Albuquerque, Mobile, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Chattanooga, Knoxville. 

These are just some of the places that Chuck Lopopolo, Executive Chef at The Lookout Restaurant in Cloudland, has served some of his signature dishes. And now he has added Chattooga’s Cloudland to that list.

Mr. Lopopolo (pronounced Lah-poh-pah-loh) came on to the team at The Lookout Restaurant in Cloudland in mid-Autumn after connecting with restaurateur and Lookout proprietor, Betty Lambert, online.

Mrs. Lambert, who runs the restaurant with her husband Dennie Lambert, said that she was proud of the work that her cooks were doing before bringing on Lopopolo; but she was ready to take the food to the “next level”, and knew right after meeting him that if anyone can do it, Chuck can.

To say that Chef Chuck is a culinary veteran would be an understatement. He was working full-time in a kitchen by 11. By 22, he was the head chef at a 4-star French restaurant in Dallas, Texas. In the years since, he’s served the likes of Zsa Zsa Gabor, Telly Savalas, and Michael Jackson.

One might say he comes by it honest; Chuck’s earliest memories of working with food are from when he was nine years old, working with his six siblings in his dad’s restaurants.

“Every day after school, we had to go to the restaurant,” Lopopolo said of his younger years. “After we were done with our homework, before we got to go home, I had to peel a 50 lb. sack of potatoes, a 25 lb. sack of carrots, a 50 lb. sack of onions, and a few cases of mushrooms and celery.

“Needless to say, since I had to do that every day, I realized that the faster I got, the sooner I could get home.”

Chef Chuck takes his work very seriously, perhaps even more so now because he has a legacy and reputation of decades to maintain.

“Everything that goes out of that kitchen falls back on us. When customers are getting a bad meal, they might want the owner to refund the money, but what they say is, the chef sucks. This field is very unforgiving.”

Mr. Lopopolo’s story is, in many ways, an especially American story. His father emigrated from southern Italy and met the Alabama native who became his mother. Through a combination of hard work, natural talent, and a supportive family, Mr. Lopopolo has had a successful and varied career in the restaurant industry, working everywhere from fine dining to sports bars to nightclubs, and even doing consulting.

But though many in his position might stake claim to some bragging rights, he makes it clear that he gives all the glory to God.

“We say our prayers and get some stuff done back there. All the glory goes to God. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

For over half of his adult professional career, Chef Chuck has worked intermittently as a two-person team with his wife, Cindy Lopopolo. They met through the industry and haven’t parted ways since. Mrs. Lopopolo was also hired alongside her husband as the Pastry Chef at the Lookout.

The pair are able to work together well because they feed off each other’s energy.

“We’re best friends,” said Chuck of Cindy. “When we leave [the restaurant], we leave this place right here. We’ve always been best friends like that. Not a lot of people can stay together 28 years these days.”

Chef Chuck has helped revamp the Lookout’s menu with a few of his own creations, as well as reworking the restaurant’s original dishes. His personal cooking style comes from having a European father and, in his own words, a hillbilly mother.

“I took mediterranean and southern and infused the two in the menu. It took me two months to write that menu, and I enjoyed the execution thereof.”

The Lookout menu is described as upper scale, traditional Southern and Appalachian dishes, with a European attention to detail. Hours are Thursday & Friday 5-10 PM, Saturday 3-10 PM, and Sunday 11-8 PM. There is an all-you-can-eat fried catfish special every Saturday, and a brunch buffet on Sundays. Appetizers and small dishes are $6-10, and full dishes are $10-30.

They are still taking reservations for Thanksgiving, and Mrs. Lambert is encouraging anyone interested to call soon, because spots are filling up fast.

The Lookout Restaurant is located at 41 Atlanta Ave in Cloudland, just left of the caution light on top of the mountain. Their phone number is 706-862-3060.