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Home | Events Schedule | 2011 Participants | About Us | Charities | Sponsors | Press | Travel & Lodging | Photos |  |
ABOUT US Below are the cornucopia of celebrity guests that are participating in the 2010 Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival. Contact us today about how you can participate in the upcoming Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival.
Jonathon Alsop is founder & executive director of the Boston Wine School Jonathon started life as a wine writer covering wine, food & travel in
Robert has over twenty years experience as an Executive Chef, primarily in the resort and club industry. Robert graduated from The Culinary Institute of America with high honors and has built an impressive career at resorts in the US and overseas. This includes working in Puerto Rico at the Wyndham El Conquistador Resort Casino & Golden Door Spa as the Regional Executive Chef. In this capacity he oversaw the F&B operations for 8 properties in the Caribbean basin. In addition, he was a member of the opening Executive Team for Sun Internationals Atlantis Resort and Casino on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. In the US, Robert was the Executive Chef at the Washington Golf and Country Club, in Arlington, Virginia, which is one of the nations oldest private clubs and has also worked with The Club Corporation of America. Most recently he directed the opening of three separate casino’s Food and Beverage operations in SE Florida, Iowa and Indiana.
In 2009, New York Times writer, Eric Asimov, proclaimed Joseph Carr, a producer to watch for, and put his wines alongside the likes of Far Niente, Clos du Val, Heitz, Grgich Hills and Rubicon. Mr. Asimov continues to comment, that these are “wines of balance and restraint”. For centuries, the Nègociant has produced some of the world’s finest wines: Louis Jadot, Joseph Drouhin and Georges Deboeuf, to name just a few. Joseph Carr works with small estate growers, coopers and winemakers, not unlike a classic nègociant, to produce handcrafted boutique wines. After 10 years, serving as a world-class sommelier, then another ten as an international industry executive, Mr. Carr set out on his own in 2005, to form his family-owned wine company. It was, as Mr. Carr says “a chance to follow a dream.” As director of Joseph Carr Napa Valley, Joseph continues to work with many of the associates he has met throughout his long career; those who share his passion and desire to produce world class wines. Influenced by the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, Joseph Carr’s winemaking philosophy is balance, sophistication and approachability. Mr. Carr, his wife Deirdre, his daughter Cailen, and Max, his dog, own and operate Joseph Carr Wines, producing fine wines from Napa Valley, California, along with limited production wines from Carneros and the Sonoma Coast. “We have the luxury of working with some of the best growers in Napa Valley and produce all of our wines at Larson Family Vineyards in Carneros” states Mr. Carr. Since launching his business in 2005, Mr. Carr’s wines have been received with great enthusiasm. His wines grace some of the finest restaurant lists in the United States and abroad. Joseph Carr has recently worked with Tom Larson to produce his second label, named “Josh Cellars” -his “vin de garage” -as he jokingly refers to it. It is a North Coast Vineyard project, from sites organically and sustainably farmed. It is dedicated to his father.
Nancy’s passion for sake was sparked over a decade ago in her hometown of Chicago. After her first sake experience, she became fascinated with it and made studying the beverage her mission. She left her career as an advertising executive and in 2006, she completed the Sake Professional Course in Japan with John Gauntner, who is recognized as the world’s foremost sake expert. She has traveled extensively and observed sake production at breweries in Japan. In Boston in March 2007, she opened o ya, a contemporary Japanese restaurant, with her husband Tim Cushman. o ya has received numerous awards, including being named by the New York Times’ Frank Bruni as the #1 new restaurant in the U.S. outside of New York, and being named by Boston Magazine as Boston’s “Best Restaurant” and “Best Japanese” 2008. As o ya’s sake sommelier, Nancy enjoys serving and pairing an extensive selection of premium sakes with the cuisine. She also regularly teaches sake courses for public and private organizations.
Tim is Chef Owner of o ya restaurant in Boston Cushman opened o ya, a contemporary Japanese restaurant, with his wife, Nancy, in March 2007. Since opening, he and o ya have received numerous accolades, including being named by New York Times food critic, Frank Bruni, as the #1 new restaurant in the United States in 2008. Cushman was also picked as a Best New Chef 2008 by Food & Wine magazine. Food & Wine also selected o ya as one of the top 10 new restaurants in the world, and gayot.com named the restaurant as one of the Top 40 in the U.S. Bon Appetit and Details magazines have recognized o ya as one of the top 10 sushi restaurants in the U.S. Locally, Boston Magazine named o ya as the #1 restaurant in Boston in 2009, and Best of Boston 2008 – Best Restaurant Overall Excellence and Best Japanese, and Best of Boston 2007 – Best New Restaurant and Best Sushi. Chef Cushman, 56, is a Boston native. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz & Classical Guitar from Berklee School of Music in Boston, then moved to California in the early 1980’s to pursue the music business. Cushman took a job in a restaurant, as many aspiring musicians do. That was the start of what would become a culinary adventure around the world. He has spent the last 28 years cooking around the world in Japan, France, Thailand, Italy, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico and Taiwan. In that time, he also served for seven years as a Corporate Chef with Lettuce Entertain You in Chicago, where he developed menus for the group’s new concepts. In 1994, Cushman launched his own consulting business, Ideas in Taste, and developed menus for a variety of restaurateurs, from independents to large operators. Presently, Tim and his wife, Nancy, are Co-Proprietors of o ya, in addition to working on various restaurant consulting projects. Website: oyarestaurantboston.com
Chef / Co-Owner ADante de Magistris is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of the eponymous, Restaurant dante in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as il Casale in Belmont, Massachusetts. Raised in an Italian-American home in the Boston suburb of Belmont, Dante de Magistris always loved to cook. At the age of four, the Belmont Fire Department responded to the de Magistris home to put out a kitchen blaze created when the budding chef attempted to prepare stovetop eggs in Tupperware. His talent and technique evolved with age and by the age of 18 Dante was prepared to take his career to the next level. Dante's culinary journey is packed with unique and impressive experiences, including a sojourn in Italy, where he not only honed his own skills but touched the lives of those he met along the way. After culinary stints in Bologna and Florence, the young chef made his way to the Amalfi Coast, where he debuted as sous-chef at Ristorante Don Alfonso. What happened next is the stuff of legends. The chefs left Dante in charge while they traveled to France. While they were away, Michelin came to visit. The young "understudy" helped the restaurant win its third star in their absence, and won rave reviews of his own. Returning to Boston with no shortage of praise and respect from his colleagues, Dante found himself working alongside some of Boston's finest chefs, including: Michael Schlow at Café Louis, Eric Brennan at The Federalist, Lydia Shire, Susan Regis, and Daniele Baliani at Pignoli. However, it was at Micheala Larson's blu in The Sports Club/LA, located in Boston's Ladder District, that Dante mastered the art of sophisticated simplicity, turning blu into a major destination for discerning diners. In 2006, Dante, along with his brothers Filippo and Damian, opened Restaurant dante in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to critical acclaim from Food & Wine and O Magazine, as well as being named one of Bon Appetit Magazine's "Hot 10 Restaurants" of 2006, Boston Globe Magazine's "Best of the New" for 2007 and winning Boston Magazine's coveted "Best of Boston" award for Best Italian Restaurant in 2008. At Restaurant dante, de Magistris has flawlessly established his culinary paradiso as one of the premier dining destinations in Boston. Located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel, Restaurant dante takes a fresh, modern approach to traditional Italian cuisine with Chef de Magistris' unique use of ingredients, innovative techniques and invigorating twists on Italian classic. A true family affair, Dante works with his brothers at his side every day. Brother Damian manages the front of the house, while Filippo manages the wine program In April 2009, Dante and his brothers joined forces again, combining their expertise in food, wine and stellar service, to open il Casale in their hometown of Belmont. In a stroke of poetic justice; the rustic cucina Italiana is located in the old fire house which once housed the department that had responded to the blaze in his family's home when Dante was a child. il Casale's talented team has perfected century-old de Magistris family recipes and created a menu that is equal parts traditional Italian comfort food and exclusive family classics. Separated into Sfizi (small tastes), Primi (appetizers), Secondi (entrees), Contorni (sides) and Dolce (dessert), il Casale's menu is designed to create a culinary experience reminiscent of the way the brothers were taught to dine by their Grandmother. Dante's following as well as the extraordinary success of the de Magistris brothers premiere establishment, made il Casale amongst the most anticipated openings of the year. In the few short months that it has been open, il Casale has earned the attention and praise of national and local culinary critics, including being named in Esquire Magazine list of "15 Places Not to Miss", and earning an almost unheard-of three and a half out of four stars from the Boston Globe's Devra First, an A- from the Boston Herald's Mat Schaffer, and two Best of Boston awards from Boston Magazine.
Division Manager, Genesis Northeast A native of Boston, MA, Domenic Giammarco, has always been captivated by the world food and wine. Having grown up in Boston's historic and Italian culinary mecca of the North End, it is only fitting that he found a passion and career in wine and food. After completing his traditional university education, Domenic worked in many of Boston's fine Italian restaurants, honing his craft of selecting fine wines for the restaurant wine programs. In 2006, Domenic began working in the wine trade with Ruby Wines, and that paved a path to his Division Manager position with fine wine & spirits importer, Palm Bay International. In both positions, he has spent time traveling to many of the world's wine regions including the many wine regions located throughout Italy, France and South Africa. Domenic currently resides locally in Quincy, MA with his wife Elena and young family.
Tremont 647 opened its doors in 1996 to local and national acclaim of Chef Andy Husbands’ boldly flavored adventurous American cuisine. Husbands’ commitment to locally grown and organic ingredients is reflected in his restaurants eight-season cycle, where the menu changes bi-monthly to take advantage of what’s fresh in the market. Beginning to exceed capacity, Andy converted the adjoining space to Tremont 647 in October 2000, into a café-like, and slightly more casual setting, naming it after his sister Sorel, creating a now combined 107- seat restaurant, in Boston’s South End. Andy takes great pride in contributing to local and national charities, and was awarded the Chef/Restauranteur of the Year in 2004, by the Nation’s leading hunger relief organization, Share Our Strength, which Andy hasw orked closely with for the past 15 years. Also known as “The Fearless Chef,” Husbands has published a cookbook by the same name and is well-known by his peers both locally and nationally, for his bold cooking style, extensive charity work with leading hunger-relief organization Share our Strength, and his endeavors on the competitive barbecue circuit. In the spring of 2005, he was one of only 5 “Celebrated Chefs” chosen by the National Pork Board. He participated in the Board’s national media tour for its “Pork, the Other White Meat” campaign. A particular passion for Husbands is participating in barbecue competitions, which he has done from Vermont to Tennessee, capturing numerous trophies with his team. Most notably in 2009, Husbands’ team (iQUE BBQ, sponsored by Harpoon Brewery) became the World Champions of BBQ at the Jack Daniels World Championships in Lynchberg, TN and in 2007 took 1st place out of 510 teams in the Brisket category at the Kansas City Royal. Husbands can be found blogging, and on Twitter and Facebook, as well as on his first-of-its-kind Kitchen Cam, an online live-feed from Tremont 647’s kitchen (kitchencam.com)
Dan moved to Mass in 1986 after a number of years working in the restaurant business and traveling extensively. He has been with a family operated wine distributor and importer since first arriving (Ruby Wines Inc.) where he is the Director of Special Events and a Fine Wine Specialist. Outside of work, he currently chairs the Boston University Wine School Founding Advisory Board and still travels to wine country around the world. Website: www.rubywines.com
Guided by these words, Ric Orlando brings an inspired blend of lust for life, outspoken passion for the flavors and ingredients of the world community, and nationally renowned cooking prowess to his roles as chef, lecturer, author, and media source. Ric has been preparing and promoting both global and local food for over 20 years. New World Home Cooking Co. is a Hudson Valley landmark and the Albany Gastro-Pub he designed and manages, New World Bistro Bar, is a local BEST OF winner. His recipes and commentary are consistently in demand by the regional media. His tireless work in promoting the products, people, and beauty of the region has made him one of the Hudson Valley's leading culinary spokespeople. A man with a colorful past, Ric's cultural roots stem from the underground music and art scene through 1980s in New York, New Haven, and Boston where he also gathered his passion for Global flavors eating urban ethnic cheap eats. He developed in his culinary experience at groundbreaking restaurants such as the Elm City in New Haven, (the original) Harvest in Cambridge, Massachusetts, The Wild Goose in Boston, Sugar Reef in Manhattan, and Yates Street and Justin's in Albany. He has cooked in the kitchens widely of respected chefs Bob Kinkead, Jake Jabobus, and Emmett Fox. Website: www.ricorlando.com
Valérie ROUSSELLE-RIBOUD is born the 19th of June 1963 in Saint Tropez (France). She has 3 children. Graduated from Lausanne Catering School, she worked in 1986 for two Barrière Group hotels in Deauville, first in the four stars luxe NORMANDY HOTEL in Deauville as customer relationship assistant, and then in 1987 in the four stars luxe ROYAL Hotel as assistant of the managing director in charge of the staff hotel. In 1994 she fell in love with the famous vineyard CHATEAU ROUBINE – CRU CLASSE COTE DE PROVENCE. Since 1995 she has been writing one of the nicest pages of the history of this vineyard thanks to her willpower, perseverance, passion and because of her surrounded professional, talented and experienced team. She received various distinctions: Silver Medal from the Tourism Minister and Chevalier of The Order of Agricultural Merit. In 2008 she was Certificate of oenology and wine maker graduated from the French famous Wine University of Suze-la-Rousse. This passion for wine made her take new initiatives in that environment. In 2008, she created and presided over the ELEONORES DE PROVENCE Association, association gathering women managers in the art of living sector (companies in the wine, decorative and gastronomic sectors). She is also creative member of the “Femmes de Vins Association” created in 2009 that gathers association of women wine makers and members of the French “ Ordre des Dames du Vin et de la table”.
Executive Chef/Owner Atria Website: www.atriamv.com
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