RI Chefs in the National Spotlight

RI Chefs in the National Spotlight

November has been a big month so far for RI chefs getting national attention. On the first, Chef Derek Wagner and several of his chefs from Nick’s on Broadway were part of a dinner at the James Beard House in New York in celebration of the new cookbook Harvest to Heat that features Wagner. That same week Ocean House’s Executive Chef Albert Cannito, Chef de Cuisine Eric Haugen and Pastry Chef Adam Young from Seasons at the Ocean House in Westerly were the featured chefs at the Beard House. There’s also Farmstead’s Chef Matt Jennings half-page spread in the November issue of Food & Wine magazine as one of their “40 Big Thinkers Under 40.”

Nick’s on Broadway

At the Harvest to Heat dinner at the Beard House, Wagner cooked alongside four other chefs featured in the cookbook, which was reviewed here last month upon release. Wagner was featured in the book alongside Baffoni’s Poultry Farm in Johnston, so for the Beard House dinner he prepared a Chicken Liver Pate with Hazelnuts as a passed hors d’oeuvre. For dinner Wagner had the responsibility of the primary meat course and did not disappoint with a Blackbird Farm beef tenderloin with Pumpkin-Carrot Puree, Wilted Greens, Lardons and Oxtail-Port Jus. There is actually a very similar dish on the regular menu at Nick’s on Broadway and I highly recommend trying it, along with many other dishes there.

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Wagner was busy getting married at the time of my review of Harvest to Heat so was unavailable to comment, but recently wrote this about the experience. “What an incredibly relevant and important piece for our times right now, both in the professional cooking world, and in our home kitchens, where we are finally again reexamining everything we eat, where it comes from and how it’s grown or produced. I wanted in immediately, and was so humbled and honored to work with such knowledgeable, passionate and talented people.”

Seasons at The Ocean House

On November fifth the chefs from The Ocean House prepared a six-course meal with wine pairings from local winery Jonathan Edwards as part of their New England Harvest dinner at the James Beard House. The menu revolved around Chef de Cuisine Eric Haugen’s cooking, overseen by Executive Chef Albert Cannito.

Several items stood out as testaments to not only the Ocean House’s experienced staff, but also the local New England ingredients they work hard to source. A Duck Liver Mousse Crostini had the perfect amount of richness with a great offset of crunchy texture. The Celery Root Panna Cotta with Watch Hill Honey Glaze, Casteveltrano Olives, Meyer Lemon and Coriander had an incredible combination of flavors. The Vermont Pork Belly with Toasted Farro, Native Winter Root Vegetables and Juniper-Scented Consomme was perfectly cooked—the pork belly prepared sous vide before searing it—and the richness of the belly was greatly tempered by the earthy faro.

As much as we all love dessert I rarely clean my final plate after a meal like this, but I actually did eat every bit of Pastry Chef Adam Young’s Local Squash and Dairy Study. The wine pairings from Jonathan Edwards were spot on beginning with an excellent match of their 2009 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc with the Panna Cotta and an even more perfect pairing of their 2007 Napatree Point Zinfandel with the Pork Belly dish.

Photos David Dadekian