Staff Highlight: Kendall Moore
Today’s staff highlight goes to Kendall Moore, the former Restaurant Manager at Zero George Restaurant in Charleston who just moved to Charlottesville to join the team at Red Pump Kitchen! We are so excited to welcome him to Virginia.
Kendall is from Charlotte, North Carolina and has a great family of parents and six brothers and sisters. He fell in love with cooking when his family fell on hard times and his mother was hospitalized when he was in high school. Kendall started cooking to help out around the house and learned that he could express himself through food and that taking care of people makes him happiest. He played lacrosse through grade school and college, and loves to spend time outside or cooking. Kendall also appreciates music and painting, and he has two great dogs and an “odd cat.”
Check out the following Q&A with Kendall to learn more about him, then head over to Red Pump Kitchen to welcome him to town!
When/Where did your interest in the hospitality industry begin? How long have you been working at Zero George?
I started in the restaurant industry working at an Italian restaurant in Davidson, NC and working at Campania Cafe through the cooking classes I was taking in high school (shout out to Chef Wilson at North Meck and Chef Vinny at Campania!). I have worked in almost all positions in a restaurant, and I think that having experience on the line, behind the bar, and on the floor lets me understand where the restaurant is at the moment and how to give the guest the best experience possible.
What’s your favorite part about working for Zero George right now?
I love working with Chef’s food, getting to meet the great people that travel to dine with us, and I really enjoy writing an esoteric wine list that focuses on great producers from lesser-known areas of the winemaking world. Our staff is great at learning our wines and about the people that make them, too. We are well-known for our cocktails and I enjoy the occasional bar shift I still work at Zero.
What are you most excited for at Red Pump?
Red Pump is a beautiful restaurant with such a driven team of people that want to serve the best food and drink possible to the people who join us for lunch, brunch, and dinner. I am excited to work with Chef and add my style to the beverage and service aspects of the restaurant and to work towards making Red Pump everyone’s pick for the best restaurant in Charlottesville.
What’s your favorite dish?
My favorite dish to order out at restaurants (and probably to make) is Carbonara. Handmade pasta, black pepper, guanciale, egg yolk, and parmesan cheese make up such a humble and delicious dish when done right; when done wrong, you can have scrambled eggs and pasta noodles. I also love to eat vegetables grown by people who care about them cooked simply to preserve their inherent flavor.
What are you most looking forward to in Charlottesville?
I am looking forward to meeting other cooks, bartenders, and artists in Charlottesville! The city seems to be full of creative people that want to make their stamp on the city and make it a place to celebrate culture. Food is edible culture. I want to see more live music than I have had the chance to, as well. Look for me and my girlfriend Kailee taking in the scene!
