CHEF DE CUISINE, JOSEPH D’ANGELO

Like many chefs, Joseph D'Angelo is driven by a pure love of food. He realized his passion at a young age -- probably around the time he was old enough to roll meatballs with his Italian grandmother -- and has enjoyed cooking for friends and family ever since. But it wasn't until Joseph was a decade deep in a career as a music journalist that his calling to cook professionally finally prompted him to trade a glamorous life in the music business for a frantic, fast-paced one behind a hot stove.

After years spent interviewing the likes of Britney Spears and Jay-Z for MTV News, Joseph moved from his two-bedroom brownstone in Brooklyn to Austin, Texas, to attend culinary school. Upon graduating Suma Cum Laude from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Joseph stayed in the West and immersed himself in learning diverse international cuisines including Asian fusion, French, Spanish and Southwestern. Joseph’s first stint was at Dallas' legendary Mansion on Turtle Creek under contemporary Southwestern cuisine pioneer Dean Fearing. There, he learned that fine dining was more about creativity, flavor and presentation than elite ingredients, as evidenced by some of Chef Fearing's signature dishes like tortilla soup and barbeque shrimp tacos.

Seeking to further his culinary knowledge, Joseph moved to San Diego to take a position at an Asian fusion restaurant. A tutelage under Chef Martin Woesle at Mille Fleures, widely recognized as the best French restaurant in Southern California, taught him to value simplicity and pure flavors with a menu that changed daily based on locally sourced meat, fish, and especially produce from nearby Chino Farms. Joseph imparts this philosophy in many of his dishes at The Bernards Inn thanks to the bounty obtained from nearby Red Barns Farms in Far Hills.

Joseph returned to the East Coast to take a job at Restaurant Nicholas, the prestigious restaurant that Bernards Inn Executive Chef Corey Heyer helped launch in 2001. During his nearly two years there, under Chef de Cuisine David Santos, the restaurant maintained its status among the best in the state while garnering additional accolades from Zagat's, the Star-Ledger and The New York Times.

With an Italian-American heritage rooted in cooking, Joseph brings his array of experience to The Bernards Inn. His philosophy of using familiar flavors presented in innovative ways is evident in dishes such as Olive Oil Poached Halibut with Sugar Snap Peas, Cippolini Onions and Pancetta, and Roasted Chicken with Truffle Grits and Bacon-Mushroom Gravy.

Joseph lives in Red Bank with his wife, Theresa, and dog. When not behind a stove, he can be found rooting fanatically for the New York Giants.