Maurizio Ferrarese

Executive Chef, Quattro

Maurizio Ferrarese picked the right time to cook Italian at Four Seasons Hotel Houston. The Executive Chef of Quattro and its wine bar, Vinoteca Quattro arrived in the Space City in summer 2010 expecting a slow culinary scene and was happily surprised. "Steaks are the main course in Houston, no doubt about it," he says. "But wherever I go, I see chefs putting their hearts into their work. Regardless of the product, they want to show off their talents with good presentation and innovative concepts and ideas."

Ferrarese's own bright idea was to let quality carry the day at Quattro. Unlike on some of his previous Four Seasons assignments, including London to San Diego, he now cooks for locals as much as for hotel guests, with a return-engagement-friendly menu offering traditional Italian selections alongside reasonably priced, casual options and small plates to play off the bar's 50 wines by the glass.

He uses main ingredients only at their seasonal peaks and prepares them with as little fuss as possible. "Every chef bases cuisine on their own experiences. My experience is that Italian should be very simple, with few ingredients and straightforward preparation so that each flavor shines through."

A semi-professional soccer player in Italy until work and a torn ACL sidelined him for good, Ferrarese hasn't always focused on his native cuisine. "But you can't take that away from me!" he notes with a laugh, adding that his hotel restaurant experience includes cooking Asian in Hawaii and Jewish and Indian in London.

The new Quattro menu is 95% Ferrarese, he says, and predominately Italian, with antipasti, risotto, fresh pasta, eggplant and more replacing the Tex and Mexican influences of the restaurant's past. Ferrarese believes that he is the first chef to leave the kitchen at Quattro to meet and greet guests: Not necessarily for chitchat, but for honest assessments. "I want to make sure they like what I create. If they don't, I want to know what they'd prefer."

Born and raised in the Piedmont region of Italy, Ferrarese discovered the significance of seasonal peaks at a young age and chose to pursue a culinary career with his parents' encouragement. Finding the quality he expects so far from the coasts in Houston has been an "interesting challenge," he says. "I'm still figuring out what my suppliers are capable of. In the meantime, I just make sure to get the best out of whatever I have." Buon appetito!

Title:
Executive Chef, Quattro and Vinoteca Quattro

Quote:
"Italian cuisine isn't common in Houston, but locals have been very open and appreciative of what I'm doing. If they understand what's on the table and like the price, they'll go for it."

Four Seasons Tenure:
Since 2000, First Four Seasons Assignment: Senior Chef de Partie, Four Seasons Hotel Canary Wharf

Employment History:
Four Seasons Hotel Florence; Four Seasons Hotel Budapest; Four Seasons Hotel Aviara; Four Seasons Hotel Canary Wharf; Four Seasons Hotel Chicago; Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu

Birthplace:
Vercelli, Italy

Education:
Culinary Degree, Giulio Pastore, Piemonte

Languages:
Italian, English