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Ron prepares to serve his famous gnocchi.
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Owner/Chef Ron Suhanosky of the restaurant Sfoglia on Nantucket
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Ron at work in his kitchen and creating authentic Italian dishes.
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Chef Ron Suhanosky of Sfoglia
Name: Ron Suhanosky
Age: 31
Born & Raised: Milford, Ct.
Restaurant Name: Owns Sfoglia with his wife Colleen.
Location: 130 Pleasant Street, Nantucket, MA 02554
[They also have another new location in NYC. Visit their website for details]
Reservations: Call 508.325.4500
Web Address: sfogliarestaurant.com
When did you first become interested in food?
I first became interested in food when I was 8 years old. I’m half Polish, half Italian. My family would visit my Italian great grandmother, and she always seemed happiest when she was cooking in the kitchen. I used to help her prepare the meals.
What inspired you to become a chef?
My great grandmother inspired me. After elementary school, I went to vocational school for culinary. During high school, a teacher suggested I go to school to become a chef.
Where did you go to school/train?
After high school, I went to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. When I graduated, I moved to NYC and got a job at a three-star restaurant. I worked in NYC for 3 years.
Where you have worked?
I was a cook at the River Café and a chef at Il Buco in NYC. Then, I moved to Boston and worked at Galleria Italiana. After Boston, I moved to Nantucket and opened Sfoglia with my wife Colleen.
Years in cooking business:
I’ve been cooking for 15 yrs.
What style/culture influences /inspires you?
Authentic Italian and European style--I like to know what people’s grandmothers are cooking.
Who are your mentors?
Marcella Hazen, an Italian cookbook author; Nancy Barr, a friend and cookbook writer and producer of Italian cooking shows; of course, I can’t forget my great grandmother
How would you describe the restaurant to someone who’s never been?
*Laughs* I change the restaurant everyday. It’s a trattoria (which means trading post) that serves great Italian comfort food. It’s true Italian, not spaghetti and meatballs. It’s food that I’ve learned to cook from people’s grandmothers, not food I’ve created myself.
How do you come up with ideas for the menu?
I look at cookbooks, magazines and above answers. I try to serve things that I would like to eat myself.
How often does the menu change?
I try to change the menu every two weeks. We have so many regular customers; I want to keep the menu fresh. I also always use ingredients that are in season.
What do you try to do that is different from anyone else?
I try to give the customer the true authentic Italian dining experience--good wine, food, service, music, ambience, and people.
Do you travel for inspiration? Where have you gone?
Mostly France and Italy, NYC; I try to eat at local restaurants when I travel. I enjoy eating at friends and at their grandmother’s house. I try to go to cool hip places to see what others are doing and submerge myself in the culture.
Are there any new discoveries in the food world?
Using old world techniques that I bring back to life; like orata, fish under a salt crust that keeps the fish moist and all the flavors inside the fish. Also chicken under a brick, that’s a quick way of cooking crispy chicken.
What are your favorite dishes?
I love gnocchi and pasta. Pasta is really my favorite; I love spaghetti. I love prosciutto and mozzarella.
Any tips for the cooking at home?
Don’t be afraid to get your pan hot.
Thanks for speaking with Nantucket Food & Wine; do you have any last words?
*Laughs* My food isn’t good without my wife Colleen’s bread!
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