When all of the restaurant staff completes their jobs with great pride, the beauty of that final picture is a wonder to behold. This is what fascinates Paul Shiley about the restaurant business. He loves the cooking too, no question, but the magic of the teamwork when everyone does an excellent job; from the manager to the hostess to the floor cleaners is what turns a good restaurant into an amazing one.
Paul began his career in the restaurant world at fifteen years old in Baltimore at Peter Angelos’ restaurant, Perry Place. He also worked on cranes and in construction during his high school and college years, but always preferred the restaurant business and went back to it. After his second year of college, he worked at the Bonfire in Ocean City. When Paul was twenty-four years old and worked for the Hilton, Paul broke a record for being the youngest executive chef the Hilton Hotel Corporation had ever employed. Throughout Paul’s life he has held various restaurant and country club positions such as Restaurant Owner, Food and Beverage Manager, Assistant Manager, General manager, Kitchen Manager, Line Cook, Server, Host, Dishwasher and Busboy.
Also in his earlier days, Paul was chosen by Murphy/Good Vineyards to cater their wine crush events. It was the time of year when they picked the grapes and they entertained quite a bit. Paul and his wife Debbie flew out and catered regional crab cakes, beans with Smithfield ham and other yummies. For this endeavor, Paul was mentioned in Wine Spectator and Food Art magazine. That happened in the mid-90s and until this day The Narrows Restaurant sends crab cakes to many of the attendees.
Paul’s Uncle Sam was a famous chef in Baltimore. Miller Brothers was a classic restaurant in Baltimore, and Paul has been influenced by his Uncle Sam’s European style and influence and also Paul’s classical training through the Baltimore Culinary School. His passion for hospitality has influenced the Shiley’s daughter, Alex, to attend culinary school like her father and Uncle Sam. Paul believes that high quality food comes from the finest ingredients. This is especially essential in crab meat. He uses jumbo lump because of the large lumps of crab. This type of meat also tends to contain the least amount of shell. Most importantly, Paul handles the crabmeat gently to avoid breaking up the lumps. Also using minimal ingredients in crab dishes creates a wonderful flavor and does not overpower the flavor of the crab! Paul’s other favorite is his taste for Italian food, which, Paul says, probably comes from his Italian Uncle Same and also from his wife Debbie’s family
Annapolis Restaurant Guide 