JANUARY 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 59
BARON’S COVE EXECUTIVE CHEF NICHOLAS VOGEL
DOCK TO DISH
BY DAVID TAYLOR
In May 2020, Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor
appointed Chef Nicholas Vogel as the
resort and restaurant’s new executive
chef. Focusing on local ingredients, seasonality,
and sustainability, Vogel’s new
menus feature contemporary American
fare with an emphasis on dock-to-dish
dining. He plans to change up the dishes
offered seasonally at least three or
four times per year while featuring
daily specials, homemade pastas,
scrumptious desserts, and fresh inhouse
baked goods.
“I think the downtime is going to allow
for experimenting and recipe development
…here in Sag Harbor,” Vogel
says. “I cannot wait to share my food
with everyone who calls the East End
home and highlight Baron’s Cove as a
premiere restaurant in the Hamptons.”
Vogel recently spoke with the Press
about his culinary background.
Tell us how your culinary background
s prepared you for your role.
My culinary background is very tied to
my own personal background. I grew
up in this industry! My mother worked
in restaurants, and one of my first jobs
was at a family owned bar/restaurant.
From dishwasher, to bussing tables,
cooking, waiting tables, bartending
and front-of-house management—I
have done it all.
Most recently I was the executive chef
at Alta Strada in D.C. That was my most
recent position with the Schlow Restaurant
Group, and previously I was a sous
chef within that same restaurant group.
I went to college for business/finance
to get out of the “industry” when I was
18, however I could not shake the hospitality
itch. Finding myself wanting
to be back in the kitchen
after college, I dedicated
the last six years to trying
to become the best chef
and businessman I can
be, working and training
to be an executive chef in
various restaurants and
hotels.
What sets Baron’s Cove apart from
the restaurants you’ve worked at?
The location and seasonality is what
sets Baron’s Cove apart from the last
restaurant I was executive chef at. It is
certainly a change from Washington,
D.C. However, I grew up vacationing
in and around Cape May, New Jersey,
and previously worked at Cape Resorts
properties (The Ebbitt Room and
Beach Plum Farm
Kitchen) about
four years ago, so
I understand the
nature of a resort
destination.
How have you developed
your relationships with
East End farms, vineyards,
seafood purveyors, etc.?
And who are some you’re
currently working with?
I reopened the restaurant
and started the new culinary
program from scratch while
trying to source the best local
products and produce. One
reason I came here was to
take advantage of the local
bounty, and be more connected
to farmers, fishers, and be an
active member of the East End
community. I am currently working
with Braun Seafood, Haskell
Seafood, Foster Farms and
Treiber Farms, to name
a few. Capt. Peter
Haskell will text
me early in the
morning to fill me
in on his catch and hours later you will
find that fresh seafood on your plate. I
can tell you the boat that the fish came
off of.
Are the Baron’s Cove menus the first
Hamptons restaurant menus you’ve
developed, and what was your goal or
overall vision for them? The summer
2020 menu was my first Hamptons
menu. My goal and vision is to bring
bright, bold, and clean flavors
with exciting plating for the
guest’s eyes. I look forward
to continuing to make the
Restaurant at Baron’s Cove
a destination and for it to
stand apart while
still offering
a great amenity to the hotel
guests.
Have you always been a proponent
of dock-to-dish dining, or is this
something new you’re utilizing at
Baron’s Cove? How does the freshly
caught seafood affect the quality or
taste of the dishes prepared with
it? I have always enjoyed fishing, and
my ideas and morals of sustainability
apply to my mission here. I try to use
the freshest local product through
partnerships with local captains and
vendors to use inshore species native
to this part of Long Island. Dock-to-dish
is the equivalent of farm-to-table, and it
affects the quality and taste immensely.
The average hands that a single fish or
product passes through from the sea to
the guest is 16. I am trying to cut that
down to two — the fisherman and
myself. Doing whole-fish butchery
and minimizing the amount of
time from when fish is caught
until it is cooked helps us
deliver a product that I am
really proud of serving to
our guests.
To learn more about
Baron’s Cove, view Vogel’s
menus and place
a reservation, visit
baronscove.com.
This story first
appeared in
Dan’s Papers.
MAIN DISH
“The location and seasonality is what sets
Baron’s Cove apart.”
Nicholas Vogel (Photo by Doug Young Photography)
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
/baronscove.com
