ON THE EDGE.
Nick Liberato travels across vast continents to help struggling restaurateurs in the Netflix series Esther Faith Lew finds out more.
him developing the skills and experience needed in the restaurant business.
From front of house and the kitchen to back-end responsibilities, Liberato is a restaurateur who walks the talk in every sense of the word. His first restaurant acquisition was
The Venice Whaler in California, where he demonstrated sharp business acumen in turning it into a venue that generates multimillion dollars in sales. This was followed by The Pier House where he led the charge as executive chef, serving up a seafoodinspired menu prepared with a modern twist.
His street creds are due largely to Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur David Myers who taught him the ropes. Today, Liberato dances across the many tightropes of the restaurant business and travels the world wearing the hats of chef, cocktail mixologist, restaurateur and producer in his recent stint in Restaurants on the Edge.
Liberato shares his thoughts and experiences with epicure:
Tell us about your top 3 most memorable travel experiences. Traveling to Italy in 2012 for four months to live in each region and cooking my way through the entire country! I enjoyed wild boar hunts, wine making, truffle hunting and eating at the best palaces in Italy.
In 2019, I travelled to Slovenia for one of the episodes on Restaurants on the Edge. Although this country was never a place I thought I would go to, it turned out to be one of the most amazing countries to travel through. I drove all throughout the country going to vineyards, locals homes, mountains, beaches and the city of Ljubljana. The food and culture were not to be forgotten, but the most memorable part of the experience was the people.
One place I have been going to for years is the Osa Peninsula in the very southern part of Costa Rica. It’s like the garden of Eden of Central America. The jungles fall over black sand beaches that are lined with blue water and perfect waves. The ocean is plentiful with fish and the jungle has an abundance of fruit growing wild everywhere. This was one of my happy places for sure.
How have your travel experiences influenced your culinary mindset and techniques?
My travel experiences around the world have made a tremendous impact on my chef life, taking inspiration, passion and techniques to a new level to further my career and mind.