From our Chef Christian Graciano..

In my late twenties, after working at a distribution center for 8 years, I decided to follow my dream of becoming a chef, and attended The Institute of Culinary Education in NYC, where I was fortunate enough to study under Chef Alex Guarnaschelli from the Foodnetwork.

After graduating in 2003, I began an internship at Hamilton’s Grill Room in Lambertville, NJ. Hamilton’s is a unique upscale restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine, and has been a “must-visit” restaurant since its establishment in 1988. I was privileged to be hired as Sous Chef, which gave me the opportunity to assist with seasonal menu planning and interact with patrons while cooking in the open kitchen and wood burning grill and oven in the dining room. It was there that I found that developing relationships with the clientele was one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.

After a few years I made the decision to position myself for new growth opportunities by joining corporately-owned Big Fish, a Landry’s restaurant. I worked as a Sous Chef for less than a year before being promoted to Executive Chef. There I sharpened my management skills through the challenges of overseeing all kitchen operations and supervising a team in a high-volume setting. Although I learned a tremendous amount about running a kitchen I greatly missed seasonal menu changes and collaborating with local farmers and products.