This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Four Sizzling Local Chefs

Sure, New York City is where chefs go to achieve rock-star status. But Greenwich and its surrounding neighborhoods are known for having some of the country's best restaurants.

Greenwich and its surrounding neighborhoods are known for having some of the country’s best restaurants (often with New York City lines out the door!). Here are a few chefs that bring their own stellar star quality to local dining establishments and catering services.

Christian Petroni, Barcelona Wine Bar, Greenwich (18 W. Putnam Ave., Greenwich; BarcelonaWineBar.com): Bronx, N.Y.-bred chef Petroni spent years perfecting Spanish and Portuguese-inspired tapas that utilize local, organic ingredients before heading to his newest post at the  bustling Greenwich branch of popular tapas chain Barcelona Wine Bar. Petroni is also a rock star among chefs when not in Greenwich, most notably taking the grand prize in a chef’s competition on the Food Network’s “Chopped” show. “We take pride in exceeding our guests’ expectations,” Petroni tells Patch.   

 

Find out what's happening in Greenwichwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Nancy Allen Roper, Boxcar Cantina (44 Old Field Rd., Greenwich; BoxcarCantina.com): The homey vibe and savory, simple Southwestern fare at Boxcar Cantina is the brainchild of Roper, whose restaurant pays homage to her childhood in Alburquerque. Roper, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, a 17-year vet of the business, says her signature dish is Boxcar’s “Santa Fe Cheese Enchilada,” a traditional Santa Fe-style "stacked" organic blue corn tortillas with plum tomatoes and green chile.

 

Find out what's happening in Greenwichwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mark Medina-Rios, Morello Italian Bistro (253 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich; MorelloBistro.com): The young chef offers a modern approach to old-world Italian cooking, and is known for affordable fare that features local, seasonal ingredients. His signature dish is Morello’s interpretation of the Italian classic Bolognese. “We use homemade Garganelli the ideal shape pasta to hold onto a good mouthful of sauce with every bite,”  Medina-Rios tells Patch. For the spring and summer, he recommends Morello’s slow-cooked pork belly.

 

Kevin Cottle, Jordan Caterers (1480 Post Rd., Darien; JordanCaterers.com): Known best as the runner’s up on "Hell’s Kitchen," this Reality-TV star chef survived the fury of Gordon Ramsay to make it all the way to the finals. In September, the chef -- known for his love of locally sourced food and fresh ingredients -- joined Darien- and Cheshire-based Jordan Caterers. The son of a fisherman dad and chef mom, Plymouth, Mass.-born Cottle is deeply involved in the Farm to Chef program.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?