Spotlight: Chef Skip 757

In the span of two years, Chef Christopher Skipper has gone from a student at the Culinary Institute of Virginia, to opening his own brick and mortar in Virginia Beach, and was most recently chosen to be one of the featured chefs at the Stirring the Pot Dinner, which honored the legacy of African-American watermen in Hampton Roads. His rise to successful business owner and chef has not always been an easy one, and speaks to his determination; from 2009-2014, Skipper was incarcerated for drug-related offenses, but after serving his debt to society, as part of a work release program, he worked in several local restaurants. And now the combination of his personal drive and philosophy of “keeping it simple” has led to the establishment of one of the best new fried seafood restaurants in the area, as staff writer Yana Samberg discovered after talking to Chef Skipper and a few of his loyal customers.

Intro by Debra Freeman | Article by Yana Samberg | Photography by Fitz

Lead photo of Chef Christopher Skipper cooking for the 2018 Stirring The Pot Dinner 

Christopher Skipper, or Chef Skip as he is known in the 757, has been pretty successful in the last two years. While still a student at the Culinary Institute of Virginia, he launched a food truck. And last year he moved his operation from four wheels to a brick and mortar location tucked away in a residential neighborhood in Virginia Beach.

Skipper, 34, said it wasn’t his plan to transition from a food truck to a storefront. But when he rode by his current location on Dahlia Road in Virginia Beach one day and saw the “For Rent” sign, he just had to follow up. He opened in late summer 2016.

Fried fish sandwich by Chef Christopher Skipper

His move from truck to storefront hasn’t kept his fans from finding him. Chef Skip said he was “killing it” during the first two months, and things have remained steady since.

“There are no hidden tricks in his food,” said 22 year-old Daniel Vansickle, who stopped in for a fish sandwich and some fish tacos with his girlfriend Victoria Rojas, 19. Vansickle said he found Chef Skip’s storefront riding by one day with a friend. He continues to come back because “it’s all good food.”

Rojas agrees. Whether it’s the po’ boys or cheesesteaks, it’s all good, she said. The only disappointment Vansickle and Rojas faced during their visit was that Skipper had sold out of his homemade banana pudding earlier in the day.

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Pudding or no pudding, what Chef Skip is known for, however, is his crab cakes and his fried shrimp po’ boys. Because his eatery is a pick up and take out kinda place you can’t devour his golden fried delights on the spot, which could prove dangerous. However, it’s worth noting that Skipper has been playing with fry varieties in order to find ones that will hold up to takeout transport rigors.

And while the food at Chef Skip 757 isn’t cutting edge, more straightforward, it’s his attention to details – from finding the right fry, to the pretty edible flowers that adorn each order, to the consistently reliable flavors that will keep you coming back.

Chef Christopher Skipper making she-crab soup at his takeout restaurant in Virginia Beach

Skipper starts his days early at 9 in the morning and often doesn’t leave the restaurant until 11 at night. But he said it has been an improvement over working a food truck. When he was running his food truck, Skipper said it was, “the hardest I’ve worked in my life.” Running a food truck means being slammed for three hours each day during service and it’s a “miserable three hours,” because there is literally no time to catch your breath. And then there is still all the prep.

With a storefront, Skipper can catch a break here and there, talk to the customers and maybe even catch a bit of a football game. Soft spoken and attentive, Skipper moves from counter to deep fryer to flat top, preparing food to order. He built out the green and white interior himself to ensure a clean and sparse look. Family helps out so he can spend some time with his wife and baby daughter. His mom helps with morning prep, his brother now runs the food truck, and his brother’s stepson takes over on Saturday afternoons so that Skipper can have time off.

Chef Skipper in the kitchen

He said he enjoys being able to do whatever he wants in his place. His intent is to keep moving forward, to just “keep it simple”, and to keep making food that is simply delicious.

Chef Skip 757 is located at 1591 Dahlia Dr. Suite 105 in Virginia Beach. For more on Chef Skip 757, visit www.chefskip757.com or www.facebook.com/chefskip757