MEET our M.C. & Guest Chefs

MEET the CAPE GUEST CHEFS

Drawn to a culinary career by what he calls "the importance of the table", Brodsky's cherished childhood memories are centered on the dining experience: family, friendship and food, woven together to form a fabric that is comfortable, enjoyable, timeless. Because of the vision he has formed through his experiences, he considers twenty-eight Atlantic to be the perfect backdrop to his food. The balance of providing exceptional interpersonal service and outstanding cuisine in a comfortable atmosphere is the backbone of Brodsky's vision of memorable hospitality. He wants you to crave the atmosphere of his dining room as much as you relish his Trio of Tartares.

Considering his list of impressive accolades, including presiding over his first executive chef position at the age of 23, being recognized as one of the top Hotel Chefs of America by the James Beard Foundation, having brought a Zagat guide Top Rating, and a Mobil Four Star and AAA Four Diamond rating to twenty-eight Atlantic, Brodsky is refreshingly approachable and well grounded. As the leader of the Food & Beverage Department, he is devoted to making his kitchens and dining rooms great places in which to work. his team enjoys a fun and exciting working environment - due in equal parts to the high caliber of the cuisine produced as well as the atmosphere the chef promotes.

“Great, but can you cook a burger?” -Paul Fireman

That is a quote from the first meeting between former Reebok CEO and owner of Willowbend Country Club, Paul Fireman and Chef Paul Cunningham.  Since then Willowbend has become one of the premier country clubs in the Northeast. As executive chef, Paul oversees a gourmet restaurant open to club members and the public as well as banquet events for up to 300 guests.

Born in Stamford Connecticut and classically trained at the Culinary Institute of America, Paul started his career in New York City La Côte Basque.  He moved on to the Hotel Plaza Athenée before spending several years as sous chef at Le Cirque under Chef Daniel Boulud.  He honed his skills with Italian food at Bice Ristorante in New York and Washington, DC.

Paul was a finalist in the highly competitive Bocuse D’Or competition in 1990 which was held in Chicago. His cooking style has evolved through extensive travel through Italy and France and by adapting those traditional methods and techniques to the local ingredients of Cape Cod.

Paul resides in Cotuit with wife Kathy and their three children.  Together, they own and operate The Mills Restaurant in Marstons Mills.  When not working Paul enjoys fishing, sailing, hiking and maintaining his Black belt level in Kung Fu.

MEET the BOSTON GUEST CHEFS

Gabriel Frasca’s first passion was journalism, but a semester off from college changed his professional plans. In 1994, he landed a position under Gordon Hamersley at Hamersley’s Bistro. Exposed to the world of fine-dining and French cooking, Frasca put writing on the back burner. Now with over a decade of experience in some of the finest kitchens in Boston, New York and Europe, Frasca has assimilated disparate philosophies and techniques into his own approach to cooking. For the past 2½ years, he has impressed Boston diners at Spire, offering inventive, ingredients-driven cuisine with influences from France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Looking back on some of his mentors, Frasca comments, “Gordon Hamersley taught me to want it. Gordon Becker taught me to love it. Paul O’Connell taught me about the business. Martin Berasetegui taught me about the beauty. And Michael Schlow taught me about the perfection of it.” Now Frasca is off to his next challenge – with chef and partner Amanda Lydon. Together they will be co-Executive Chefs of Straight Wharf Restaurant in Nantucket, breathing new life into the seasonal New England cuisine featured at this popular summertime restaurant.
(StarChefs.com)

Todd Winer comes from a humble food beginning. Perhaps that is why Todd is moved by the simplicity of briny west coast Kumomoto oysters and when he lays his eyes on a basket of plump rainbow colored heirloom tomatoes he finds inspiration. His passion for food started as a teenager. He had an unlikely beginning – growing up in a family with a vegetable phobic, meat and potato loving father, but with the drastic contrast between his diet at home and a part-time job in the kitchen of an Italian Bistro a most creative chef was emerging. Winer learned to appreciate and love the flavors, aromas and tastes that would be created in this small restaurant’s kitchen. With this experience behind him, Winer decided to study at the New England Culinary Institute to be schooled in the fundamentals of fine cooking. After graduation his real culinary training came when he took positions with renowned chefs including: Charlie Palmer, Bobby Flay, Nancy Oakes, and Todd English.

Over the past eight years Todd Winer has worked along side Todd English helping to build English’s restaurant empire nationally and internationally. Chef Winer’s tenure with English proved to be a life-changing experience. He worked in various roles within English’s Olive Group Restaurants. All the while developing his own sense of style. His stint at Olives Tokyo in Japan is where Winer started to take a special interest in beef, he learned to recognize and prepare the highest grades of beef, a skill that would prove later to be instrumental in his decision to join The Metropolitan Club. His food although classic is infused by his sophisticated well traveled palate in which one uncovers hints of the exotic. He is a perfect fit with The Metropolitan Club by joining owner Kathy Sidell Trustman to continue to discover and develop the new American classics and help the much anticipated growth of The Metropolitan Club.
(metclubandbar.com)

Over the years I have learned the craft of cooking from a number of great and talented chefs. I have absorbed cooking styles and recipes that emphasize French, Asian, Mediterranean, Moroccan and American fine dining.

My passion for food and wine exploded while attending college at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. After graduating , I returned to New York city and began my professional career at "Buds" under the direction of Chef Jonathan Waxman. This was the beginning of the food and wine revolution and it was thrilling to be working in an environment which introduced cutting edge ingredients.

I personally challenge myself to be highly organized with a strong knowledge of culinary operations and presentation. I consider my roll within a kitchen to directly effect morale, proficiency, productivity, appearance and turnover in which case I strive to set forth a positive, guiding attitude towards my work and my co-workers. This philosophy is essential in the creation of award winning cuisine. I believe the key is having a calm kitchen where chefs concentrate on the food alone and can enjoy their work - the results are not only reflected in the food but throughout the entire restaurant.
http://petereco.com/biography.htm

Named by Bon Appetit Magazine as one of the “Hot 10 Restaurants” of 2006, dante has quickly established itself as one of the premier dining destinations in Boston. Located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts, dante takes a fresh, modern approach to traditional Italian cuisine with Chef Dante de Magistris’ unique use of ingredients, innovative techniques and invigorating twist on classic fare.

Inspired by the soulful home kitchens of Campania, which is where the de Magistris family originates, and his experiences cooking at some of the world’s most progressive restaurants like café Louis, The Federalist, Pignoli and blu, de Magistris has invented a culinary style that is truly all his own.