Dining by Design presented by DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS is one of the
country’s largest supporters of direct care for people living with
HIV/AIDS. Through their collaboration with top designers, restaurants, and vintners and spirits, they present a city to city fundraising event which showcases incredible table design installations by both renowned and up and coming design talents.
Dining by Design's TABLE HOP & TASTE is a stylish event where one can have a look at the remarkably creative table designs while feasting on luscious delectables and sipping Beringer wines and cocktails from Stolichnaya ELIT. In each Dining by Design city, a select group of local restaurateurs and gourmet food purveyors treat guests to samplings of their fantastic fare. At the New York event, Buddakan and Country by Geoffrey Zakarian were participants.
2008 events have already been held in New York, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago, but you still have time to buy tickets and attend Dining by Design in San Francisco and Boston.
Dining by Design San Francisco - November 19th & 20th
Dining by Design Boston - December 5th & 6th
Tickets are regularly $100, but you can use Gen Art member code 4545 for $85/ticket.
For tickets and more information on Dining By Design, visit DIFFA
Chef Jayson Demarco is the executive chef of Bistro 44 in Bedford, Massachusetts. Chef DeMarco is also the
star of his own local television show “Cooking with Chef Jayson DeMarco” in the
metro west area of Boston and will soon be heading off to Chantilly, France to cook and film with Michelin Star chef Alain Montigny.
Jayson has become known for
providing his guests with delicious contemporary cuisine presented in his own
unique and creative style. Chef DeMarco’s cooking is a simple and non pretentious
method of cooking, and he rarely uses more than five to six ingredients on a
plate. “I let the food do the talking. I just help it along with a little
loving.” Chef DeMarco searches for trendy concepts in dining, while still
understanding the roots of cooking.
Watermelon and Goat Cheese
Jayson's main
inspiration came from watching his mother prepare authentic Italian dishes as a
child. Growing up in an Italian family owned meat market, Chef DeMarco’s
influence was watching his grandfather make homemade sausages, supersatta, head
cheese in a ‘old time Italian butcher shop of the 40’s. The use of fresh
cheese, polenta, tripe, cured meats and fresh pasta influenced him to always
use only the best cuisine. “My philosophy is simple, start with the very best
ingredients and you cannot go wrong, whether it’s Manni olive oil, volcanic
salts, imported Iberico hams from Spain, or local fresh Atlantic seafood,
“Don’t sacrifice quality for any financial gain in this business, the good
customers will know and they will not come back.”
Jayson's Beef Tataki
In addition to his executive chef duties at Bistro 44, Jayson is also very active with the American Culinary Federation, Le Chaine des
Rotisseurs and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts
Restaurant Association.
Here is Food Fashionista's Exclusive Interview with chef Jayson DeMarco:
Where were you born?
Springfield Massachusetts
Where do you live or spend most of
your time now?
North Boston
When you are not in the kitchen,
where would one find Jayson DeMarco?
I love spending time with my two boys, Patrick and Christian.
I also enjoy playing
tennis, golfing and following Formula 1 racing.
What is your favorite vacation hot
spot?
West Palm Beach, Portland, Maine and Barcelona, Spain
What are your favorite restaurants?
The Ocean
house – Cape
Cod
Per Se – New York
KO Prime –
Boston
Peter
Luger – New York
Misen Place- Tampa, Florida
Ruth Chris - West Palm Beach, Florida
(I know
it’s a chain, but they do it right there)
What is your favorite dish to
prepare?
Green Tea
& Pepper Clove cured Salmon (this week anyway)
What is your least favorite dish to
prepare?
Anything with
cooked cauliflower
What is your favorite
drink/cocktail?
Parrot bay
and Pineapple juice
What are three things that everyone
should have in their kitchen?
Wusthof chef’s
knife, coffee grinder, and “manni”extra virgin olive oil
Do you eat junk/fast food? If so,
what is your favorite?
Fried
whole belly clams from Browns at Hampton Beach and anything from LaTeinda.com
If you weren’t a chef, what would
be your dream job?
To be a Formula 1 race car driver.
What was the most memorable meal
you ever had?
Too many
Who is your favorite singer or
singing group?
Akon, Ja
rule, the Prodigy, Daughtry, Easy –E, Snoop Dog, Shania Twain.
Do you follow fashion? If so, who
is your favorite designer?
Anything
made by Lacoste, Puma, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren and Diesel
When you are not in your Chef’s
clothing, what is the typical Jayson DeMarco outfit?
Puma Scuderia Ferrari jacket
Lacoste polo shirt
Torn Ralph Lauren Jeans
Prada Glasses
Johnson
& Murphy shoes or puma
Jacques Lemans F-1 watch
Where do you see yourself in 10
years?
Still cooking and watching my sons play lacrosse and soccer.
What are your words of advice for
aspiring chefs?
Never
think you know it all, surround yourself with the very best personnel, books,
ingredients, friends and family.
Who is your hero?
It’s a
toss up between Kimi Raikkonen, and “Big Pappi” David Ortiz
What is something that would
surprise people to know about you?
Some of my
spice jars have no labels, if you don’t know the spice, then you cannot work
for me, and I once ran a 10k in 38 min flat (circa1996)
For More Information on Jayson DeMarco and Bistro 44, visit here
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