Gary Moran

• I was fortunate to be able to help a former colleague from NYC open a high profile restaurant for Emeril Lagasse. I focused on setting up the raw bar recipes and standards of operations.
• I Collaborated with Executive Chef to train incoming staff on proper culinary and sanitary standards. I worked constantly with the chef to enhance food presentation and quality standards.
• Assisted in inventory management, ensuring optimal stock levels of ingredients and supplies.

• When I was hired Stillwaters Tavern was a concept in crisis. I was head hunted with the mandate to help focus the concept and set it on the path to long term profitability and respect and growth.
• I added new menu items which reflect current culinary trends such as Vegan Pad Thai and Philly Cheesesteak French Dip. I added new menu sections such as the House-Made Sausage Board with Accompaniments for $25, which has a food cost of %15.
• I hired and trained a skilled and loyal staff in an extremely challenging labor market. St Petersburg is a beach town, with all the transients and the nonsense they engage in. In many ways staffing was the hardest part, it's also vital to success..
• All of this led to Stillwaters no longer being the weaker concept in the company ( they also own Bella Brava). And I am proud to say that they just built a new one, and have plans for several more.

• Datz was my first chef position in Tampa,(my hometown) after being in NYC, London and San Francisco for several decades.

It also was a concept in crisis, because the owners were restaurant neophytes with way more money, ambition and energy than experience. I loved their passion for the industry and was inspired to see them succeed.

• I completely changed the concept (they were selling really expensive sandwiches, which no was willing to pay for), to NYC style gastro-pub (think Spotted Pig). which was hugely popular, I also encouraged them to employ a top flight Bar Consultant, who crafted an excellent cocktail menu for the gastro-pub re-boot (We crushed it).
• I left Datz to open my own restaurant, with what was then ny new bride. It was a farm-to-table concept, which was very well received (it was voted one of the 10 best new restaurants when we opened) by the public and the press but, was perhaps a bit ahead of its time for Tampa. We had to close after 3 wonderful and challenging years.

I always have to include this job on my resume because all I have achieved as a chef and a culinarian really started here. Working for David Bouley was a magical and frustrating experience. He really is a selfish man but, as a chef, he is the most talented cook I have ever seen. I always say "Bouley has forgotten more about cooking than I will ever know".

Standing next to greatness every night is very informative.

I am the chef I am because I made the personal sacrifices as a young cook to work with chefs like Bouley.

It's one of the smartest decisions I ever made,