John Cain has been a professional chef for almost two decades. He began to realize his passion for cooking during his junior year abroad in Spain, living with students from around the world. He soon began cooking the main meal five days a week for the household, and hasn’t stepped far away from the kitchen since.

Igniting a Culinary Passion

John’s culinary adventures heated up after graduation from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Relocating to San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico, he spent a year helping two friends start a new restaurant. “The pay was not so good,but I liked the intense energy of restaurant life. And, it was a total immersion in authentic interior Mexican cuisine,” recalls Cain.

Following his passion, he earned his degree from the prestigious Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts in Rhode Island in 1994. He then moved home to Austin, Texas, where he quickly progressed through the ranks of young chefs in an exciting new food scene. John gained hands-on experience working with some of the most influential chefs in Austin, including Raymond Tatum of Brio and David Garrido of Jeffrey’s.

Expanding Horizons

While working as sous Chef at Jeffrey’s in Austin, John met his wife Molly. Soon after they married in 1999 he became chef of The Inn Above Onion Creek. During his year there, he presented original dishes in a fresh regional style, and his recipes were featured in a cookbook entitled Top Texas Chefs’ Favorite Recipes (Republic of Texas). But, it was at Farallon in San Francisco where he acquired a thorough grounding in classic French and Mediterranean styles of cooking, adding refinement to his signature style of cuisine. Travel and adventures all over the world, including a season at The Riversong Lodge in Alaska, and six months in Thailand taking cooking classes and exploring regional Thai cuisines, added even more dimension to his repertoire.

Cain’s Fine Catering in Austin: Feels Like Home

In 2002, John departed the restaurant routine and established a well-regarded catering business in San Francisco and then later in San Antonio, working with a select list of clients to serve exclusive private parties. These include past and present San Antonio mayors, former Mexican president Vicente Fox, and former U.S. president George H.W. Bush. In 2008, good fortune brought him back to his hometown of Austin where Cain’s Fine Catering now serves a growing list of clients in both San Antonio and Austin.