Chef Spotlight
Chef Giulio
Bellinis
Chef Cara
Bluewater Grill
Chef David
Kay's
Chef Al
Quitos
Chef Geo
Blue Anchor
Chef Evan
Res American Bistro
Chef Angel
Coast Guard House
About Chef Giulio
Chef Giulio was born and raised on the Italian peninsula of Salento, Italy. He trained at the “Center of Culinary Arts” in Casargo, Italy and started his culinary career as an apprentice cook with the Costa Cruise line based out of Venice. Chef Giulio has been a gourmet chef for over 32 years. He later left Italy to venture along the Southern Pacific coast, from the Fiji Islands to the French side of the Caribbean. He opened a small restaurant in the Vava’u Archipelago of the kingdom of Tonga. It was here that he had the honor of cooking for members of the Tongan Royal Family, (including the Crown Prince). When he took his culinary expertise to the United States, landing in Rhode Island in 2000, he was the Executive Chef at Z Bar & grille, and later Mediterraneo in Providence. In 2015 he was the opening Executive Chef at Mare Rooftop restaurant on the East Side of Providence. In October of 2021, he found his home as an Executive Chef at Bellini’s Ristorante in Providence, where he leads all creative culinary endeavors across one of the finest menus in Rhode Island.
About Chef Cara
Executive Chef Cara Marie Nance has been cooking in professional kitchens for over 20 years, spending her life and culinary career expanding her food knowledge by absorbing as much of the industry as possible. She’s a mother, wife, and a self-proclaimed Renaissance man. Chef Cara is an artist of all kinds, a musician, multi-media artist, photographer, and sculptor. She also enjoys keeping her body tuned as a vegan CrossFit athlete (and yes, she loves to talk about it)! With various positions running successful kitchens, Chef Cara focuses on seasonal, inventive, and health-conscious cuisine, appealing to all diets and palettes.
Chef David Lahousse
Chef Dave has worked in the restaurant industry his whole life. He began working at a young age at Vermette’s Restaurant. Chef Dave transitioned to working at Kay’s Restaurant under different ownership. While he worked at Kay’s, he attended Davies Vocational School for Culinary Arts, graduating in 1979. Following graduation, Chef Dave began working at Pub Dennis, leading to his promotion to executive head chef. In this position, he oversaw 18 restaurants. In 1988, he decided to step down as Executive Chef but remained General Manager at Pub Dennis. They changed the name of Pub Dennis to Brass Rail and Laugh Connection which became a comedy club downstairs, and the restaurant remained upstairs. Between the early 1990s to 2000, Chef Dave and his brother took their culinary adventures to newer, greater heights and opened two restaurants called Grumpy’s and The Lodge Pub and Eatery. Chef Dave decided it was in his best interest to separate from Grumpy’s, leaving it to his brother while he kept The Lodge, leading to his purchase of Kay’s and never looking back.
Chef Al
Chef Al’s culinary mission began when his parents, Peter and Joanne served the freshest clams, clam cakes, and chowders that Narragansett Bay had to offer. Experiencing their passions accompanied by fresh, delicious seafood only inspired him to chase his dreams of being an exceptional chef. For 20 years, Chef Al was a seafood buyer for a chain of restaurants from New Hampshire to Maine, which structured his knowledge for top-quality seafood. He has built relationships with fishermen all over New England, guiding him in creating some of the most exquisite seafood dishes. Located on the Bristol harbor, is where Chef Albert’s family created Quito’s. When he took ownership of the restaurant, Chef Al modeled Quito’s in resemblance to his parent’s traditions, recipes, and pure love for seafood. Five decades later, as the original 1954 Quito’s Restaurant menu hangs on the wall, he develops his culinary creations, all growing from his love for quality seafood.
Chef Geo
Born in Bermuda only ranging 21 miles long, fisherman and boat builders run through his family. He started out as a dishwasher, before switching to front of house. He moved to America in 1991 to marry his lovely wife, Kim! He took his culinary adventures to Johnson and Wales University in the Culinary Program at Johnson and Wales University and since then, has had the pleasure of working in some of the finest Seafood Restaurants in Rhode Island. His technique is inspired by a French Bistro style, with his pantry being global spices that create the magic flavor of fish he grew up knowing, and loving.
“I love it. All of it. When you turn the lights on in the kitchen and it looks exactly how you left it. A fresh start, day in and out. You continue the same routine: order, schedule, prep, and most importantly, cook. The rush comes and goes, you clear the board and every day you get to prove to yourself when you shut the lights off, that you were better than you were yesterday.” – Chef Geo
About Chef Evan
Growing up in Erie, Pennsylvania Chef Evan Mathew’s eclectic curiosity about food and flavor was highly influenced by his Irish mother and his father, who immigrated from India. The seeds that garnered his love of cooking were planted early in his childhood working alongside his parents and siblings in the kitchen, at the marketplace and especially learning the techniques and importance of planting and maintaining their sustainable garden. Over the years, he traveled extensively with them through India, learning about the food, culture, and the versatility of spices and their impact on simple dishes and later tasting and eating his way through the Netherlands, England, Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico. An honors graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Evan holds a bachelor’s degree in food service management, along with a minor in Culinary Arts and Event Management. He worked his way through the kitchen, beginning at age 15 as a dishwasher at the Aviation Country Club in Erie and went on to find his niche in the exciting and rapidly growing culinary world of Rhode Island cultivating both his cooking and management skills at Atomic Catering in Providence, managing the Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island program, and the Providence and Chestnut Hill Capital Grille where he began as Sous Chef and culminated his career there as Executive Chef Partner and a trainer for other CG restaurants opening up across the United States. Evan’s talents were often recognized by the community throughout his career earning him several awards and honors including preparing the menu and organizing the DNC event for the 2006 visit of President Clinton and his wife Hillary, receiving the 2010 Rhode Island Hospitality Association’s “Caterer of the Year” award and First Place in Johnson and Wales Culinary Museum’s 2013 “Top Dog” Culinary Competition that benefited the Providence Animal Rescue League. Most recently, Options Magazine named Evan “Top Chef” in 2022 alongside “Top Restaurant” for Res American Bistro.
Chef Evan was able to realize his dream of owning his own restaurant when a conversation with good friends and an older vacant restaurant in the perfect location became available. With two partners and a confluence of talent and support, Res American Bistro in Providence, opened their doors in March of 2021. Their vision for this unique restaurant was to create a place to celebrate life’s special moments by offering the best food, service, and ambiance in Providence. Their strategy includes using local and seasonal ingredients paired with select wines, and other libations. Res American Bistro’s menu is reflective of Chef Evan’s cooking experiences, home and abroad, and is representative of his values of serving food with integrity that is locally sourced. Except the bread.. the incredible baguette is shipped directly from Paris.
About Chef Angel
Chef Angel Cardona was born in Ambato, Ecuador and moved to the United States in 1976. He relocated to New York, beginning his career as a dishwasher to understand the foundation of the kitchen for six months. He not only learned the important role dishwashing plays in the kitchen, but he also discovered his newfound love for cooking. When he moved to Rhode Island in 1995, he was thrown right into the action as a chef, happily so. When he brought his passion and dedication to Narragansett, he never looked back. Chef Angel has been the Executive Chef at The Coast Guard House for 14 years. His time there has been spent preparing, creating, and serving dishes that have one required ingredient: love. “When you put love into your food, that is what makes it beautiful.” Chef Angel gives an abundance of gratitude to his wife of 30 years and two sons, supporting his passion. He has thoroughly enjoyed being the executive chef and working with The Coast Guard House family, the owners, team, and all the experiences he has endured as an executive chef.