Chef, 160-foot Delta motoryacht Newvida

Date interviewed: May 2011

That was an exceptional luncheon that you just prepared. Everyone enjoyed the salad of zucchini blossoms with goat cheese and heirloom tomato coulis so much that they nearly licked their plates. I thought the Chilean sea bass with minted pea emulsion looked good on the plates of the guests who ordered it, but it couldn’t possibly have tasted better than my main course of rack of lamb with slow-roasted tomato gratin and spring vegetables. I barely had room in my belly for the buttermilk shortcakes with fresh berries for dessert.

I really do love to cook all kinds of foods. I wanted to show that with this lunch. I love to eat Thai and sushi, but I have a lot of French training, and I love to play with those foods and lighten them up. I also love to bake. I really do just love to cook.

Are the dishes you prepared today some of your specialties?

I think the dish I make that most people like best is pork tenderloin stuffed with mushroom duxelle. But I also love to make fish, soups—anything that requires long braising. And beans, I can spend hours just cleaning and preparing really great beans.

What about special dietary needs?

I can do macrobiotic, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free. We once had a charter client who was in the final stages of cancer, and his diet was extremely regimented. It was no problem. I cooked what he needed, and then what everybody else wanted.

Where did you learn to cook?

I grew up in Vermont, one of four kids with a single mom, and I learned to cook early on to help out around the house. I eventually studied at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Boston, and I worked in a restaurant called Biba in Boston. The executive chef there was Lydia Shire, who is famous for revolutionizing the Boston restaurant scene. She was my mentor. I learned so much from her.

How did you get into cooking on yachts?

I moved to Fort Lauderdale to work in a restaurant, and a chef who worked there mentioned that it was possible to cook on boats during the summer season, when the restaurant business is slow in South Florida. So I started out working on the 80-foot sailing yacht Eliza, then went back and forth to restaurants and boats for a couple of years.

When did you start working aboard Newvida?

I joined Newvida in November 2010, and I’m only on the boat when there are charters. I usually stay about three months maximum at a time on the boat, which is plenty to do a great job for the charter clients.

Besides the outstanding food that I just sampled, what do you think makes Newvida stand out for charter?

I’ve seen a lot of charter boats, and I can tell you that every good charter boat has a great captain. We have a great captain on Newvida, Capt. Don Anderson, and he makes sure we have a great team to work with plus comfortable crew quarters. The galley on Newvida is big and bright, and the stewardess who works in there with me, cooking for the crew, is a real team player. We’re a solid charter operation. I think that’s why guests have such a great time with us.

Newvida is part of the charter fleet at Northrop and Johnson. She takes 12 guests at a lowest weekly base rate of €175,000. Any reputable charter broker can tell you more or help you book a week onboard.