Jay Murray - Executive Chef Molly Hanson - Pastry Chef Alex DeWinter - Wine Director Jason McKinley-Babb - General Manager Yannick Mahe des Portes – Assistant General Manager
Jay Murray Executive Chef jmurray@grill23.com
	Jay Murray was destined to become a chef. Exposed to the joys of food at an early age by his parents running a cooking school in Darien, CT, he recalls his early forays in the kitchen. "By fourth grade, cooking had become a bit of an obsession for me," explains Murray. "Friends would spend the night and I'd make them join me in
preparing quick breads at all hours. We never used recipes, but they always seemed to turn out. Later, when I was in the sixth grade, French Chef Antoine Bouterin stayed at our house while teaching at my mother’s culinary school. Looking back, I was a 12 year old helping my mother and Antoine Bouterin formulate nouvelle menus to teach in class.” As a culinary scholar, Murray's philosophy of cuisine is deceptively simple: "that the overall effect of a culinary creation transcends its contributing elements." He refers to himself as a "flavor theorist", alluding to his focus of harmonizing very specific and assertive flavors. "I believe that the successful whole of a creation cannot be described by an itemization of its individual elements. It cannot be deconstructed in the way that it was put together.” At Grill 23 & Bar this translates into dishes that are at once innovative and accessible, with vibrant flavors throughout. Of course this begins with the best ingredients, and the treatment of each with due reverence. The chef, who learned his craft through years of interest, exposure, research, and intense practice, attended college to become a writer. Yet he could not resist the call of the kitchen. "My thesis wound up as a scholarly cookbook," he says. "After college I did some food writing and sought career advice from two chefs whom I respected - Rick Bayless and Charlie Trotter. They each made the same suggestion: Be a chef and go as far as you can with it, then decide what you're going to do." They were right. After honing his skills under Gabino Sotelino at Chicago's Un Grand Café, Murray made his name at New England's top inns, first at the Blantyre and then as Executive Chef of Silks at the acclaimed Stonehedge Inn. Executive Chef of Grill 23 since 1998, Murray continues to raise the bar on the classic American cuisine for which the restaurant has long been famous. In recent months, Murray updated the entire restaurant concept of the Grill, now featuring even more exciting "A la Carte" choices (including dry-aged, prime beef from corn-fed cattle that have never received growth hormones or antibiotics) and an expanded "Grill 23 Signature Specials" menu showcasing his more innovative and stylized cuisine. Taking full advantage of the wealth of local seafood, produce and prime meats, Murray skillfully balances innovation with tradition. His food has been called "authoritatively flavored", "downright daring", and "simply delicious". Under Murray's helm, Grill 23 & Bar consistently garners accolades. In 2002, John Mariani for Town & Country Magazine named Grill 23 one of "America's Top Ten Steakhouses", then in the 2005, Allison Arnett of The Boston Globe praised Grill 23 as "King". Grill 23 also earns the highest honors from the Zagat Survey, including Most Popular, Top American, Top Steakhouse, and Top Seafood Restaurant.
Molly Hanson Pastry Chef mhanson@grill23.com
	Molly Hanson, born in Cambridge and raised in classic New England towns such as Concord and Stow , has come full circle with a return to her roots. Molly honed her talent first at the New England Culinary Institute and next at The Inn at Shelburne Farms in Vermont. She returned to the city life with a turn under Jim Dodge's direction at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts before heading out west to San Francisco. There, Molly flourished under the tutelage of famed pastry chef Emily Luchetti at Farallon.
"It was time to come home, explains Molly, I missed the seasonality of New England .I love picking apples at the neighborhood farms, and coming home to make fresh applesauce, pies, and crisps. Anything I can get my hands on that is fresh, in-season – that is what inspires me. ”Honey is also a favorite ingredient for Molly, a nod to her days as a child with her bee-keeper father in the back yard. "My dad's hobby was bee-keeping, so the sight and smell of honey brings me a rush of happy feelings and memories. I want to share that with our guests. You will usually find honey in my dessert menu, either as a primary player or as an accompaniment – but it's usually there!" smiles Molly. In 2001, Molly excelled as Pastry Chef at Harvest, creating seasonal desserts reflecting the fresh bounty of New England .Working alongside then Harvest Executive Chef Eric Brennan (now Executive Chef, Excelsior), the two were a creative force in the kitchen, earning accolades for their new interpretations of New England classics. In 2003, Molly took on the dual roles of Pastry Chef at both Harvest & Grill 23 & Bar. This was a challenge well met, creating distinct menus for each restaurant, never duplicating desserts, and remaining true to the philosophy of each restaurant. In 2005, Molly is wearing two hats again – now at Excelsior and Grill 23 & Bar. “The dessert menus of the two restaurants are quite different – which keeps me challenged and inspired" says Molly. “At Grill 23 we focus on big flavors and a 'wow' appearance, true to the classic steakhouse style. At Excelsior we will focus on style and flavor with hard-to-find ingredients, and create more intricate, delicate desserts.”
Alex DeWinter Wine Director adewinter@grill23.com
	Alex DeWinter feels more like a curator and an explorer in his position as director of the restaurant’s acclaimed 1000+ bottle wine list and the entire collection that encompasses an impressive 16,000 bottles. The collection, honored by The Wine Spectator as The Best of – Award of Excellence and Wine Enthusiast‘s Award of Ultimate Distinction complements the cuisine of Executive Chef Jay Murray. Most recently, Alex was named Best Sommelier Up and Coming in Boston by StarChefs.com.
Originally, a film major in college, Alex worked in restaurants through college and that is where he first discovered his passion for wine. “I found wine to be fascinating – and I had an affinity for it. It captures history, biology, science, business, farming – all in one. When I realized I was spending most of my money on wine, I knew I was hooked!” A native of Chicago and Washington D.C., Alex held positions with wine importers, wine shops, and ran his own wine seminars before heading to Boston. “It was fate to arrive in Boston and get the opportunity to wine steward at Grill 23,” he states. Known for its depth in the “Big Reds” to match the premier steak cuts at Grill 23 & Bar, the restaurant offers a significant amount of top rated reds from California and Bordeaux. In December 2005, Alex completed an extensive expansion of the whole collection. This includes the addition of many more Australian and Italian wines as well as wines from Spain, a current hot spot of the wine industry. “The value and flavors that you can find with Spanish and Italian vineyards is just tremendous – and it’s important to stay current. I think the power of our wine collection is that guests come in knowing they can request their traditional favorite, or they can step into a cult variety, Spanish, Italian, or Australian wine – and be wowed.” Finding “interesting and unusual” wines is DeWinter’s priority, while education ranks a close second. To that end, he and Chef Jay Murray regularly host producer-sponsored and region-based wine dinners aimed at broadening customers’ horizons. “I learn something new every day about food and wine – it’s great to share that information with our guests,” says DeWinter.
Jason McKinley-Babb General Manager jbabb@grill23.com
	As General Manager of Grill 23 & Bar for three years, Jason McKinley-Babb has long been considered one of Boston's finest. A veteran of the restaurant business, McKinley-Babb started at Grill 23 as a waiter while working his way through Emerson College.
"Jason has worked in every aspect of our operation, dedicating tireless energy and commitment to the success of Grill 23 & Bar." says Kenneth Himmel, Owner. A native of Boston’s North Shore, and now a resident of Attleboro, Jason McKinley-Babb began his career as very young dishwasher. "At 12 years old it was just exciting to have a job, but it was then that I found my interest in restaurants and I have never looked back," comments Babb. Working his way through Emerson College, Jason started as a server at Grill 23 & Bar in 1997, then went over to Harvest in Harvard Square as part of the management team, and returned to Grill 23 as Assistant General Manager in 2002. As the Grill has grown, so have I - this company has afforded me incredible opportunities to learn the business. Grill 23 & Bar is committed to giving guests the best experience in Boston; cuisine, service, and décor are all meticulously executed.
Yannick Mahe des Portes Assistant General Manager yannick@grill23.com
	A native of Ile De Re, a small island off the western coast of France, Yannick enjoyed cooking for his family at a very young age. His mother, José, still jokes about his very early passions for being in the kitchen and preparing extensive meals for his family of seven. It was obvious to the family that Yannick would focus his educational efforts in the hospitality industry.
Yannick graduated from the prestigious Ecole Hoteliere de la Rochelle where his studies included all facets of the hotel/restaurant industry; including oenology, service, culinary training and financial management. Upon completion of his degree, Yannick spent some time at the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel in Paris. However, his thirst for knowledge led him to the United States…to learn English and pursue a career in the states. After obtaining a position on the coveted “SS Norway” cruise line as a waiter, he was quickly promoted to maitre d’; a position he held for two years. Seeking a new challenge, Yannick left the high seas for the highly rated White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine. In 1993, Grill 23 & Bar welcomed Yannick as a waiter, and quickly moved him into management. Over the next several years, Yannick moved up through the management ranks at both Harvest and Grill 23 & Bar (both owned and operated by American Food Management). In 1999, Yannick became Assistant Restaurant Manager and most recently promoted to Assistant General Manager at Grill 23 & Bar. “Yannick has a unique style and solid background that is difficult to find. I attribute a large portion of our success in achieving high service rankings to Yannick’s due diligence. He is the person I count on and trust to efficiently manage Grill 23 while providing a very personal touch to our service and environment,” comments General Manager Jason Babb.