JULY 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 71
JUNIPER RESTAURANT AT VANDERBILT
DESTINATION IN WESTBURY
BY ALAN KRAWITZ
Some chefs find themselves in the
restaurant business by accident or ending
up there while they were planning
on a different career. But Juniper at the
Vanderbilt’s executive chef Chris D'Ambrosio
says the culinary arts found him
at an early age.
"I grew up in an Italian household,
with a big family around the table that
always seemed to be eating," recalls
D'Ambrosio, whose memories include
growing tomatoes and eggplant in
a garden in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
from the age of 5. He also recalls early
inspiration working at an old Italian
deli, serving classic dry cured pork cuts
such as prosciutto and capicola.
He explains that he didn't pursue culinary
arts until high school, when he
had an opportunity to participate in a
vocational program with study options
to become an electrician, a plumber, or
a chef. "Cooking suited me best. It kind
of found me," he says, adding that his instructors
were mostly culinary school
graduates.
D'Ambrosio would go on to attend
the Culinary Institute of America in
Poughkeepsie before landing a formative
job at New York City venue
Bouley, where he would spend
nearly a decade working under
the tutelage of acclaimed chef
David Bouley.
"I firmly believe that to become
the best, you have to work with
the best," says D'Ambrosio,
adding that while at Bouley he
was constantly "growing and
evolving" as a chef.
"We used the finest ingredients
and sourced both locally
and globally. It never got
boring."
D'Ambrosio explains
that his goal was to be
able to "cook without a
recipe," relying solely on his palate for
guidance and inspiration. "Everything
at Bouley was feel and taste," he says,
adding that his philosophy was to not
follow a recipe.
Still in his 30s, D'Ambrosio has packed
a lot of culinary punch into his years,
having discovered new cuisines in
Japan, Italy and France during internships
with chefs to expand his creative
horizons.
While at Bouley, he did several Anthony
Bourdain-style trips abroad over a few
years to learn cultures and cuisines.
"The idea all along was to bring the
experiences back to Bouley,"
recalls D'Ambrosio. Following
Bouley's closure in
2017, he spent a couple of
years at the Bedford Post
Inn in Westchester, a
gourmet restaurant and
inn co-owned by actor
Richard Gere.
"At Bedford, I sourced produce,
such as radishes and
tomatoes, directly from
local farmers.
Many of
the reci
p e s
were seasonal." He recalls getting
produce from Union Square Market in
Manhattan.
"That style of cooking is spontaneous,
where Mother Nature determines the
menu."
After a brief stint at Manhattan’s Le Bilboquet,
D'Ambrosio says he was laid off
due to Covid before taking over at the
new Juniper restaurant at the Vanderbilt
hotel and residences in Westbury.
Juniper, which opened in late May, is
the latest venue from restaurateur
James Mallios and the Civetta
Hospitality Group. Civetta
also operates Amali in
Manhattan, Calissa in the
Hamptons and Bar Marseille
in the Rockaways.
At Juniper, D'Ambrosio
says he wants to help build a
"destination that's different."
He says he plans to continue
sourcing from local
local farms, including
e v -
erything from fresh herbs and fruits
such as strawberries to vegetables
including peas and cucumbers.
"Sustainability governs everything we
do at Civetta, including the meat, fish
and produce we purchase, the wines
we pour, and our labor practices," says
Civetta partner Kylie Monagan. "We
choose to focus on long-term business
goals because we believe they benefit
our local community and the larger
ecosystem, supporting family farms,
fisheries, and winemakers and providing
job stability for our team."
D'Ambrosio aims to integrate sustainability
into "food he likes to eat," and
that, he says, is how he writes his
menus.
For example, one of his favorite dishes
is the birria-style short ribs, influenced
by Mexican birria herbs and stewed for
hours, "like a deconstructed taco."
He adds that he's procuring seafood directly
from Montauk fishermen, such
as blue crude marinated in tomato and
cilantro.
Monagan adds that the menu offers
classic comforts including Cascun
Farm Market fried chicken, six-cheese
mac, and wild mushroom flatbread.
Other specialties include hay-roasted
oysters, Long Island Crescent Duck
breast with Juniper honey, and Caraflex
cabbage steak for vegans.
A well-stocked bar features
gin-inspired cocktails and
classic wines including
Sancerre, Chablis, and
Napa chardonnay.
D'Ambrosio, who has
been cooking for more
than 15 years, says his
future will revolve around
food, but he's not sure he wants
to own a restaurant since he knows
how much work and money go into
successful ventures.
He says, "You have to find a balance
in life between making money and
enjoying what you're doing. That's the
secret."
Juniper at the Vanderbilt hotel and
residences is located at 990 Corporate
Dr. in Westbury. It can be reached at
516-820-1200 or juniperlongisland.com
MAIN DISH
“To become the best, you have to work with the best.”
Chris D'Ambrosio. (Photo by Ed Shin)
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