Chef Kenny Gilbert & Oprah Winfrey
Renowned culinary entrepreneur, TV personality, and chef to the stars Kenny Gilbert today announced he will open a new restaurant called Cut and Gather in Raleigh in early 2020. The restaurant will be located in North Raleigh – at 13100 Falls of Neuse Road – and feature an all-day menu of wood fired Southern-style cuisine as well as weekend brunch. Expect an authentic flavor-forward menu of meats, BBQ, seafood, and other regional dishes cooked on custom-made woodburning ovens, grills, and smokers.
Affordable family-friendly offerings inspired by his Florida-born mom’s cooking will rotate in tune with local harvests. Welcoming portions served tableside in American cast iron will have guests reminiscing to time spent on relatives’ porches growing up across the South. A complementary innovative craft cocktail and bar program will highlight unique moonshine and bourbon creations.
The name Cut & Gather pays homage to Kenny’s collective culinary experiences – from cooking for superstars to reinterpreting for his own family and friends his favorite small-town styled recipes. Cut & Gather is intended as a showcase of his “tried and true” special chef dishes over the years.
Throughout his more than two-decade career, Kenny has been executive chef at some of the most lauded hospitality destinations in the country, including The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Resort in Sea Island, Ga., the Ritz Carlton properties in Amelia Island & Jupiter, FL, and The Inn at Lost Creek in Telluride, Colo., named one of CondeNast’s Top 40 Resorts in the U.S. He has launched numerous restaurants and helped design and develop James Beard recognized concepts like Yardbird, Khong River House, and Swine.
Despite humble beginnings, Kenny has cooked for the G8 summit during President Bush’s time in office, bested Bobby Flay on his own Food Network TV show, judged Food Network TV’s “Chopped Junior,” cooked for the Sports Illustrated Super Bowl party, appeared on the “Today Show,” and as a cheftestant on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” (where he was voted season seven fan favorite with the nickname The Beast in the Kitchen). A sought-after headliner in food & wine festivals around the country, Kenny also cooks each year for Oprah Winfrey’s personal holiday meals and his recipes are regularly featured in O, The Oprah Magazine. Its current November cover proclaims Kenny’s Smoked Turkey as “My All-Time Favorite Turkey Recipe.”
“I first came to Raleigh in 2010 as a special chef guest at the annual Southern Women’s Show and was fortunate to experience firsthand the exciting level of food talent here even back then,” said Chef Kenny Gilbert. “Fast forward to today – national award-winning names such as friend and former Amelia Island colleague Scott Crawford have cemented the Raleigh food scene on the map. I am thrilled to plant roots here and add my own experiences and passion for reimagined Southern cuisine to one of the fastest growing areas of the country.”
Kenny is personally crafting the entire Cut & Gather dining experience – from menu development to handpicking and training his team – and looks forward to making his guests feel welcomed.
Sign up for updates at www.cutandgather.com and connect on social @cutandgather.
About Chef Kenny Gilbert
Born and raised outside Cleveland, Kenny’s curiosity for the kitchen started young. His mom noticed how captivated her son was when she cooked or entertained and began teaching him the basics. Kenny’s father, an avid BBQ man, schooled him in the ways of the grill, including homemade sauces and rubs, presenting him with his very own small Weber at the age of seven. By age 11, Kenny was cooking the family’s entire Thanksgiving dinner solo. In high school, he was cooking at practice for his entire swim team, on a portable electric double burner in the locker room.
Kenny enrolled in a local vocational culinary program while in high school and after graduating, earned a degree in culinary arts from The Pennsylvania Culinary Institute. Kenny began his career with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company as an apprentice in the garde manger kitchen of their acclaimed Amelia Island, FL property. Kenny worked his way up to Chef de Cuisine at the age of 23, helping to consistently secure the AAA Five Diamond Award for the property throughout his tenure there.
With more than 20 years of industry experience, Kenny has run just about every area of Food & Beverage Divisions at the AAA Five Diamond and Mobile Five Star levels. His passion for fine dining is complemented by his vast experience across the entire spectrum of the culinary industry. From banquets to pastries, club and restaurant design to bar and lounge concepts, Kenny’s innovative and creative approach to the restaurant and hospitality industries is unmatched. Follow Chef Kenny @ChefKennyG.
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