Featured Chefs
sponsored by Newport Restaurant Week
One Bellevue at The Hotel Viking
Chef Kevin Thiele
Curried Lentil Soup with Crispy Tasso Ham and Buddha’s Hand Crème Fraiche
Executive Chef Kevin Thiele started as a line cook at Hotel Viking’s
One Bellevue in 2004. His talent, devotion to all things culinary and
hard work steadily moved him up the kitchen ladder in less than three
years. His career trajectory has been most impressive since being
jump-started by his boss at Cousin’s Pizza in his hometown of
Riverdale, New Jersey, learning how to toss pizzas in the air at age
14. Now 29 years old, he is responsible for creating the menus for One
Bellevue and in-room dining; and supervising the culinary team for
weddings, corporate gatherings and social events at the venerable Hotel
Viking. Thiele’s formal culinary education took place at Johnson and
Wales University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Culinary and
Food Service Entrepreneurship in 2004. During his four years at
culinary school, he managed a student dining facility at Brown
University. His college internship took place at the famous Great
Southern Hotel in County Kerry Ireland where he was a rotational chef.
He was also schooled in Koblenz, Germany for wine certification. Prior
to that, he was sous chef at Fahrenheit Bar & Bistro in Providence
for almost two years. Thiele also worked at the Mansion House Hotel on
Martha’s Vineyard. This young chef particularly admires chefs such
as Anthony Bourdain, Thomas Keller, Michael Ruhlman and Charlie
Trotter. Yet, he also considers himself to be creative in the kitchen
and is fond of being on his feet all day, cooking and leading the
culinary team at this well-respected Newport dining room. His food
tastes are eclectic. He loves the cooking of Asia, France and Italy;
but, is also very dedicated to New England regional specialties and
knows how privileged he is to have access to local fish, clams,
scallops, lobster and produce on a seasonal basis.
DeWolf Tavern
Chef Sai Viswanath
Lobster Popovers
Chef Sai Viswanath holds degrees in culinary arts from the Culinary
Institute of America and from the hotel school in Madras, India. He has
traveled the world refining his cuisine holding positions as Chef of
the renowned Indigo in Mumbai (voted one of the world’s best 60
restaurants by Conde Nast) to Union Square Café in NYC. He taught
culinary arts at the New England Culinary Institute before coming to
Rhode Island where he is making a splash at the DeWolf Tavern. Chef Sai
is inspired by the beautiful local seafood available here in Rhode
Island and has created a unique American menu that shows it off. Chef
Sai has mastered many cooking techniques from different parts of the
world and has created some incredibly succulent dishes combining local
ingredients and flavors with the intensely high heat of the charcoal
tandoor. His high standards infuse every aspect of his menu, from the
natural lump charcoal used to roast lobster, to his house made pastas
and his perfectly grilled native swordfish. Chef Sai and DeWolf Tavern
have been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Boston,
and Food Arts magazines.
Bouchard Restaurant
Chef Albert Bouchard
At the age of 15, Albert apprenticed for a French chef who was so impressed with Albert's potential, he wrote to the Cordon Bleu. Although Albert was accepted, he instead decided to attend Paul Smith's College and received a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. He then attended and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. For many years to follow, Albert honed his skills working at four-star restaurants such as The Dupuy Canal House in High Falls, New York, Chez Hosten in France for 2 years (one of 60 2-star Michelin restaurants in all of France) and Le Chateau in South Salem, NY for 15 years. Albert and his wife Sarah loved the ocean and decided to settle in Newport, RI with their classic motor yacht once owned by Humphrey Bogart and start their own restaurant. With its proximity to Boston and New York, they felt Newport was an ideal place to be. With Albert as chef and Sarah managing the dining room, Restaurant Bouchard grew to become a culinary destination in New England. Today, Restaurant Bouchard is recognized both locally and nationally by such publications as Frommers, Fodors and The Providence Journal and has received the DiRona Award from the Distinguished Restaurants of North America from 1999 through 2005. Restaurant Bouchard prides itself on being a refined but not "stuffy" restaurant, with everything made on the premises to ensure the highest quality for our guests. Please visit us on your next trip to Newport, Rhode Island and experience fine French cuisine in relaxed and elegant surroundings.
Diego's
Chef Scott Kirmil
Tequila and Lime Marinated Steak Frites
Scott Kirmil is the owner/Chef at Diego's and also works with his close
friend and Chef, Craig Naughton on most menu creations. Scott spent 10
years working in a variety of well known Boston Restaurants, such as
Via Matta, Morton's, The Franklin Cafe, Great Bay and more, which has
given him a great appreciation for food of all varieties. From comfort
food to high-end Cuisine, Scott has taken what he has learned at these
restaurants and the things he loves about West Coast Style Mexican Food
and created a casual and inexpensive eatery on Newport's Waterfront
where the focus is on fresh homemade food and bold flavors. Craig
Naughton spent years running pubs in Western Massachusetts, moved on to
run his own gourmet catering company and has also worked running
corporate kitchens that feed hundreds of people per day. His experience
with creating great food on a budget has helped Diego's put out
standout food that doesn't have the high prices attached that many
expect when they visit Newport's Waterfront.
Windward Restaurant at Newport Hyatt Regency Hotel
Chefs Marty Quinn and Stephanie Pires
Diver Scallops with Curried Red Lentil Broth on a Bed of Lemon Infused Risotto and Sauteed Spinach