Chef spot at Pavillon next up on menu for former Water Oak owner
The new executive chef for Pavillon Treatment Center, Bryan Kilby, is quick to say closing the doors of his Water Oak Restaurant in Rutherfordton, N.C.

earlier this year wasn’t easy.
“We knew it was coming because the writing was on the wall, but that didn’t make it an easy thing to do,” said Kilby. “That was seven years of our life.”
The “our” he referred to is his wife, Shara, who was very much a part of the Water Oak venture.  The two were directly involved in the business and said they enjoyed many successful years of friendship and loyalty from repeat guests around Rutherford, Polk and Buncombe counties.
A downturn in the economy, higher costs, long hours and a desire for more of a balance in his personal life led to the decision to close the restaurant at the end of 2011.
These days, Shara is immersed in being a full-time mom, raising the couple’s two children, while Kilby takes the reins in his new capacity overseeing all aspects of dining services for the 140-acre treatment center in Mill Spring.
It’s a position he transitioned into comfortably, observed Pavillon’s CEO Anne Vance.
“Because Bryan already had the philosophical approach to food as an important component to an overall healthful and wholesome balance, he fits into that which is very important to our treatment here at Pavillon,” Vance said. “He brings a wealth of talent and expertise to us and enjoys sharing his passion for the ‘culinary arts’ with others.”
Started in 1996, Pavillon is a not-for-profit residential and outpatient center for the treatment and continuing recovery of alcoholism and drug addictions. Its primary residential facility is located in Mill Spring and its outpatient facility and sober-living residence is located in Greenville, S.C.
Kilby said he was already familiar with Pavillon’s commitment to incorporating delicious, yet healthy and wholesome foods into the treatment experience. Pavillon had consulted with him over the years regarding culinary enhancements to their food services program.
“I have long respected what they do here and how they do it,” Kilby said. “They look at the entire person in the treatment of addiction and they know and understand that food – what it tastes like, how it’s prepared, what it looks like on the plate and how it makes the patient feel – is all very important.”
At Pavillon, Kilby will have overall responsibility for the dining services department and staff.
Asked how preparing meals in a treatment center is different than a high-end restaurant, he laughed and said, “Instead of a few meals spaced out over a span of a couple of hours, it can be 30-50 meals a day, served all at once, three times a day…. And with more young people seeking treatment for addiction, it can sometimes be a challenge getting some of them to try new dishes or to see the value in healthful meals.”
Kilby said his culinary focus remains southern cuisine, in the preparation of which he employs many classic Mediterranean techniques. Carried over from his schooling and his time at the Water Oak is his belief in using only the freshest ingredients of the highest quality and that everything should be made from scratch.
To that end, Kilby said, some things about his approach won’t change, such as his commitment to supporting local growers and small farms.
“As much as possible, we want the freshest ingredients, so we really enjoy our relationships with local growers,” he said.
Bryan and Shara both received their formal training at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College in the culinary program. During his time in that program, Bryan honed his skills as a chef, winning first place in the State Jr. Hot Food Competition and a gold medal in the Southeast Regional Jr. Hot Food Competition. Bryan, Shara and their two children make their home in Rutherfordton.
– article submitted by Valerie A. Hoffman