New Orleans’ Culinary Ambassador

Executive Chef Gary Netter, a New Orleans native, is an alumnus of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), where he studied classical music. He learned to read music in elementary school and began playing instruments such as the violin, piano, and trumpet. Over the years, he performed alongside Wynton Marsalis and other local musicians.

Although Netter earned a music scholarship to Southern University, his passion for cooking ultimately led him down a different path. His love for the culinary arts was ignited at a young age, as he eagerly awaited the flavorful medleys of his mother Elnora Netter’s homemade dishes. The way she skillfully combined ingredients to create delicious recipes sparked a deep fascination within him, setting the foundation for his culinary journey.

Experience

Chef Gary Netter began his culinary journey at Delgado's Culinary Arts Program, and after Hurricane Katrina, he continued his education at Houston Community College’s (HCC) Culinary Arts Program. He is a proud member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), where he has had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned international chefs and companies across the United States. With over 20 years of hands-on experience in the food industry, Chef Netter’s culinary career includes the prestigious honor of preparing meals for former U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, various governors, and, New Orleans Mayors.

Chef Netter’s journey through the industry began humbly as a dishwasher and progressed to executive chef, corporate chef, and ultimately business owner. He has worked in some of the finest establishments, including Commander’s Palace, Palace Café, NOLA, Emeril’s, Muriel’s Jackson Square/Palms Springs, G.W. Finns, Galatoire’s, and Hyde Park Grille, among others. Additionally, Chef Netter has held the role of Area Director for child and sports nutrition in Charter schools and higher education, overseeing Pre-K-12 and beyond.

Throughout his career, he has had the privilege of working alongside culinary legends such as Paul Prudhomme, John Folse, Dickie Brennan, Jamie Shannon, Emeril Lagasse, Charlie Trotter, Leah Chase, Poppy Tucker, and Norman Van Akin. Currently serving as the Culinary Ambassador for the city of New Orleans, Chef Netter collaborates with a range of professionals, including doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, food scientists, and pediatricians. This collaboration deepens his understanding of the importance of mindful eating and its impact on health.

Chef Netter is committed to promoting the idea that food should not only nourish the body but also uplift the spirit and enhance overall well-being. He continues to inspire others to make conscious choices that improve health and vitality.

Mission, Purpose, Commitment.

I, Chef Gary Netter, serve as the Culinary Ambassador for the City of New Orleans with a mission to promote and enhance cultural diversity, equity, inclusion, and health & wellness within the hospitality industry. In this role, I am committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity as a dedicated, results-driven professional.

As the Culinary Ambassador, I will continue my efforts to drive innovation through strategic partnerships and develop deliberate initiatives aimed at increasing workforce diversity in the hospitality sector. I will advocate for mindful eating, sustainability, and the responsible use of resources to combat food waste, food insecurity, and food deserts in underserved communities.

By collaborating with local, national, and international experts, we can address the alarming prevalence of chronic diseases and work to eliminate systemic inequities affecting our communities. Through education, we will highlight the critical connections between the environment, economy, and overall well-being. My goal is to empower and inspire individuals while expanding existing businesses, fostering new opportunities for the disenfranchised, and supporting food manufacturing and culinary education through innovative learning spaces.

Together, we can cultivate a healthier New Orleans—preserving our rich flavors and culture while fostering growth and inclusivity. This partnership with the City of New Orleans is designed to strengthen and unify our culinary and hospitality industries because, in New Orleans, we are a City of Yes!

With Appreciation,

Culinary Proprietor Gary Netter
Culinary Ambassador for the City of New Orleans

Calvin Johnson Food Justice Award

Executive Chef Gary Netter honored with the Calvin Johnson Food Justice Award!

Liberty Kitchen presents Come Grow with Us 2021 gala for its 12 years of impact.

Executive Chef Gary Netter was honored with the prestigious Calvin Johnson Food Award for his outstanding contributions to promoting healthy food access and addressing food insecurity. Through his dedication to creating affordable, nutritious meals and advocating for innovative cooking methods, Chef Gary has made significant strides in ensuring that communities have access to quality food. His efforts in the distribution and preparation of wholesome meals have inspired positive change, highlighting his commitment to improving lives through food.

Chef’s Brigade Board Member

Gary Netter, owner of Next To Eat “Wholistic Culinary Market,” is a proud and active board member of Chef's Brigade New Orleans. As New Orleans' Culinary Ambassador, he is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life and health of its residents. coastal restoration

He participated in the initiatives and activities listed below:

• Oyster Shell Bagging Event | December 2024 | https://www.chefsbrigade.org/post/oyster-shell-bagging-event

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | November 2023 | https://www.chefsbrigade.org/post/chefs-brigade-goes-to-washington

 MEET CHEF GARY NETTER

Chef Gary Netter is a New Orleans native, culinary leader, educator, entrepreneur, and the Culinary Ambassador for the City of New Orleans.

A CULINARY JOURNEY ROOTED IN NEW ORLEANS

For Chef Gary Netter, the journey into food did not begin in a restaurant. It began at home in New Orleans, surrounded by a culture where food, music, family, hospitality, and community are woven into everyday life.

One of his earliest culinary influences was his mother, Elnora Netter. As a young boy, Gary watched and anticipated the flavorful combinations coming from her kitchen. He became fascinated by the way individual ingredients could be brought together to create something memorable. Long before he understood professional cooking techniques, those experiences introduced him to a principle that would remain throughout his career: Ingredients tell a story, and food has the ability to connect people.

But food was not Gary’s first creative discipline. Growing up in New Orleans, music played a major role in shaping his life. He learned to read music in elementary school and developed skills on the violin, piano, and trumpet. That talent eventually led him to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts — NOCCA — where he studied classical music and developed alongside some of the city’s extraordinary young creative talent. His musical journey also gave him opportunities to perform alongside Wynton Marsalis and other New Orleans musicians.

Gary ultimately received a music scholarship to Southern University, and a future in music was within reach. Yet another calling continued pulling at him.

The same curiosity he had experienced watching his mother cook — the creativity, rhythm, technique, improvisation, and emotion involved in food — began drawing him toward the culinary arts. In time, Chef Gary discovered that music and cooking were not as different as they appeared. Both require discipline. Both require timing. Both require understanding individual components and knowing how to bring them together. And at their best, both have the power to move people.

Chef Gary chose to pursue that growing passion professionally and entered the Culinary Arts Program at Delgado Community College, beginning the formal education that would help transform a love for cooking into a profession.

Then Hurricane Katrina changed New Orleans — and changed the lives and plans of countless New Orleanians. Rather than allowing the disruption to end his culinary education, Chef Gary continued his studies through the Houston Community College Culinary Arts Program. That chapter added another defining characteristic to his journey: resilience.

Eventually, Chef Gary returned to the city and culture that helped shape him. New Orleans remained more than his hometown. It became part of his culinary identity.

The city taught him that food could preserve history, express culture, create economic opportunity, bring strangers to the same table, and become a source of pride for an entire community. At the same time, Chef Gary learned that honoring New Orleans cuisine did not mean being limited by tradition. It meant carrying forward its creativity, resourcefulness, hospitality, flavor, resilience, and cultural depth while remaining open to innovation and influences from around the world.

FROM CHEF TO CULINARY ENTREPRENEUR

Chef Gary Netter’s culinary career was built from the ground up. Beginning as a dishwasher, he advanced through the food industry to become an Executive Chef, Corporate Chef, Area Director, culinary leader, entrepreneur, and business owner. His journey has given him an unusually broad perspective on food—not only as fine dining, but as hospitality, nutrition, education, healthcare, community service, and business.

Chef Gary developed his culinary foundation in some of New Orleans’ most respected and nationally recognized restaurants, including Commander’s Palace, Palace Café, NOLA, Emeril’s, Muriel’s Jackson Square, GW Fins, Galatoire’s, Hyde Park Grille, and other distinguished establishments. Working in kitchens known for demanding standards of quality and hospitality helped shape his discipline, attention to detail, leadership, creativity, and respect for the craft.

Throughout his career, Chef Gary also had opportunities to work alongside and learn from some of the culinary industry’s most influential chefs and food personalities, including Paul Prudhomme, John Folse, Dickie Brennan, Jamie Shannon, Emeril Lagasse, Charlie Trotter, Leah Chase, Poppy Tooker, and Norman Van Aken. His professional experience also includes the distinguished honor of preparing meals for former U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as governors and New Orleans mayors.

But Chef Gary’s experience extends far beyond restaurant kitchens. His career expanded into child nutrition, sports nutrition, institutional food service, healthcare, and education, including leadership responsibilities serving Pre-K through 12th-grade students, charter schools, higher education, children’s hospital environments, adult hospital environments, and other populations with specialized nutritional needs.

As an Area Director, he gained firsthand experience managing food and nutrition programs where safety, consistency, nutrition, dietary requirements, large-scale operations, accountability, and flavor were all essential.

That range of experience changed the way Chef Gary viewed the role of a chef. He saw food at nearly every stage of life—from feeding young children and students, to serving patients and adults with specific health needs, to creating memorable dining experiences in some of the country’s most respected restaurants. It reinforced his belief that food carries a responsibility far greater than simply satisfying hunger.

Those experiences eventually became part of the foundation for Next To Eat. Chef Gary brought together the standards of fine dining, the discipline of institutional food service, the importance of nutrition and healthcare, the power of education, and his entrepreneurial vision to begin building something broader than a traditional restaurant.

Today, that journey continues through a growing vision centered on WHOListic food and wellness, culinary medicine, education, workforce development, entrepreneurship, product innovation, community health, and creating better access to purposeful food.

From the dish room to some of America’s most respected kitchens, from schools to healthcare environments, and from serving presidents to serving communities, each experience has helped shape the chef, leader, educator, and entrepreneur Chef Gary Netter is today.