Chef Michelle McRaney

Distinctly different, Executive Chef Michelle McRaney not only successfully commands Mr. B's, but also her own household. Michelle is a successful female executive chef and loving mother to Ethan and wife to Jerry. According to Lisa LeBlanc Berry, "Those who make it to executive chef positions must be able to keep a food budget and hire personnel and have the stamina and confidence to succeed in a business long dominated by men."

Originally from Dunedin, Florida, Chef Michelle grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Charlottesville, Virginia. She attended Commonwealth University and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. Michelle left Virginia for New Orleans, and after a brief stint in banking, decided to try her hand at her first love- Cooking! Some of Michelle's earliest memories are of sitting on a step-stool in her mother's kitchen, and it was here that Michelle's passion for food was inspired.

During her externship at Delgado Cooking School Michelle became acquainted with Mr. B's Bistro, and Cindy and Ralph Brennan. They were so impressed "with her solid culinary foundation" that they immediately offered her a job at Mr. B's. Michelle started at an entry level position in the pantry and worked her way up to Sous Chef within a year. Experience in hand, Michelle then left Mr. B's to experience different parts of the country. While traveling, she worked at The Rattlesnake Club in Denver, Colorado; Cafe Max in Pompano Beach, Florida and The Hamilton House in Grants Pass, Oregon.

In 1992 Michelle returned to New Orleans to open and work in Emeril Lagasse's NOLA as a Sous Chef. It wasn't long before she returned home to Mr. B's. It has been said that her success can be credited to "her innovative ideas, her low-key demeanor and those meticulous organizational skills."

In February of 1995 she easily moved from her position as Chef of Operations to that of Executive Chef. Since that time, Mr. B's has reached new culinary heights while maintaining its current standard of excellence under Michelle's direction.

Michelle, as one of the few female executive chefs in New Orleans, is an active member of The International Association of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs and The James Beard Foundation. Stop by and visit Chef Michelle at Mr. B's where we have been serving delicious and innovative regional Creole cuisine for two decades.