Yes, Chef! Feature: Matt Barnes

Chef Matt Barnes has spent his career reinventing what it means to be a hometown chef. Staying still has never been his style.

After culinary school at the Pittsburgh Institute of Culinary Arts, he returned to Cleveland and got his start at the iconic Baricelli Inn in Little Italy. Then he moved to Salmon Dave’s in Rocky River, then downtown as part of the team that opened Blue Point Grille, then back to Salmon Dave’s before launching his own restaurant, the beloved Saucy Bistro in Westlake. When that closed, he started catering events through his company Gourmet Guy and still does to this day. 

In 2013, he founded his food truck, Manna, which has won numerous Best in Cleveland awards. 

Fast-forward to 2025, he returned to a brick-and-mortar establishment, opening Gather FOOD + DRINK in Rocky River to rave reviews. It was dubbed by Cleveland Magazine one of last year’s best new restaurants. 

Q. How old were you when you started cooking? Being from an Italian family, I grew up cooking with my mom and grandma. My grandparents had stands at the West Side Market selling produce that I used to love to visit. I was 13 when I started working in the kitchen at the Cleveland Browns training facility. 

Q. How many years have you been a chef, and is there any advice you’d give your younger self just starting out? I’ve been a professional chef since 1996. I’d give myself the same advice I give people who tell me they want to enter the restaurant business: Before you go to culinary school, go work in a fast-paced, high-demand kitchen for a year. It’s hard to explain what the experience is like in terms of physical, mental, emotional and personal demand. There’s sacrifice. 

Q. Who’s the most influential chef in your life and why? Chef Paul Minnillo at the Baricelli Inn was the first real chef I worked with, and he taught me the right way to do things.

Q. What inspired you to enter the food truck scene? I ran the kitchen and culinary program at Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, feeding the homeless and training them for culinary careers. The pastor called me and said he was getting a food truck and asked me to run it. I didn’t have any experience but said yes. It’s similar to running a restaurant, but instead of waiting for people to come to you—you go to them. 

Q. When you cook for yourself at home, what’s your favorite dish to prepare? My days are long, so I opt for whatever is simplest at home. There’s nothing like a charcuterie board loaded with meats and cheeses.

Q. What country would you like to visit to explore its culinary scene? 

I’ve been to Italy twice, once as a guest chef on a tour, hitting Rome, Florence, Siena, Montepulciano and other small towns. My wife and I would love to go to Greece next, as well as Croatia.

To nominate a chef for Mimi’s “Yes, Chef!” column, please email Mimi@MimiVanderhaven.com. 

Gather FOOD + DRINK is located at 20253 Lake Road in Rocky River. Visit GatherFoodandDrink.com or MannaTruck.com for more information.