Anthony Gray grew up in a large, Italian and Irish family; they cared plenty about cooking, but were truly passionate about food’s magical ability to bring people together. Despite more than a decade cooking professionally, he still enthuses about the power of the communal table: “Eating, sharing, living off the land. That’s what we were doing growing up, and it’s what we do now at High Cotton.”

Growing up hunting and fishing with his Dad, Gray developed a natural affinity for preparing meats, and creating marinades that express their finest qualities. His hand-made sausages and charcuterie have earned high praise from foodies, and honor the unique qualities of each animal. On any given afternoon one will find his team serving ham cured in-house, roasting rabbit for a rarefied pate, or pairing the ultimate marriage of a local craft beer with a grass-fed steak.

A student of Johnson and Wales’ Culinary Arts Institute in Charleston, Gray started his career under the guidance of Chef Frank Lee at Slightly North of Broad. He moved to High Cotton when it opened in 1999, serving as Sous Chef and, ultimately, being named Executive Chef there and at its sister kitchen in Greenville.

Guiding the kitchens in both, he continues what has become a tradition of Maverick chefs: cultivating local sources for the Lowcountry-inspired, seasonally changing menu. “I really love the excitement our guests feel when they see something they’ve grown up with – like a peach – expressed in new, inventive ways,” said Gray, who features local products in special dinners and daily menu offerings. “Celebrating the hard work and the craft of these people excites us, and our customers.”

Gray is a member of the South Carolina Slow Food movement, belongs to the Southern Foodways Alliance and is an active mentor of young culinary professionals. Under his direction, High Cotton has been featured in The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Southern Living, Boston Globe and numerous other national and regional publications.