This Award-Winning 26-Year-Old Chef Is Turning Heads in Austin

In the calm before dinner service at Fig, the kitchen hums in steady rhythm as chef Cole Fitzgerald makes his rounds—every motion is deliberate, and every plate serves as a reflection of his exacting style. At just 26, the North Carolina–born chef already holds a Michelin recommendation and a résumé that includes working with iconic chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay. Yet what defines Fitzgerald is the quiet discipline that shows up in every dish, whether he’s coaxing bright, unexpected flavor from salt-fermented scraps, hand-rolling pasta with imported Italian flour, or finding purpose in the precision of whole-animal butchery.

The city’s insatiable appetite for chef-driven concepts makes Fig Italian Kitchen and Bar aptly “Austin,” a place where culinary creativity and laid-back charm naturally go hand in hand. Yet, Fitzgerald’s approach to distinctive menu offerings stands out amid a sea of fusion. Think handmade pastas laced with Hill Country ingredients and international flair, with seasonal menus shaped by local purveyors.

Despite receiving early acclaim for his executive chef chops at Atlanta-based New American restaurant The White Bull, Fitzgerald resists the temptation to define himself by accolades. “I never want to make that a prime center of my career… it just happened,” he says. As Fitzgerald sees it, staying focused on technique, mentorship, and the joy of constant learning is more relevant than chasing stars or awards. The rising culinary talent began cooking at age 13 at a family friend’s restaurant and earned executive chef status at only 20 years old while in his sophomore year at the University of Georgia. 

Drawing inspiration from one of his favorite books, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Fitzgerald says the key to mastering his craft isn’t believing he’s exceptional—it’s knowing he’s not. Instead, it’s hard work and a focus on self-improvement that makes the difference. It’s that careful balance of manifesting a humble yet confident attitude that keeps the former Georgia resident hungering for what’s next, which led him to move from Atlanta to Austin in the summer of 2024.

Here, Fitzgerald wanted to do something traditional while still defying expectations. He bristles at the idea that “Italian” equals red-sauce classics or Americanized favorites, such as heavy cream-based chicken alfredo or marinara-drenched chicken parmigiana.

“Traditional Italian is not Italian American. They could not be more opposite,” he says. “Most of my dishes have five ingredients—manipulated in different ways—that’s true to how Italians cook.” Minimalism is his signature, but it comes with international swagger, such as the ricotta gnocchi brightened by saffron butter, shiitake, smoked hatch chilies, roasted corn, and Aleppo pepper. Even Fig’s half chicken follows suit, with crisp skin balanced by marsala jus, creamy polenta, roasted mushrooms, and cipollini onion. The dish reads as simple on paper but layers Italian comfort with global nuance.

At Fig, Fitzgerald intends to build not just dishes but people. Most of his kitchen brigade is under 25, and the chef not only relishes pushing them, but also loves being challenged himself. “It brings the happiest and the saddest tears to my eyes when I’m next to a 19-year-old kicking my ass on the line,” he says. “They’ve still got that spark, and I love surrounding myself with it.”