Two Minutes with Pietro Bottero, executive chef of Westhampton

Long Island Business News, Aug 1, 2008 by Alison Snyder

Pietro Bottero was named executive chef of Westhampton Beach's Annona Restaurant, which is located on the second floor of auto dealership Manhattan Motor Cars of the Hamptons. With a taste for fast cars, love of local produce and a family-style approach to fine dining, Bottero is ready to make his mark on Annona's Mediterranean- style menu. He shared his take on the restaurant business and why combining high-end cars and cuisine helps him better serve his clients.

How did you make the transition from general manager to executive chef?

The first couple of days were brutal because the other responsibilities of the restaurant didn't just cease to exist. PR, advertising, accounting and wine ordering just keep rolling. Luckily I have my brother Antonio to lean on. Having a family member to watch your back is key. He won't say, "That's not my job," when you need more doing. The cooking wasn't that hard because I had been thinking about how I would do it all for sometime. It was just a matter of getting up earlier and getting it done.

You've worked with a lot of relatives in restaurants in New York City. What does the restaurant business mean to your family?

Beyond providing for the family, it allowed these Italian immigrants to continue to practice and preserve their own culture. We would always celebrate the big holidays and changing of the seasons like they did back home. One of my favorite things to do, still to this day, is to make wine with the family in the fall. It's great. It starts with hugs and kisses and ends in insults. Someone is always giving someone else a hard time for ruining a barrel or batch from years past. So I guess by having everyone in the business, it allows for sharing more time together.

What's the best thing about running a restaurant?

The thing I enjoy most is the social aspect. We all get to come here every day and talk and share and create food, serve drinks, laugh and discover. What's not to like about that? I always thought when growing up, this is the last thing I would do. Then one summer I interned in a corporate office. It was so stuffy and everyone just seemed upset all the time. I knew then I could never climb that ladder.

Why do you incorporate local produce into your menus?

Anyone who has ever been to a true East End farm stand can understand why using local produce is so important. When I drive up to the North Fork to grab some produce, and I stop at say Harbe's, they have berries on display that were picked 10 feet from the stand. The sweet smell is overwhelmingly fresh. It's these ripe ingredients that speak to me and dictate what I will cook. Not only is it insane not to utilize this amazing local produce, it is also important to me to sustain and preserve this agricultural environment that feeds many local families and businesses.

What is your favorite local vegetable or fruit to use in cooking and why?

I have to go with heirloom tomatoes. Long Island produces up to 20 different varietals of heirlooms. When they hit in August, I go into a tomato frenzy. My pick for tomatoes are brandywine, yellow zebra and sweet gold 100s.

What is it like to work in a venue that has both luxury cars and high-end cuisine?

The cars add an element to my restaurant that no one in the country, or maybe the world, has. They are so beautiful to look at. They get people excited and in the mood to dine. It's a great conversation piece, a way for me to understand my clients. We'll talk about a car and a guest may tell me what car they used to drive, or still drive, and I get a better understanding of who they are. An old 280 SL Mercedes says something different than a new Ferrari. It gives me a gauge as to what they value and what are their needs.

However, for me personally, it means something else entirely. Annona's owner, Richard Rubio, is like a father to me and treats me as a member of the family. I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to drive nearly every great car that was ever built. Now I really have the car bug. Speeding is a great way to blow off steam.