By Ebony L. Morman 

VINYL’s executive chef Matt Moore’s career started as a server assistant at Cannon Green in Charleston, South Carolina. But early on, something happened—he became fascinated by the kitchen. His curiosity led to a couple questions for chef Amalia Scatena, who he worked under at Cannon Green. Should he attend culinary school? If so, where? Her suggestion: come work for her in Cannon’s Green’s kitchen instead. 

“She put me on her schedule and she just never took me off,” he says. “That’s how it all started. I remember my first day I peeled like five trays of beets and I peeled potatoes. I just did all the stuff that nobody really wants to do, but they taught the foundations and discipline. I watched everyone else around me and I just absorbed everything.” 

That was more than 10 years ago. 

Now, Moore is VINYL’s first executive chef. In the five months since he started at the South End bar, a major focus has been curating a new brunch menu. Prior to his arrival, VINYL offered one food menu, which included only bar food, such as chicken sliders, burgers, and tacos. Currently, the goal is to create dishes that are cohesive with VINYL’s cocktail and beverage program. 

“It’s no secret that ViNYL is a bar first and foremost,” Moore says. “But they’re ready to mature they’re food and start having fun with bar food and doing it in a tasteful way. That’s kind of where I came into play.” 

Since the start of the year, guests have been able to enjoy braised pork shoulder hash, huevos rancheros, and fried egg sandwiches. The croissant French toast — battered and grilled brioche croissants, local strawberries, Nutella glaze, powdered sugar, and whipped butter — is popular among the brunch crowd. It’s also one of Moore’s favorites and the most interesting dish he’s created this year, he says. 

“VINYL’s style of food is approachable for everybody, fun, flat out delicious, and beautiful,” he says. “That’s what our cocktails are; they’re familiar to everybody. Our bar manager does a killer job of garnishing them, putting a twist on them, and using local ingredients. That’s what we’re incorporating on the food side of things.” 

Starting in June, Moore plans to introduce new dinner items that are elevated from traditional bar food. While menu changes are coming, fans of the VINYL burger are in luck because it’s here to stay. ​​It’s a staple that’s known for its simple, well-executed, and high-quality ingredients like Creekstone Farms patties and Golden Grains brioche buns. A daily lunch menu will also be offered, starting in June, which will be a first for VINYL. Both menus will emphasize chef-driven bar fare. 

While the forthcoming menus are still in the works, guests can expect layered textures not often found in bar food in each of the dishes brought to their table. Adding a bit of crunchiness — like pumpkin seeds or pistachios — is essential to Moore’s dishes, a move he attributes to various chefs he’s worked for in the past. Moore previously worked at both Indaco Charlotte and VANA as a chef after he moved back to Charlotte in 2019. 

“If something is seasoned incredibly well but it has a weird texture in your mouth, your brain is going to say ‘I don’t like it or it’s just odd,” he says. “So texture is a big one that we aim for with food. And after that I would have to go with sweet and salty. Texture, sweet, and salty are kind of the trifecta for me.” 

For those who dined at VANA during Moore’s time there as a chef, there’s a great probability that they witnessed examples of texture in many of the vegetable dishes. For instance, if you ordered asparagus, it may have been served with hummus and topped with crumbles of seeds and nuts. It’s a small addition that elevates the form of the dish and adds a little bit of crunch, Moore says. 

These days, Moore is excited to participate in Charlotte’s culinary industry. As a native Charlottean, he remembers the days of growing up in Charlotte when the culinary scene was nonexistent. That was a time when there were fewer restaurants and even fewer chef-driven concepts. When he returned to Charlotte from Charleston, he noticed a significant difference. More restaurants were opening, and diners were more willing to broaden their horizons to try new and different food.  

“Charlotte is really starting to get some traction,” he says. “My goal for the next five years is that we’re on the same page as Atlanta and Nashville. There’s no reason why we can’t get there, the growth is happening. So for me it’s exciting especially being from here and seeing positive growth in the food community.”