About the chef
Naval Officer, Engineer, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Foster Parent, Entrepreneur, Farmer, Chef

I was born in November 1953, that puts me somewhat north of 70 years of age.  Not 70 years "old", rather, "of age" (I'm not going to be "old" for at least another 25-30 years).  Technically I'm 2nd generation Italian American.  My father was born (1912) while the ship was anchored at Ellis Island making him the first "native born" American in our family (on my fathers side).  My mother was born one month after her crossing with her parents in 1909 so she was also "native born".  Today I'm also the patriarch of our family, but "Don Cinquegranna" does seem a bit melodramatic even to me.

My Italian roots (Italian American) is something I'm very proud of.  Italian immigrants built our eastern cities.  Italian immigrants, along with Poles, Slovaks, and Welsh, mined the coal that powered the USA in the 1900's.  Italian Americans like  Arturo Toscanini, Frank Sinatra, Mother Cabrini,  Michael Valente, Joe DiMaggio, Enrico Fermi, Mario Puzo, Lee Iacocca, Antonin Scalia, Roberto Mondavi, Carlo Rossi, Petri, Sebastiani, and Earnisto and Julio Gallo all helped change America for the better.

I'm also very proud to be bringing the culinary roots of all Italian American's, not just my family, to you.  To help you make "mangiare con la tua famiglia" (eat with your family) an important part of your own family traditions.

OK, I'm proud to be an Italian American, but what else about me should help you decide to trust us and purchase our products. Note, many of these things overlap.

After school I was with the Pennsylvania State Police, then the US Navy, for four decades I was a multi-discipline engineer, entrepreneur, and now I'm a farmer that practices what he preaches about value added agriculture by launching Seven Springs Farm Winery and Chef Nick's.

I've done a lot of "stuff", but most importantly, there were successes and failures and those taught me that Quality, Commitment, and Value are the three most important things you can deliver to your family, your friends, your community, and your customers. This is three things I refuse to compromise.

My passions are: cooking, sailing (ocean), woodworking and getting our farm, winery, and Chef Nicks off the ground and running.

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly."
--Robert A. Heinlein

I have done all of the above except die gallantly, something I intend to put off for as long as possible.
As Mr. Heinlein said, "specialization is for insects."

You can always reach me at (email) nick@chef-nicks.com