by Ebony L. Morman 

After eight years in Texas, Kerry Moffett returns to Good Food on Montford. Photo courtesy

Since Chef Kerry Moffett’s return to Charlotte — and Good Food on Montford — he’s experienced a bit of nostalgia, reconnecting with long-time friends in the industry, seeing old clientele, and reflecting on the early days and the initial vision for the restaurant.

Back in 2009, Moffett and his brother Bruce Moffett, whose first Charlotte restaurant was Barrington’s, opened Good Food on Montford with the intention of bringing good food to an area where there was room for potential. Moffett’s initial role was to serve as the restaurant’s executive chef, which included creating the menu. Since Bruce still operated Barrington’s, he split his time between the two restaurants. During his time at Good Food on Montford, Bruce ensured the vision was executed, helped develop menu items, and served as the general manager.

About eight years ago, Moffett moved to Texas for personal reasons, and he admits it was difficult to leave Good Food on Montford.

While in Texas, Moffett spent time butchering and held similar roles as he did prior to leaving Charlotte. A desire for change — along with a visit prompted by former Good Food chef and current Bao + Broth/Schreiber’s on Rye owner Larry Schreiber — is what brought him back to Charlotte.

“​​I came back, and I saw my brother, Larry, and a bunch of old friends,” he says. “It just felt like I was coming back home. It felt really comfortable, so I decided that  was what I needed to do for myself, on a professional and personal level, to be happy.”

Now, returning to Good Food on Montford after spending eight years in Dallas, Moffett’s plan is to focus on consistency and quality.

“We want to get back to the basics of what this restaurant was when we started and utilize as much local as we can, making sure everything is fresh, beautiful, and consistent throughout the restaurant,” he says. “Back then, we were working our butts off to make sure everything was good.”

It’s this same mentality that Moffett, who started his culinary journey in 1997, is planning to instill in the restaurant’s current environment — from ensuring a dish is plated and tastes the same on each visit to cultivating a cohesive team of well-trained people who prioritize the team’s success. For him, it’s about seeing progression in every aspect of the restaurant, whether it’s using various culinary techniques or making sure food trends are incorporated.

Infusing a level of excitement for patrons is essential, too, and it starts in the kitchen. Moffett is fond of seeing smiling faces, happy people, and returning customers as a result of serving exceptional food, which means it all hinges on what takes place in the back of the house.

In the kitchen, Moffett — who grew up with a home-cooked meal each night — can be artistic and explore by having fun with food. And what keeps guests coming back to Good Food is the quality of the globally-inspired, small plates he curates.

Good Food’s lamb shank with couscous, apricot chutney, and yogurt. Photo courtesy

“A lot of times, it’s reimagining classics because a lot has already been done,” he says. “We’re not reinventing the wheel here. It’s considering what is going to fit into the menu, what’s going to be available, how I can tweak that to be something fun and fresh, and considering if it’s something that has been seen before. It really comes down to the product. That is what dictates what I want to do.”

Since his return last fall, Moffett’s focus has been on revisiting a few menu items to ensure quality and consistency. He’s also looking to elevate dishes by continuing to layer flavors and making items from scratch. With Korean food’s rise in popularity, Korean beef, which is currently served with crispy rice, scallion, and chojang (a sweet, spicy, and tangy dipping sauce), is going to be upgraded.

Classic items, such as Larry’s buns, which are pork belly steamed buns that have been on the menu since the restaurant opened its doors, and the green curry mussels, which start with fresh mussels, scratch-made green curry cream, coconut milk, and cilantro, are popular among guests, which bodes well for Moffett’s approach to hospitality. It’s one that hinges on customer satisfaction.

“It’s all about guest experience,” Moffett says. “I want people to have a great time. I want things to be fun for everyone, including my staff. I want it to be fun for our guests, which is critical.”