William Gauger

William J. Gauger AKA The Philly Chef is a celebrity chef based out of Long Island City, NY. William's ability to combine eccentric flavors have quickly gotten him on the map. Dubbed "The Best Burgers in Queens" William's menu at The Baroness Bar & Kitchen, The Wings and sandwiches at The Huntress Whisky Bar would wow even the hardest food critic. Chef William is taking over the NYC Food Scene, one kitchen at a time with his wide array of flavor profiles. His views on kitchen techniques changes the ways food can be viewed and enjoyed, taking things to a whole new extraordinary level. Originally from Philadelphia, William got his start as a dishwasher, and worked his way up the chain of the restaurant, eventually becoming the manager. Always having a taste for flavors, William continued to work in restaurants, experiencing different chefs culinary styles and gaining more knowledge. William met Chef Ian Russo and decided to move to New York, City the food capital of the world. Here he worked in many different bars, and did consulting work for big names such as the Standard hotel. William and Chef Ian Russo than moved to Long Island, New York where he assisted Russo in opening "Dirty Burger" in Plainview. William over saw the operations of the restaurant, as well as working in the kitchen. While working here he won Long Island's Wingfest's best traditional buffalo sauce for his recipe as well as the overall Nassau County Champion, best family restaurant, and best take out awards. In 2015, William began his own journey by opening his own kitchen inside of The Baroness Bar in Long Island City and formed The Philly Chef LLC. In a tiny 9-foot by 9-foot kitchen, William took his vast knowledge of kitchens, flavors, and management to create a successful business. His menu contains 26 different burgers which allow guests to change their meat from beef, to fresh Ahi tuna, turkey, chicken or even lamb. The burgers quickly got the recognition that they deserved. In 2015, The Gotham Burger Social Club visited The Baroness Bar giving William's creation, now called the "Marylin" some social media attention. The burger features a beef patty stuffed with mac and cheese, that is than wrapped in bacon and smothered in William's house made beer cheese and spicy ketchup. William even teamed up with the infamous "The Bagel Store" of Brooklyn, NY when they collaborated on a rainbow bagel inspired burger that took Instagram by storm. William has participated in many different cooking competitions and festivals such as The Meatball Takedown, and the Bacon and Beer Classic where his bacon meatball pops are a fan favorite for all. He has been invited to participate in the 2017 NYCWFF's Blue Moon Burger Bash where he will compete against previous year's winners and some of the best chefs in the NYC area. In 2017 William's burger the "Priscilla" was featured on ABC's The Chew's Burger and Shake Spectacular. It was a hit with the judges, and Carla Hall called it her favorite burger experience. To continue his big year, William competed on Food Network's Chopped. He was featured on Clam Clash episode 12 of season 34. Despite being chopped in the second round, William created a twitter frenzy over his confident attitude and his signature fashion staple, his Fedora. William's burgers have been featured in articles on sites such as Best Food NY and AmNY as he continues to get the press his incredible food deserves. William J. Gauger AKA The Philly Chef will continue to make his mark on the NYC Food Scene, and beyond as his career has just begun.