Harold Moore
Executive chef and owner of Commerce, Harold Moore has climbed the elite New York City restaurant ladder at a pace that indicates undeniable tenacity and an unyielding passion for the business of food.
Moore abandoned his traditional liberal arts education in favor of the Culinary Institute of America, but not without a few sideways glances from his conventional parents. When it came time for Harold to secure his externship, he made his was to Daniel Boulud’s restaurant, working his way from unpaid extern to Entrementier to Sous-Chef.
From Daniel, Harold went to work for Jean-Georges. After time at both Jean-Georges and as a sous chef at Mercer Kitchen, Moore returned for one last stint with Daniel Bouud before landing his first Executive Chef post at Montrachet. Following Montrachet, Moore went on to earn a Michelin star while working alongside Wayne Nish at March.
Moore’s approach to food is characterized by humility and respect for his patrons. He presents an accessible menu with no mysteries or obscurities. But that is not to say that complexity and technique are not evidenced in his cooking. He aspires to “cook what people want to eat.” When asked how he knows what that is, he offers a multi-tiered answer: “I think of my parents. Then I think of everything that I have learned from great chefs like Daniel. Then, of course, I think of the sophisticated New York audience.”
