Harold Moore

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
July 2, 2005

Harold’s interest in cooking started at a very young age. He has fond childhood memories of standing next to his mom at the stove, stirring the Campbell’s soup; working the Snoopy snowcone machine; and coming home from school in the fourth and fifth grades to watch Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet, and Justin Wilson cook on television.

As it turns out Harold was naturally talented in his childhood avocation. He tried working in law as well as in investment banking, but hated both, so he returned to his true calling. He got his start by working at an Italian restaurant in Queens, and then enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America. During his summer externship he worked at a bakery by day and trailed with the chef de cuisine at Daniel by night. After three months Harold was so exhausted by the dual shifts he approached Daniel Boulud, who was already ready to hire him. This was the start of his relationship with Daniel, whom he considers his number one mentor.

Harold is constantly on a mission to learn. Cooking doesn’t feel like work for him, but sheer enjoyment, so he takes the time to improve and open himself up to different disciplines within the field. Every year he takes a class, like pastry at Lenôtre, or food writing at the French Culinary Institute. He also took a year off picking tomatoes with Green Market supplier “Tomato Tim” Stark.

So you see, Harold has an impressive list of experiences under his belt, not the least of which was his three-year stint as chef at Montrachet. Taking the advice of his mentor that it’s better to make a salad in a good restaurant than to be chef in a bad restaurant, Harold joined March as chef de cuisine more than a year ago. His collaboration with chef/owner Wayne Nish is a good fit, in which he has the freedom to use his skills and creativity. I look forward to seeing and tasting what is coming from this young and rising star.

Click here to read about our craving from Harold Moore at March.

* Since publication of this feature, March has closed — January 2007.