            Soon thereafter, Chef Tim began working at Johnny's Downtown. Within a year, he was promoted to Sous Chef. He fulfilled those duties for almost 3 years, when his biggest opportunity to date was offered to him. Chef Tim was promoted to Chef de Cuisine of the world famous Johnny's Bar on Fulton. For the next few years, Chef Tim maintained the high standards with which Johnny's was synonymous. He was then promoted to Executive Chef of Johnny's Bar, where during that time he helped maintain the highest Zagat rating for food in Cuyahoga County for several years. Chef Tim then was promoted to Executive Chef of all the Johnny's restaurants including; Johnny's Bar, Johnny's Downtown, and Johnny's Little Bar. He fulfilled those duties and then, after almost 17 years with the company, resigned to pursue his lifelong dream...owning his own personalized Professional Chef services business in Cleveland Ohio.

 

 

 

 

   

 

              Accolades

During his culinary journey, Chef Tim has received numerous accolades including...

 

            -Distinguished Fine Dining Establishment Award from DiRona

 

            -Co-recipient of The James Beard Award of Excellence

 

            -Top Zagat ratings for Americas Best Restaurants,Best Food, Best Service, and                              Most Popular Restaurant

 

            -Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator

            -The Silver Spoon Award

 

            -Featured in New York Times, The Miami Herald,Fodor's, Currents, Cleveland                              Magazine,The Plain Dealer, and on FOX 8 and WKYC-TV3

           

 

     CHEF LINKD

Professional Chef Services

Executive Chef Tim Birkley

Phone 216.548.5841   E-mail: cheflinkd@gmail.com

bottom of page