Chef Mario brings gusto Italiano to Homestead resort

By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor
Mario Deruda has a food motto: “keep it fresh, keep it simple.” That blends well with the cuisine at America’s Freshwater Resort, where Chef Mario arrived in mid-May after The Homestead resort hired the native of the Italian island of Sardinia as its executive chef. “I’ll be making traditional central Italian dishes to fit the lifestyles of the people on vacation here, with food that’s not too heavy,” says Mario in his delightfully thick Mediterranean accent. “I’ll use as much fish as I can get. My sauces are very light, so the meat retains its flavor. Everything must complement the main flavors of the meal.”

Ask the Chef about his favorite food, and he’ll answer with a melodious ode to pasta: “I’m very proud of my risotto, as well as fresh gnocchi, ravioli and fettucini, which I combine with a variety of traditional Italian sauces.” Chef Mario sank his teeth into the culinary arts 35 years ago, following in the footsteps of his older brother, whose trips to cook at famous and wealthy locales around Europe made him jealous. Mario trained at the world-renowned Peck restaurant in Milan, and came to the United States after being recruited to work at Alfredo in the Italian pavilion at Disney’s Epcot Center in Orlando.
New York became home for 15 years, where Chef Mario worked at Tre Scalini, Cipriani, F.illi Ponte and Mazzei. Twice he was awarded the high distinction of being invited to demonstrate authentic Italian cuisine at the James Beard House, which showcases culinary artists from around the world. As his reputation skyrocketed and he was recognized as being one of the Big Apple’s top chefs, the rich and (in) famous sought out Chef Mario. Leona Helmsley, the notorious tax dodger reputed to be a “boss from hell” claimed regional Italian cuisine as her favorite, and hired him as her personal chef before she went to prison. “Helmsley loved the fresh pastas and fish, especially salt-encrusted sea bass. She could eat an entire fish by herself,” Mario remembers. His personal experience with her? “I’m sure there are many people in this world worse than her. I never had any problem with her.”
Once the time came to find a quieter home, “Michigan presented itself as a good future spot.” Chef Mario and his wife Laurel moved to Grand Rapids, where he worked as the Executive Chef at Tre Cugini and Noto’s Old World Italian Restaurant. One Sunday he opened the newspaper and saw an advertisement looking for a chef of Adriatic cuisine at Nonna’s restaurant at The Homestead. Just a few weeks ago Mario moved into the resort’s central village, within steps of Nonna’s, “so I don’t get lost,” while Laurel and their eight-year-old daughter Marina (with whom he tries to speak Italian, though she always replies in English) remain downstate.
Nonna’s is open Thursdays through Tuesdays from 6-10 p.m. throughout the summer. For reservations call 334.5150. And its food is now bellissimo!