One of Charlotte, N.C.’s top chefs for the last several years (voted Best Chef again in 2021), Philadelphia-born James Beard Semifinalist Chef Paul Verica is the executive Chef and Owner of The Stanley and Orto, Italian Kitchen. Verica’s numerous accolades began with his first self-owned restaurant Heritage Food & Drink, in Waxhaw, NC on the outskirts of Charlotte.
Over his career, Verica staged for two Michelin Three Star chefs: Alain Passard of L’Arpege (in Paris) and the late Bernard Louisseau of La Cote D’Or (in Saulieu). Both stages bear heavy influences on his cooking today. Verica moved to Charlotte in 1998 to open the historic Duke Mansion.