Matt Kerley
Executive Chef, The Rumpus Room
Matt Kerley was born in Australia and moved to the Western Carolinas when he was 10. Living in an area that placed heavy emphasis on local sourcing and developing direct relationships with farms, Matt discovered a love for food and became a strong advocate for the importance of local sourcing. His background in the countryside cuisine of his home state is something that influences him to this day.
An apprenticeship with Flat Rock Village Bakery in North Carolina working with Scott Unfried allowed Matt an opportunity to learn the art of brick oven sourdough baking. During the same time period, he worked at the Select Registry Inn with Sebastian Carossi. Both played a formative role in Matt’s career, and his experiences with each ultimately led him to move to San Francisco to further his skills. Matt spent eight years in San Francisco working at such notable restaurants as One Market, Myth, Slow Club and Serpentine before becoming Executive Chef of Magnolia Gastropub and then Radius, which earned a 3-star rating by the San Francisco Chronicle under Matt’s leadership.
Matt moved back to Milwaukee in 2011 and joined The Bartolotta Restaurants as Executive Sous Chef of Rumpus Room in August of 2012. Now Executive Chef, Matt brings his passion for local sourcing, quality ingredients and the creation of adventurous but approachable cuisine to Rumpus Room. He takes great pride in the seasonally changing menu and the restaurant’s beer dinners and events, as well as with working in conjunction with one of the city’s strongest and most extensive beverage programs.
