CHEF PROFILE

The Culinary Mind at 1149

In the kitchen with Executive Chef Nicholas Dadona

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Nicholas Dadona, Executive Chef at 1149 in East Greenwich, has some brag-worthy experience in the cooking department. The food artist has blessed a decent portion of Rhode Island with unforgettable flavors and textures since obtaining his degree in Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University in 2005. Picking up the passion at age 17, Dadona, like many successful chefs, worked his way up to the top in many Rhode Island restaurants, starting as a line cook. With much dedication and years of hard work, he now holds title as executive chef.

What’s your favorite dish on 1149’s current menu?
The Pan Seared Filo Scallops with lemon-cider gastrique. Something new to 1149 is the fact that I’ve introduced a six-month rotating menu, where we cook more spring and summer, and fall and winter. We currently just rolled out a spring-summer menu. The scallops are really fresh and the plate has a lot of color. It’s good for the nice weather.

Where do you get your inspiration for your seasonal specials?
I actually have a really close relationship with some of the biggest produce vendors in the region, which, on a daily to weekly basis I am in touch with what’s fresh and what’s arriving. I’m creating a lot of my specials from ingredients that are provided and shown to me that day or throughout the week.

Describe your process of creating a new dish.
I think sometimes when you create a new dish, you look at a couple of ingredients and you start out with one or two fresh items – or something that you think is really cool – and you branch off from there. I put my own twist on things. Sometimes it can be classic dishes and sometimes I can just stumble upon a new way of doing something that turns out to be a hit in the dining room.

Any examples of these dining room hits?
Right now, we are on a Beef Wellington special. It’s not so much like a twisted classic – I am just redoing a classic. I made the Beef Wellington a little bit more like individual portion sizes. Typically, it’s not an individual portion; it’s usually done in a big roast. The response that I got from that was really good. I actually have people coming back every month just for the Wellington.

Growing up, where there any other chefs in the family?
My grandmother was a really good cook. She would always have stews and gravies on the stove and her house always smelled like some form of veal or chicken. Growing up, I didn’t really learn how to; I kind of got thrown into the fire in the restaurant industry and learned from working. I started as a line cook, prep cook... That’s where I got all my experience.

What invigorates you about the atmosphere of the kitchen?
The kitchen is definitely not for everybody, and just the fact that I can handle the atmosphere that I know a lot of people can’t is empowering. It’s fast paced, and 90% of the time it’s extremely hot. It’s a chaotic environment, but when you get into the zone and you’re pushing out a massive amount of tickets, the time flies by. And then it’s all over, and you’re like “wow.”

I see on 1149’s menu that there is a Build Your Own Burger option. What’s your favorite way to dress up a good patty?
I think that, most importantly, it starts with the burger itself. Whenever you’re building a burger, you have to have a good patty or a good meat mix. We use the American Kobe, so we start off with a good foundation. I’m a huge fan of barbecue, so if I was going to do something, I’d do some form of barbecue burger. I also like a fried egg. That’s one of my favorites, too.

1149 Restaurant, 1149 Division Street, East Greenwich/Warwick line, 884-1149

1149 restaurant, rhode island dining, chef profile, so rhode island magazine, Nicholas Dadona

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