Matthew Paul started as Executive Chef of Ms. Rose’s Fine Food & Cocktails in October 2016 after nearly a decade with Queen Street Hospitality Group. Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Paul studied Business at Penn State University and started working in restaurants on the side to earn beer money. While still at Penn, he discovered his passion for cooking while working for a restaurant owned by a first-generation Italian family. Paul then transferred to Johnson & Wales in Charleston where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in Culinary Arts in 2002.
Paul has achieved much success in the kitchen throughout his career. Highlights include cooking at the James Beard House in 2014, placing first in a Moonshine Throwdown competition and second in the City Wide Shrimp and Grits Competition. He also helped open, establish, and grow Lowcountry Bistro downtown on the market.
In the kitchen at Ms. Rose’s, Paul strives to prepare authentic Lowcountry cuisine with modern twists, focusing on fresh, local ingredients that are seafood-centric. He is classically trained French, but says there are slight German and Penn-Dutch influences in his food from his grandmother’s cooking growing up.
Paul reinterpreted the menus when taking over at Ms. Rose’s, separating lunch and dinner, and creating a more cohesive overall feel. The new menus feature innovative items like Carolina Coast Char-Grilled Swordfish with lemon buerre-blanc as well as classic Ms. Rose’s favorites such as and Rose’s Fried Chicken.
When not in the kitchen, Paul enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. He is also an avid fisher and has been playing in a local baseball league for the past 10 years.