For Sean Gillespie, working in restaurants started early. When he was 13 or 14, his family owned a small café, with his dad running the front of the house and his brother in the kitchen. Sean remembers arriving so early that he’d sleep on the floor until it was time to get to work.

“I think it got put in my blood,” he says.

At 17, Sean moved to the Delaware beaches, finished his senior year at Cape Henlopen High School and landed a job washing dishes at Retro Café in Rehoboth. From there, he kept learning and working his way through some of the area’s most recognizable kitchens, including The Blue Plate, Matt’s Fish Camp, Striper Bites, Bethany Blues and Nectar. Along the way, he learned everything from smoked meats and high-volume service to what it takes to lead a kitchen.

Eventually, that path brought him back to Lewes and to Lewes Oyster House.

Sean had never met Chef Sean Corea before his first interview at Lewes Oyster House, but the two immediately clicked. He initially joined the team in prep, while also working nights at other restaurants to make ends meet.

During that first year, Sean was also making an important change in his life: becoming sober. As he continued to grow personally and professionally, Chef Sean saw something in him and offered him the opportunity to step into the Chef de Cuisine role.

Now entering his third summer as Chef de Cuisine, Sean’s journey reflects the work, perseverance and commitment it takes to build a life and career you’re proud of.

“Sean is without question the best number two I have ever had the pleasure of working alongside,” says Executive Chef and Co-Founder Sean Corea. “He leads without ego and makes decisions based on what is best for the kitchen, the restaurant and the team, not what brings him the most recognition.”

It’s a quality Co-Founder Tom Little sees as well. “He’s faced adversity with resilience and continues to shine through his dedication to the restaurant and to the people around him. He leads with humility, puts the team ahead of his ego, and brings his strengths to the table while always looking for ways to grow, both professionally and personally.”

Ask Sean where a new dish begins and there isn’t one answer. It might be a seasonal ingredient, something the kitchen has an abundance of or a byproduct he doesn’t want to waste. But it can just as easily start with a song, a television show, a word or simply an idea he can’t get out of his head.

One of his favorite dishes began with a vision of a carrot purée that looked as though it were growing out of the ground. After talking it through with Chef Sean, it evolved into what Gillespie still considers one of the best dishes he’s ever created.

“At Lewes Oyster House, it can come from anywhere.”

For all that creativity, the dish on the menu that feels most like Sean is decidedly uncomplicated: the Buffalo wings. “I like simple, easy bar food,” he says. The Buffalo sauce is his recipe: garlic, apple cider vinegar, whiskey, butter and plenty of Crystal hot sauce, balanced just right.

On a day away from the kitchen, Sean keeps things pretty relaxed. You might find him at the beach with his dog and friends, shooting a basketball around at the park in Lewes, or taking himself out to dinner to see what other local chefs are cooking.

He has plenty of hometown favorites: Michy’s Relaxed Dining for a great date-night spot, the al pastor tacos at Stop-N-Go, carnitas at Tequila Real, and dinner at Blue Hen or Bodhi.

And then there’s his perfect pairing: peanut butter on white bread with Campbell’s Sirloin Burger soup. Unexpected, nostalgic and just a little weird, which Sean is the first to admit. We’ll leave that one for his day off.