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The Golden Chefs
The Paradise Coast’s kitchen masters are made of precious mettle.By Chelle Koster Walton
Iron chefs? Think again: The chefs of Florida’s Paradise Coast are worth their weight in gold because of their kitchen savvy.
From Naples to Marco Island and the Everglades, cooks have quietly made a name for themselves in the realm of cuisine that ranges from swamp cookery to worldly American. Here, four of the area’s “Golden Chefs” allow us to peek into their kitchens.
Golden Chef:
 City Seafood, Everglades City |
Richard Wahrenberger
Owner of City Seafood, Everglades City
How he got here: He has been in the stone-crabbing business for 50 years, first in the St. Petersburg area and now in Everglades City, where he’s been fishing and serving for 22 years.
Restaurant’s style of cuisine: Everglades-style seafood.
Specialties of the house: “Stone crabs [fresh from his boats] is definitely number 1. Also frogs’ legs, gator, grouper, snapper, and mullet.”
Philosophy of cuisine: “That’s about all I serve, what comes out of the local waters.”
New favorite ingredient: Coriander is the secret ingredient in his mustard dipping sauce.
You’ll never find this in his kitchen: Dirt and trash.
Greatest influence on his cooking: Mother Nature – freshness is key. Almost everything he serves was just caught.
Cooking secret: “Our stone crabs are best because we pressure steam them instead of boiling them.”
Golden Chef:
Sebastian Mazzotta
Chef at Naples Tomato, Naples
How he got here: He started in the family business in Connecticut, then after schooling at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, cheffed at Naples’ Aqua Grill, Bayside, Chops City Grill and his own private chef business.
Restaurant’s style of cuisine: “Vine dining,” natural Italian-American with a wine emphasis.
Specialties of the house: Lasagna and planked tilapia.
Philosophy of cuisine: Keep things clean and simple; don’t mask protein product flavors.
New favorite ingredient: Wild mushrooms.
You’ll never find this in his kitchen: Inferior products.
What’s new: The restaurant has expanded and added a full bar, including more “enomatic” wine sampling dispensers.
Cooking secret: Passion and love: “that’s the only secret there is.”
Try out Chef Mazzotta's recipe for shrimp ceviche.
 Chef Guy Verdi of Verdi's American Bistro |
Golden Chef:
Guy Verdi
Chef-Owner of Verdi’s American Bistro, Marco Island
How he got here: He grew up in the restaurant business in Philadelphia, where his grandmother, mother and cousins all owned eateries. Eighteen years ago, he moved to Florida with his wife, Annalisa, to fulfill a dream. They opened Verdi’s 10 years ago.
Restaurant’s style of cuisine: American bistro with inspirations from around the world – “We serve food the way we entertain at home.”
Specialty of the house: Pan-seared Chilean sea bass with cannelini beans, oven-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts.
Philosophy of cuisine: “Keep it as fresh as possible. We’re not afraid to run out of something. We don’t make big quantities and keep it for the next day.”
New favorite ingredient: Whatever ingredient is the freshest.
You’ll never find this in his kitchen: Any preservatives.
Greatest influence on his cooking: His family.
Cooking secret: “There’s no secret: It’s what your heart and gut tell you; don’t be afraid to experiment. “
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