This article appeared in the July 9th Issue of TV Times
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By David Maull
TV Times

Larry McWilliams was a junior high school student in Boothwyn, Pa. when he began his career in food service.

One of his neighbors operated a catering service out if his home and McWilliams frequently helped out washing dishes and preparing food. It wasn't long before he was hooked.

"I've been in it ever since. I loved it," McWilliams said. "I've been in the restaurant business since I was 12 years old."

After seven years in the catering business, McWilliams spent the next 10 years as a cook at the Santa Fe Bar and Grill in Wilmington. But four years ago, upon accepting the executive chef's position at the Lynn Haven Inn in New Castle, McWilliams vowed that his next employer would be himself.

He made good on that promise this spring when he purchased Gina's restaurant in the Cove Village on Long Neck Road. Renamed "Skillet's", the restaurant opened the second week of March and serves what McWilliams calls "homestyle cooking with a gourmet flair."

Skillet's is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, offering everything from sandwiches, subs and hand-tossed pizza to dinner entrees such as seafood, steak and spaghetti.

"It's three businesses in one," McWilliams said. "I'm very diverse."

The Skillet's dinner menu features crab cakes, flounder, shrimp, scallops and oysters along with a variety of beef, chicken and Italian dishes. There are also homestyle entrees like liver and ham.

Other favorites include real mashed potatoes and homemade breads, sauces and gravies.

For lunch, there are sandwiches, burgers, cheese steaks and a variety of hoagies. Takeout is also available.

So far, the response has been favorable.

"We can attract a lot of different age groups," McWilliams said. "We've really taken off like wildfire since we've been here. We're only going to get bigger, better and stronger."

Although he's had no formal culinary education, McWilliams likes to call himself a "self-trained" chef who has learned various techniques during more than 20 years in the restaurant business.

"I've worked with quite a few chefs," he said.

Owning a restaurant has always been McWilliams' goal and he finally got the chance when Gina's went on the sales block earlier this year.

McWilliams and his wife, Roberta, own a vacation home in Massey's Landing and during a trip to the area noticed For Sale signs at the restaurant.

"We'd been looking for a while," Larry said.

The restaurant was reasonably priced and McWilliams was able to negotiate the sale with Gina's owner Ann Haman. He called it a "sign of fate" when they discovered Haman's mother lived across the street from them in Carney's Point, N.J.

So far, the Long Neck area has been to McWilliams' liking.

"This area's really up in development," he said. "The people are great. I get a lot of repeat business."

In the future, McWilliams hopes to improve the dinner business, offer catering services and add beer and wine to the menu.

He has spent so much time establishing a quality restaurant inside that McWilliams has had little time to tend to the exterior. Signs above the entrances still tout Gina's.

But it's what's on the inside that counts.