Former TJ Ribs partner heads to Stab’s in Central

Kevin Kimball, a former managing partner for TJ Ribs, is now the new general manager for Stab’s Steak and Seafood, a fine dining restaurant in Central that will open later this month. Kimball worked for TJ Ribs for three years before leaving in June, but says the decision to leave was amicable. “The Moran family is like family to me,” he says. “We wanted to part ways while we could all stay friends. It was just time to do something else.”

Kimball enjoyed six weeks of time off to “go play dad,” he says. “I didn’t realize my kids had so many baseball games. It was great. It was something you miss when you’re in the restaurant business.”

He had known Stab’s co-owner Wayne Stabiler for more than two decades. Stabiler, a Baton Rouge restaurateur, is the owner of Le Creole and both Little Village locations as well as Catering Cajun. When the Stab’s opportunity came, Kimball was ready for a different challenge. “I wanted to get back to the fine dining aspect of the business,” he says. “TJ Ribs was an unbelievable experience for me. I was able to learn a lot about operations at that level of dining. [Stab’s] is a chef-driven concept in a new market. That’s exciting to me.”

Before working at TJ Ribs, Kimball worked at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Camelot Club and Gino’s. “For me, I’ve always been in fine dining,” he says. “TJ Ribs was a challenge, and it let me round out my experience. I’m thankful to the Moran family for that.” Stab’s will officially open in late August. For more information on Stab’s, click here. —Matthew Sigur