a career narrative covering significant professional learning opportunities

1. My particular skill set is the product of the sum total of
experiences and training absorbed throughout my working
life. There are more skills to be learned within the culinary
profession than there are holes in a big wheel of Swiss; and
my career path has taken me through a bigger wedge than
most. Highlights of my nearly 30 years “in the cheese”
follows.

2.  I started in the food industry at 15 in Westport  Several managers left the Vie D’ France Group
Ct, and working at a popular local Tex Mex and I followed them, working with an
Restaurant‐Viva Zapata’s, as bus boy and prep expanding restaurant group developed by a
cook. I worked there weekends and summers all large family owned processed meats company in
through high school and college. I also worked the Baltimore‐DC Metropolitan corridor,
for Restaurateur David DeRosa at DeRosa’s Murray’s Meats. The restaurant division was
Trattoria‐fine Italian, and Master Chef George named ‘New York, New York Restaurants’. The
Lorens‐classic French, in Saugatuck, Ct. And for first property opened on K Street between 19th
a few summers I trained into New York City and and 20th. I opened this high volume high‐casual
worked in a couple of cafes on and around restaurant the first year, the second property on
Houston Street. Rockville Pike in Maryland the next year, and
 After college I returned to DC and began to the third unit in Rosslyn, VA the year following.
work as a line cook for the Vie D’ France I loved it all. Multi unit consistencies,
Corporation. After a year as kitchen manager, I demographic menu tuning
was fortunate to work closely with the corporate
chef Rice Russell and Corporate Comptroller
Gene Hunt while they were focusing on an
aggressive expansion plan to open six new
restaurants in the DC area in a brief two year
window. I was the preopening KM for several
properties. Pre‐Opening Experience,
Corporate Controls

3.  At five years or so working full time and trained Chef Dinah Nargil I applied myself
enjoying it I reached my first career path passionately to learning all I could in this small,
decision. I was a kitchen manager but not a exciting kitchen. It was scratch cooking, strictly
chef‐and I saw no way to become one in my French technique and cuisine, with a reliance on
working trajectory. Although I was studying the highest quality and freshness of the product.
everything I could get my hands on, the only  These key principles have been my framework
culinary I’d learned was from co‐workers: line as a chef since. Premium quality products,
cooks, prep cooks, dishwashers, and my first French technique, French classics, Union
kitchen managers; none of which had any relations
formal training.
 I possessed strong pre‐opening and kitchen
operations training, but had experienced only
very basic culinary to date. As I saw it my
options were to move into senior management
with corporate multi‐unit restaurant chains or
go where I could learn to cook and pursue a
higher culinary path. I had wanted to be a chef
from the age of five, so this is the decision I
made.
 I took a position as Executive Chef at The State
Plaza Hotel, a boutique property in Foggy
Bottom, DC. There I worked for and under the
tutelage of the F&B Director, Cordon Bleu

4.  With two years at The State Plaza I left to work began my training in pastry and dessert work.
as Roundsman Sous for Chef Robert Neroni. While at Pippins I met the GM of the Siwanoy
Chef Neroni came to DC to open a new concept Country Club in Bronxville, NY.; shortly after
restaurant‐Bradshaw’s‐based on California that I became the Executive Chef there.
influenced ‘new american’ cuisine. Chef Neroni  At Siwanoy CC I benefitted from training with
worked as Corporate Chef for Marriott, and Master Chef Conrad Renkin, who was a lifetime
among a weight of impressive accolades, he was friend of the Club Manager and was brought in
the first American chef to win a gold medal in to teach me the country club side of the
the International Culinary Olympics. Style, business. The highlight of Chef Renkin’s stay
cuisine trending, regional American with me at Siwanoy was our hosting the PGA’s
 I have always felt Chef Neroni ‘discovered’ me. 75 Anniversary Golf Tournament Member Guest
His interest and opinion of my cooking inspired Event, a 5 day nationally televised affair.
me to take a more serious look at my potential. Country Club & Golf Club Experience,
Our common ground was the regional American Cuisine of New England
cuisine then taking off nationally, and Chef
Neroni advised travel to get more exposure and
experience with the best of the best. He pointed
out particular chefs and cities. I followed his
advice.
 I moved to NYC and worked with Chef Sophie
Boudreau of Pippins’ Restaurant in 7 Corners,
Scarsdale. Chef Boudreau was a certified master
pastry chef, Paris Cordon Bleu trained; here I

5.  From Siwanoy CC I moved to New Orleans to  The most renowned chef in Houston during
work for Alex Patout‐then named a top ten chef these years was Robert McGrath of the Four
in America by Bon Appetite Magazine. I trained Seasons Hotel. Chef McGrath was a Certified
under Patout’s Executive Chef Rusty. Chef Rusty Master Chef and James Beard Award winner. He
was a true Louisiana water basin tug boat was among the vanguard of the most exciting
captain’s son and first‐mate. The classic cuisine of the time‐Southwest American cuisine,
Louisianna Acadian Creole and Cajun cuisines along with Chefs Robert Del Grande at Café
were elevated to high style in these dining Annie and Dean Fearing in Dallas, and Mark
rooms, served on real china by tuxedo wearing Miller in New Mexico. It was big news when
waiters. Chef McGrath announced he was leaving the
 For my training I started by making the roux, Four Seasons to open his own place. I sought
then picking crabmeat‐saving the crab fat for and received the exec sous/chef de cuisine post
gumbos; next I moved to smoking whole pigs at the Sierra Grill. The Sierra Grill was named
and spiced tasso in the rooftop smoker/slow top ten new restaurants of America that year by
cooker, and finished with stuffing boudin Food Critic John Mariani of Esquire Magazine.
sausage. On vivid memory from this period is a Innovative, modern, Southwest Cuisine, high
weekend spent on the bayou gigging fresh frogs profile, high‐volume ala carte
from a Johnboat, then shooting and roasting
local ducks. Later I moved to Houston and
opened Patout’s restaurant in Houston, working
there two years as Executive Chef. Cuisine of
New Orleans‐Acadian Creole Cookery.

6.  After Chef McGrath left the Sierra Grill to open anchored by the prestigious Tremont Hotel, a 4
The Roaring Fork‐in Scottsdale, Arizona, I took star boutique property and Mr. Mitchell’s
the exec chef position of a new restaurant‐ gemstone. While in Galveston I opened a jazz
LaGriglia‐by nationally recognized restaurateur café and also an old fashioned ice cream parlor
Tony Vallone. Mr Vallone is owner/operator of called Sassparillas for Mitchell Properties. That
Tony’s and several other high cuisine year I developed a trademarked line of
restaurants in the exclusive River Oaks section flavorings, spice rubs and sauces named “G‐
of Houston, Texas. Tony’s is Italian/continental‐ Spice, Flavors of the Gulf Coast’. Multi outlet
long recognized as one of the outstanding management, Intellectual property &
restaurants in the United States. Again, Esquire trademarks, Boutique hotels, Union
named LaGriglia top ten new restaurants of relations
America. High profile, high volume Modern
Italian/Tuscan cuisine
 I spent a year as Executive Chef for Mr. George
Mitchell of Galveston, Texas. Mr. Mitchell is one
of the most prominent and wealthiest of Texas
businessmen. I handled his five food & Beverage
properties on The Strand, which is comprised of
a luxurious few blocks near the fishing wharves
and working harbor in Galveston. The Strand is

7.  At this point I felt ready to open my own  Most personally rewarding, I opened Mick’s Gulf
restaurant and began to look for ‘sweat equity’ Coast Grill for restaurateur Mickey Wooten with
partners. This meant lots of openings and risk a New Orleans bayou & wild game themed
taking, but I was on the path to my own spot. menu and was greatly applauded for it. In fact
First I studied how to write and prepare a proper that year the Houston Chronicle named me
Business Plan. Then how to work with Houston’s Chef of the Year for my work at
contractors and the city to get plans approved. I Mick’s.
began speaking with restaurant brokers and  Next I renovated and operated an upscale Bed
looking at properties. I learned how to rate a and Breakfast in Simonton Texas called the
location, how to do a competitive analysis, and Simonton Inn, for gourmands and an absentee
the myriad of little details that go into the owner. While the GM/Chef at the Simonton Inn
opening of a restaurant. And I looked for both I competed in the Texas Open Wild Game Cook
owner/operators and investors. Off, winning all categories.
 I managed to open several small independently
owned “Mom & Pops”; a small cafe‐Saint’s &
Sinners, for the socialite Papadakis family, SKILLS: Pre‐Openings, Multi‐Unit Corporate
owners of James Coney Island‐Texas franchise. I Chef, USDA inspected High Volume
even assisted with the expantion of an Commissary Kitchen, Retail Sales &
independently owned restaurant group‐Berryhill Distributions, Bed & Breakfast GM/Chef
Hot Tamales‐from one to three units while also
installing a USDA inspected commissary kitchen
to develop and support planned retail sales
nationally. Later I opened a casual family style
Italian bistro‐Vincent’s of Bellaire.

8.  And finally I opened my own restaurant, dropped out, explaining the owner of his current
Gregory’s. By any culinary measure Gregory’s position had offered him a percentage of the
was a critical success, serving haute cuisine restaurant rather than lose him. This was
prepared with ingredients native to the nothing short of an operational disaster, for
Louisianna/Texas basin in a beautiful 60 seat both the dining room services and the business
dining room and cigar bar. The public loved the management side. And with the opening less
place and the press was uniformly positive as far than a week later the early reviews reflected the
as the food was concerned. We were a strictly loss. Business Plans, Corporate Structuring,
‘Scratch Kitchen’, preparing our own breads, Lease Negotiations, Sweat Equity,
pastas, and desserts. We even made our own Partnerships and Investor Relations
ketchup, mayo and mustard. After dreaming of  Unfortunately, each of these start up operations‐
my own place for the whole of my career to that including my own, while critically acclaimed,
point, the tight focus, the inspiration and the proved short‐lived owing to the typical financial
thrill of it was evident on the plate. shortfall of undercapitalization. Concept Start‐
 The service, however, was found lacking and ups, Gulf Coast Cuisine, Restaurant
inconsistent‐and no wonder. The front of the ownership, Business Accounting
house operations had been wholly conceived
and planned with a colleague of mine‐himself a
brilliant restaurant manager and locally famous
maitre d’. He and I had agreed to open our own
place and worked out the concept for Gregory’s
a full two years prior to the actual opening date.
 However just days from pre‐opening services he

9.  Here my career took a dramatic turn. I moved to kitchen. Lot’s of prime rib, roast chicken, and filet
NYC to be Executive Sous/View Complex Chef at mignon. Simple items on the View’s menu came
the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. My tenure at from the banquet staff‐even whipped potatoes.
this spectacular hotel changed my career. Here after With Chef McNeill I worked to develop an
twenty years in the business I learned to be a atmosphere of change. We began a series of menu
professional chef, and fine tuned every facet of my and service upgrades every two to three months.
training. I reached this career milestone by working Under Chef McNeill’s direction and continuous
for the Marquis’ Executive Chef George McNeill. I support, and General Manager Mike Stengal’s as
learned more in those two years than during the well, I was able to create a more receptive team
previous decade. spirit and The View was greatly improved prior to
 The View Complex was a very large high revenue it’s total renovation the following year.
facility; in fact it is still Marriott’s single highest  I consider Chef McNeill my mentor and an example
revenue outlet in the world, grossing well over 21 of how high a chef can raise the bar. Chef McNeill
million dollars annually at the time of my hiring. instilled a reemphasized professional formality, a
But the food wasn’t what it should have been and “World Class, New York City Culinary Edge”, and
Chef McNeill wanted to change that. He planned a multiple layers of refinement into my culinary style.
total renovation for the facility and wanted to He demonstrated how to administrate a high
improve the product served before committing to volume, complex culinary department absolutely
the expense of temporarily closing a very popular committed to the highest standards in the industry.
venue for the physical renovation. Most impressively, Chef McNeill did this while
 From day one Chef McNeill challenged me to treat holding up a never forgotten respect for others in
the View as an independent restaurant with only the workplace.
limited support from the main kitchen fifty floors SKILLS: Culinary Professionalism, High Cuisine at
below. This was a difficult task due to the High Volume, World Class Standards and New
implacable staff of veteran cooks and waiters who York City Style.
treated the complex as their own fiefdom. The View
had served the same menu nine years running,
featuring foods cooked principally by the banquet

10.  9/11. The Marriott Marquis experienced a 90%  The W Hotel, our restaurant Solea, and I
drop in business with the rooftop glass enclosed personally received much critical acclaim‐
View Complex. I was layed off, yet good efforts among the many articles a spread in Mexico’s
bring positive results. I applied for and earned “People Magazine” as a top chef of Mexico; a
the position of Executive Chef for the soon to be profile in the Latin American edition of Playboy;
finished W Hotel Mexico City. and a recurring feature on Mexico’s Fashion
 At the W Hotel Mexico City I applied lessons
Network. Actually there were as many as thirty
learned at the Marquis and drew from my press articles due to the cutting edge style of the
experience with pre openings. This was a new restaurant, the cuisine and culinary service style
world class Starwood hotel with cutting edge we were executing. We served the President of
architecture. I arrived on property during pre Mexico’s family numerous times, hosted
opening construction. I interviewed and dignitaries and socialites, politicians and
eventually hired a culinary brigade of sixty, and celebrities. It was a great place to work, with a
proceeded to prepare all training materials in disciplined, highly motivated kitchen presenting
Spanish and converting my recipes to the metric world class culinary.
system.  Unfortunately that same year my brother was
 Things went very well. Style points at The W
diagnosed with terminal cancer. I could not stay
Hotel included a glass encased private dining in Mexico while he and my family faced this
room, a tapas & sushi bar, an after dinner crisis.
drinks/dessert lounge and rolling carts  I left surely my favorite and most successful
preparing Ceviche and Guacamole tableside. A executive chef position to date and returned to
single, modern, well equipped but moderately the States and endured a very difficult personal
sized kitchen prepared food services for the time for the next two plus years.
signature restaurant Solea, food services for the SKILLS: Interior Mexican cuisine, and coastal
very popular Midnight Oil Bar/Lobby Bar, favorites from both the Gulf and the Pacific.
banquets, 24 hour room service, meeting rooms, High profile international experience, Union
breakouts, off‐site catering, and the three meal a relations
day cafeteria.

11.  Returning to the USA, I found a position as  While at The Radisson I met and subsequently
Executive Chef for the renovation of the married my wife, and shortly after that was
Martinique Hotel in Herald Square, working recruited for and took the Executive Chef
with a partnering restaurateur who specializes position for a reopening/renovation effort at a
in Greek/Mediterranean Cuisine. The new Casino operation in Yonkers; The Empire
Martinique hotel needed to upgrade all food City Casino & Raceway.
services to qualify for a planned reflagging as a
Radisson Hotel. I implemented these upgrades. I
also assisted on the pre opening of an
independent operation, the Kellary Taverna on
44th street, NYC. Reflagging experience,
Mediterranean/Greek cuisine, Concept and
pre opening, Union relations
 During these years I initiated Chef Gregory’s
Culinary, offering basically a ‘chef for hire’ type
of catering and professional culinary service.
Under this moniker I served as celebrity chef/
spokesman during the NYC Fancy Foods Show
at the Jacob Javits Center and also personally
cooked/catered high‐end dinner parties for
private residences. Catering, Personal
Culinary Services.

12.  Empire City Casino & Raceway is a massive  One noteworthy highlight of my time at Empire
facility with just under 300 full time union City was a recruitment trip to Seoul, Korea,
associates then working in the Food services where I tested, interviewed and hired thirty
division under my direct supervision. I joined as culinary school graduates as International J‐9
the property was about to open and assisted in externs for the Casino. Premium Concessions,
the final designs for and proceeded to direct/ high volume semi‐service food court
supervise as Executive Chef the following experience, high concept steak house, off
culinary outlets; a seven island food court property catering of stadium concessions,
serving 5000 people daily in a continuous flow union relations, Casino food services
from 9am through 10 pm; a three meal a day 675
seat ala carte and buffet restaurant open from 11
am through 11 pm; the main ala carte 550 seat
dining room overlooking the horse track serving
two dinner seatings; plus a fine dining 80 seat
steak house; multiple concession outlets, and
the 3 meal services a day staff cafeteria serving
more than 1500 union and management
employees. We catered the Columbia University
Football Home Games, and also both the Men’s
and Women’s Soccer teams’ home games.

13.  Hoping to secure a more family friendly unit consistencies; cost analysis and recipe
schedule I became the Executive Chef at the development, and also act as culinary marketing
Wyndham Princeton Forrestal‐again, a spokesman. There I developed Fire & Oak
reflagging effort from a privately owned Restaurants as a second branch of the South
property to the current Wyndham ownership. City Group. Three properties opened within a 90
This was a good, secure position with generally day window; each doing extremely well. Fire &
good hours but offering a much lower total Oak restaurants are modern ‘American
compensation package than I had earned to Brasseries’, featuring scratch culinary, and
date. I readily accepted this trade‐lower pay but includes high touches such as modern Sushi and
much better hours, because my wife was Raw Bars.
working full time and we were financially  The South City Group was expanding at exactly
secure. However once we were blessed with a the wrong time, having committed to opening
baby to be, Heather was unfortunately unable to three properties at the worst point of the
continue her career, and I needed to find a economic downturn in late 2008. I was asked to
position to fully support my growing family. accept but ultimately declined a significant cut
Hotel, Conference and Business Center food in salary and overall compensation, and left
services experience, Union relations under the best of terms. Concept and Product
 A consultant colleague of mine recommended development, Pre‐Opening experience, Multi
me for a Corporate Chef position, and after a unit Corporate chef experience.
few meetings I become the Corporate Executive
Chef for the South City Restaurant Group. South
City operates respected high casual, high quality
seafood houses, and had an interest in
expanding. My job included consolidating
culinary management tools and ensure multi

14.  The Lakewood Country Club needed an
experienced Executive Chef to execute the
clubhouse reopening after an extensive
renovation, which included a new 140 seat Grill,
a fine dining room, a complete updating of the
catering and banquet packages, and additional
F&B operations not before offered. I have by all
accounts completed these objectives and now
seek my future.
 I am using my free time‐what little there is of it,
to complete a long put off cookbook, upgrade
my culinary certifications and teach my son how
to wash dishes.

15. Gregory G. Webb
331 Market Street East, No.152, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, (240) 912-9759-home, (203) 216-5992-cell,
gregorywebb@hotmail.com, www.linkedin.com/in/gregorygwebb
I pursue excellence, using scratch cooking for exceptional results within a diversity of structures; independent
restaurants, casinos, multi unit groups, country clubs, muliple outlet hotels and business conference centers,
and food services from premium concessions to fine dining. I manage both union houses and independents. My
goal is to present exciting, high-quality cuisine that exceeds expectations. This way I provide a comfortable life
for my family and continue to improve my professional capabilities.
Core Competencies
Scratch Culinary; Public Relations; Menu Engineering; Recipe Development and Platter Costs, Culinary
Budgeting and Management; HACCP Programs; Purchasing; Pre-Opening; Integration of Culinary Core
Practices and Procedures; Competitive Analysis; Bilingual
Affiliations
ACF Big Apple Chapter, James Beard Foundation, Marriott Associates, Chef’s Network
Work History
Executive Chef Lakewood Country Club, MD 07/2009 to 01/2010
Corporate Chef South City Restaurant Group, NY/NJ 7/2008 to 03/2009
Executive Chef Wyndham Hotel & Conference Center, NJ 3/2007 to 7/2008
Executive Chef Empire City Casino, NY 2/2006 to 2/2007
Executive Chef The Radisson Martinique Hotel, NYNY 1/2005 to 1/ 2006
Chef/Operator Chef Gregory’s Culinary, NY/CT/NJ 1/2005 to present
Executive Chef W Hotel, Solea, Mexico City 3/2002 thru 11/2004
Complex Chef Marriott Marquis Hotel- Times Square, NYNY 1/2000 to 3/2002
Chef/Owner Gregory’s, Houston 1998 to 2000
Press & Notable Reviews
International Publications Mexico City ‘Best Brunch Manhattan 2002’-Where Magazine
‘Top Chefs of Mexico City’-DF Magazine ‘Best Food: Manhattan Hotels ‘02’-New York
‘Top Chefs Mexico’ -Donde Magazine Magazine
‘Best Mexico City hotel restaurant’ -Quatro Magazine ‘View Restaurant – Green Light ‘02, NYC’-Forbes
‘Three stars’ -Reforma Newspaper Awards and Accolades Houston Publications
‘Featured Chef and Restaurant’-Playboy ‘Chef of the Year’ Houston Chronicle ’97
‘Top 100 Hotel Destinations’ -Conde Nast ‘Year End Review – Crème of the Crop’ ‘97
Awards and Accolades, New York Tri State Area ‘Outstanding Restaurants 1995’- Mick’s Grill,
Publications Houston, Houston Chronicle
“Best Brunch Bergen County” Bergen Record, ‘08 Winner – Texas Open Wild Game Cook-Off ‘96
“Top Seafood Restaurant Jersey City” Zagat’s ‘08 Cooking Light Magazine, Spirit of Texas Cookbook,
“Best Steakhouse 2008” Bergen Record Inside Houston Magazine, and Good Morning
“Best Steakhouse Yonkers 07” Yonkers Gazette Houston: ’94 thru ’96
Training & Certifications
NYC Food Handler’s CPR and Basic First Aid ChefTec, Master Chef
ServSafe Microsoft Office PeopleSoft, Jonas, Micros
Education
Southern Connecticut State University, George Washington University, University of Connecticut-Storrs
Personal Details
Born December 31, 1961, Texas, US Citizen, Married with one child, Excellent health, fluency in Spanish

16. Abbreviated
Resume
Abbreviated Resume