Facing tight kitchen labor, Chef David Sammarco still insists on cooking his premium seafoods and meats to order.

KEY IDEA – But David “front loads” as much advance preparation as possible. He pre-portions individual servings of raw proteins, like his medley of fresh shrimp, scallops, and calamari together, in ziplock bags. He also parcooks and pre-portions pasta servings. Then by keeping these “speed scratch” components within easy reach during dinner, David can rapidly marry each dish’s pre-portioned protein and sauce in a hot skillet and then toss-in pasta to warm it to perfect “al dente” firmness.

David Sammarco, Chef
The Heights Pub
Arlington, MA

One secret to the popularity of Giuseppe Sparacio’s handcrafted hoagies and cheesesteaks are his house-baked rolls. The freshly baked rolls further elevate his premium cured meats and cheeses.

KEY IDEA – While he uses the same dough recipe for his pizza, he carefully manages roll “rise time” to promote flavor development without allowing finished bread “bubbles” from becoming too large!

Giuseppe Sparacio, Owner
Joe’s Original Pizza
Berlin, NJ