Atlantic City chef Larry Alexander Photo: Courtesy of Larry Alexander
Chef Lawrence (Larry) Alexander is a living legend in Atlantic City. He has perfected the running of immense, potentially chaotic kitchens in mega-resorts, and is now top toque at the Atlantic City Convention Center and Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, feeding thousands daily. His secret? He radiates calmness. We found out why.
NJM: We’re betting you got into cooking as a kid.
Alexander: Does it show? My grandpop, Thomas Alexander, was a passionate home cook, deep into barbecue. He’d smoke up chicken and pork—wings, ribs, necks, every part—and he’d show me each step. I could smoke anything before I was ten.
Those family meals must have been memorable.
True, but most of what Grandpop smoked wasn’t for us. He cared deeply about people who were hungry or suffering. He’d tell me, “You have to look out for folks having a hard time, because someday that might be you.” We’d go around our neighborhood delivering barbecue, and the gratitude of those people just lifted my heart.
That’s a powerful life lesson for a kid!
It sure was. Thanks to Grandpop, I wanted to give back with food. Once I had my working papers at 16, I got a job cooking and serving at a senior community. This kitchen was very devoted to the residents. Meals were a high point of the day, and some of them would walk through the kitchen in the afternoon so they could think about dinner. I loved that job. Those residents shared their life stories with us. Their family tree, their kids, the history they’d lived through—about Atlantic City when things were wild. What I learned is that people are people, no matter their era, their age, their background, their past, their opinions.
Then the Boardwalk called?
At 19, in 1982, I started at Caesars. I rose from order runner to line cook to chef at one of their restaurants, which did three meals a day, plus a buffet and bar. Then I was chef at an equally busy bistro at Harrah’s. In 2003, I was hired by the soon-to-open Borgata as chef of their spectacular buffet. The variety and quality were mind-boggling. I was promoted to manage the buffet’s dining room.
You were some suave diplomat!
I had to be everywhere at once, always smiling, and somehow, I was. Our diners came not just from the Borgata but from other hotels and all over Atlantic County. The funny thing is, the celebrity entertainers came too, with their friends, families, entourages. You’d expect them to be getting black-tie room service in their penthouse suites. But they loved our food, our exciting mood and our booths, which provided privacy. Dave Chappelle would sit in his booth’s “daddy chair” so his back faced the room. He’d have our prime rib brought to him; he couldn’t get enough.
I understand you left Atlantic County for a while.
I know, hard to believe! In 2009, I took a job in Miami, then California, and later Chicago. Time goes fast! The pandemic came. No job. My wife and I missed South Jersey and moved back to Egg Harbor Township. Atlantic City’s resorts stayed open, and the Hard Rock convinced me to head up takeout and boardwalk dining. In 2022, I got a great offer to be executive chef and general manager of the co-owned Atlantic City Convention Center and Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. It’s my current gig. I’m in charge of all the catering—the event meals—plus the concessions, fast food and fast-casual. I supervise provisioning, cooking, service. I manage 200-plus personnel: cooks, servers, bartenders, runners, cashiers. The two venues feed up to 14,000 ticket holders per night.
How do you keep operations humming?
You can have the world’s finest kitchen, ingredients and cooks—but the make-or-break is getting your people committed to teamwork and customer service. If they seem lost, it’s because they don’t know their own value or feel pride in their work. So I’m always there, gliding around, conveying the message that they count; that they can do this. I lend a hand to cooks falling behind at their stations, servers with unhappy customers, new hires with raw nerves. I never waver from being sensible, understanding and goal-oriented. This way, I get my people back into the rhythm.
It seems you can connect with anyone.
That’s just how I turned out, working with so many kinds of people in my food-service life. And I definitely have that hospitality personality, where you’re eager to create memorable experiences for your customers. As a boss, I bring confidence to young cooks so they can share the wealth. And I’m active in charitable organizations like the Professional Chefs Association of South Jersey and the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City.
You’re known as an influential mentor.
It’s a fire that burns bright. I hire for my company, including a lot of entry-level young people from Atlantic City. I look for friendly kids who are hungry to work hard and learn. It’s easy to spot them; their genuineness jumps right out. And then I show them the ropes and guide them. I think I’m a father figure; the kids call me “Pops,” “Coach” or—I admit—”Grandpa.” My recent protégé was a young man named Kareem, who was burning to work but was painfully shy. For a week, he shadowed me in everything I did, cooking and managing. I hired him, and he absolutely bloomed.
Is Kareem climbing the kitchen ladder like you did?
Not yet. He just decided to join the Coast Guard and its well-respected culinary program. He asked me to save him a place in the kitchen. I told him not to worry.
Interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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