Following graduation, Cary returned to the D.C. area and began his career as a chef. His first position was at the Chalet de la Paix in Arlington, Virginia, and from this humble beginning, he began his lasting appreciation for French cooking. After stints elsewhere in the area, Cary ultimately became the executive chef at the famous Watergate in Washington, D.C. The experience gained here ultimately would prove very beneficial in helping him handle the demands he would find in his present capacity.
In 1983, there was an opening for executive chef at the venerable Normandie Farm restaurant, which he successfully applied for. Not long afterward, B&B caterers purchased the property and Cary entered into a lasting relationship with Carl Longly, one of the B&B partners, that remains to this day. For a long time, Cary had known that he wanted to be more than a chef. He had hoped for the day that he would have the opportunity to own and manage his own restaurant. After eleven years, that day finally came when he successfully negotiated to purchase the Normandie Farm from Mr.Longly. Interestingly enough, Mr. Longly remained on as the bookkeeper for the restaurant.