Kyle Knall has always had a passion for food, one rooted in the traditions of the American South. After studying at Culinard in his hometown of Birmingham, Knall went to work for the influential, multi-time James Beard Foundation winning chef, Frank Stitt.
After four years under Stitt, Knall moved to New York City in 2008, immediately securing a line cook position at the Michelin-starred Gramercy Tavern. Working closely with chef Michael Anthony, another decorated James Beard honoree, Knall was promoted to sous chef for his final two years at Gramercy.

In 2012, Knall was approached to serve as executive chef and partner of
Maysville, a position he accepted at Anthony’s encouragement. Here, he tapped into his Alabama roots to present imaginative Southern cuisine, executed with high-quality produce sourced from greater New York. Maysville received a two-star review from The New York Times, which praised Knall’s “understated American style ... a winning blend of the refined and the unpretentious.” The accolades continued as Knall and his partners opened Kenton’s in New Orleans in 2015. New Orleans magazine named it the “Best New Restaurant” of 2016.

In 2018, Kyle took the position of executive chef of STARR Restaurant’s Electric Lemon, located in Hudson Yards’ Equinox Hotel, Knall presents light, balanced and bright cooking, keeping flavor at the forefront as he celebrates the bounty of the Mid-Atlantic.

Today, Kyle is the Executive Chef and Partner of Birch Restaurant and is the Culinary Director at Stone Bank Farm. Kyle was a semifinalist for Most Outstanding Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2022 and in 2023 Birch made The NY Times 50 places to eat list.