Chris Damian
Papagayo
Assembly Row, Somerville
1 Chelsea Street, Charlestown
15 West Street, Boston
283 Summer Street, Boston
As the co-owner of the Legendary Restaurant Group (which also includes Scollay Square, Sip Wine Bar and Burger Dive.), chef Chris Damian is a busy man, but he is also one who knows what makes a restaurant work. Helming the kitchen at a popular restaurant that is open from 11:30 Am until 1 AM makes Damian’s day all the more hectic, but the love he has for what he does comes through in every delicious (and authentically caliente) bite!.
Matt’s Meals: How did you get into cooking?
Chris Damian: I wish I could say I had a more prosaic beginning but I always enjoyed spending time cooking with my grandfather when I was younger.
MM: Where was your first professional kitchen experience?
CD: Initially, working in local restaurants in the town I grew up in- Fast food seafood, breakfast places and full service restaurants encompassing all roles in a restaurant kitchen. In high school, I started working my first “real” restaurant job at La Groceria in Cambridge.
MM: What is your favorite dish to prepare?
CD: Depending on my mood, I am always looking for something simple, fast and easy. I love pan-seared day boat scallops.
MM: What is the best part of your job?
CD: Developing people. We are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with and develop. Most of the satisfaction I get is seeing an entry-level person utilize what they have been taught to step up to the next level.
MM: Who is your favorite chef in Boston?
CD: Although I frequent many different restaurants and am an ardent follower of the local dining scene, I would have to say Ken Oringer best epitomizes what I see in a true chef/restaurateur. He surrounds himself with talented people, develops them and guides them through to execute his visions. I do have many other favorites but few have been able to be at the mantle of a well-respected high end restaurant like Clio and build a company that encompasses both ethnic as well as casual experiences. He operates a truly diversified company.
MM: What do you usually make for yourself at home?
CD: In the unlikely event I am at home, I most likely will prepare dishes like simple pasta or sandwiches.
MM: If you could dine with any three people, who would they be?
CD: First would be one of the original owners of the 21 Club in New York. The way they adapted the restaurant to get around the laws of Prohibition are truly amazing – liquor shelves that folded into the walls, and dropped liquor bottles underground; trap doors that hid all of the inventories and provided private rooms for the mayor of New York to enjoy his taste. I would also love to dine with any one of our Founding Fathers. I would love to hear the stories of their dreams and belief in themselves to provide the freedom we enjoy today. Lastly, would be Harry Truman. Although far from being able to be compared I admire his will and “ownership” with his famous saying, “The Buck Stops Here!” He had to make hard and unpopular decisions – he made them and lived with them.