What were your favorite foods growing up?
Paella, so many different flavors in a dish that's not too hard to prepare.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
While studying computer science in college which was my original career path. Like most students I took a job at a local restaurant that derailed my career in computer science and put me my current track.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
I was pretty young, by the time I was 19 I had opened a fine dining restaurant in Dublin along with 2 business partners. After that I traveled to the States to learn what I could in American restaurants and I've been here ever since which is closing in on 20 years.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
A surgeon.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
My parents: my father grew a lot of what we ate in his garden from the time we were children. We watched our food turn from the seeds he planted to the food on our plates.

How would you describe your cuisine?
We have 2 dining rooms at Restaurant Eve both of which offer styles of classic American cuisine with French influence.

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
Our menu is most influenced by local markets and farms

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
A sharp knife for several reasons; it makes for a beautiful cut, minimizes the risk of injury and most importantly it lets everyone knows who's boss.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
I use a very rare olive oil produced in a small town outside of Tuscany. It's pureness and flavor is unmatched.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
The guest experience is paramount as well as a love of food. The guest experience begins upon arrival and ends when we say goodnight. Our staff needs to be enthusiastic about what they do and you can't fake that. Often we only get once chance to get it right.

What qualities to you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
A strong work ethic, dedication, discipline and passion. I need to know that the guy working next to me loves being here as much as I do.

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I'm eating at your restaurant, what should I order to eat?
Seafood is a natural choice, it's healthy, full of nutrients and does not require a lot of 'window dressing' in order to give it a great flavor.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
Julia Child. Why? Because it was Julia Child.

What is your least favorite food?
Softshell crabs the idea of eating a shell just doesn't appeal to me although I love cooking them.

What is your beverage of choice?
Guinness, need I say more.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
The from the farm to the table movement is a very important trend that I believe will continue to have an impact on the food we eat long after I'm gone.

Which foreign country inspires your style most? France, Spain and Italy. I was very fortunate my parents were in the travel industry so we went everywhere with them.


What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast? Start small, keep it simple and enjoy.

What do you eat when you are home?
Easy to prepare simple food like a roast chicken potatoes and usually whatever fresh green is available. We don't eat processed foods. Occasionally it backfires. . My wife Meshelle and I were called to the principal's office no too long ago. It seems our son Eamonn, who just turned 7, told his school buddies that the food from a popular chain was poison. Imagine our relief when we learned he was spreading the eat good food word.