Chris Willis was going to be a drummer. But deep down, it was always his fate to open a restaurant.

Willis’ life has been built around food – growing it, cultivating it, cooking it – even from his early days on his family’s fourth-generation farm, where he was inspired to appreciate the nuances of produce and discover the delicate seasonality of flavors.

Since then he’s built an impressive resume, working at a number of across top tier establishments and honing his skills along the way. He mastered the fundamentals at Rialto; developed discipline at Clio; enhanced his understanding of balance, texture and spice at Cafe Gray; learned how to cook pasta at Sfoglia; and embraced the importance of maximum flavor impact at ABC Cocina.

When he met his wife-to-be, Pam, it was a match made in hospitality heaven. The daughter of a hotelier and a restaurateur, she has hospitality in her blood. She’d grown up in New York City hotels, often left with cooks and busboys as babysitters. She spent hours with Maître D’s after school, folding napkins and steaming silverware.

At Pammy’s, which they opened in Cambridge in 2017, the pair believe in power of simplicity – showcase just a few star ingredients in a dish and allow the care, knowledge and skill to shine through. Their collective goal is to serve unfussy, great food and channel their natural knack for hospitality.