As the owner and executive chef of Red Sky on Seabrook Island, Matt Bolus brought his love for all things epicurean to his new restaurant. Matt perpetually strives to create contemporary dishes with clean flavors that showcase his devotion to fresh, local ingredients. With an unpretentious atmosphere, Bolus has created upscale cuisine that is accessible and approachable. Matt spent his adolescent years in Knoxville and first developed a passion for food through helping his parents with household chores. “My Mom owned her own business and would get home at 6:30 p.m. and still have to cook dinner,” Matt said, “I learned to cook simply because I wanted to help her.” Matt’s helpful hobby soon turned to a creative outlet and ultimately a career. While attending the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville Matt took several restaurant positions. In 2003 he began working at Little Star restaurant as the sous chef. During Matt’s time at Little Star the restaurant was rated the ‘Best New Restaurant’ in Knoxville in 2003 and received an ‘Award of Excellence’ from Wine Spectator in 2004. Matt’s professional career began with a position as a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch. It was a natural step after gaining a bachelor’s degree in finance. While at Merrill Lynch, he found himself throwing dinner parties for friends on a regular basis. “I always wanted to go home and cook when I had a bad day,” said Matt, “then one day I realized that I was much happier cleaning a kitchen at midnight than I was working behind a desk at four o’clock in the afternoon.” After resigning from Merrill Lynch, Matt took a risk and moved to London to pursue his passion for cooking. He was accepted into the prestigious, Le Cordon Bleu and earned the Grand Diplôme de Cuisine et de Pâtisserie Le Cordon Bleu. While in London, Matt gained invaluable knowledge about handling fresh fish working at Blagden’s Fish Monger. After returning to the states, Matt worked for a variety of restaurants before landing a job as a line cook at the Ocean Room at Kiawah Island under Executive Chef and mentor, Chris Brandt. Within seven months, Matt earned the title of Sous Chef. Matt left the Ocean Room in 2007 and purchased Red Sky Grill, a former Seabrook stalwart, and transformed the interior and cuisine before reopening. Here, Matt has been able to utilize his skill in the kitchen as well as his business background. From Red Sky, Matt hopes to create a life long business that allows him to enjoy his profession everyday. Although Matt spends much of his time working hard to develop Red Sky into a seamless dining experience, he also works to spend time with his family and enjoys fishing and gardening. Matt and his wife currently reside in West Ashley. In 2007, Matt co-wrote Simply Vanilla: Recipes for Everyday Use with Patty Elsberry, owner of Arizona Vanilla Company. Purchase Simply Vanilla here.