Chef John Paul Damato lends his expertise in the restaurant industry / business in this episode of AttorneyKnowsBest.com

John Paul began his restaurant and chef career in his brothers' restaurant Cafe Nora in downtown Washington, DC.  He then traveled coast to coast from New York City to San Francisco honing the artistry of cooking and honing his skills as a restauranteur and entrepreneur.  

I was lucky to catch up with John Paul only because Covid 19 slowed him down long enough for an interview.  Normally John Paul is in the kitchen cooking to meet the needs of restaurant customers and striving to provide a memorable dining experience. 

Listen in and enjoy! 

John Paul's Bio: 

Chef John Paul Damato has spent over 35 years working in the restaurant industry.  Starting off as a prep cook and line cook at Restaurant Nora in Washington D.C., Chef Damato moved to New York City in 1987 to become the rounds man and seafood purchaser for Arizona 206.  After several years at Arizona 206, Chef Damato moved to San Francisco where he worked at Star’s Restaurant and Taste Catering Co. before returning to NY as Chef de Cuisine at Time Café in 1991.  In 1993, Chef John Paul started Event Works, a self operated event planning and catering company.  Event Works catered to music executives, environmental groups, local art community and architecture groups.

In 1999, Chef Damato chose to come full circle and returned to Nora in Washington D.C. this time as Executive Chef.  He also became a certified organic buyer for Nora, helping Nora to become one of the first certified organic restaurants in America.  This not only involved working with independent and co-op farmers to co-ordinate the crops for the upcoming seasons but also working with organic and conventional meat processors for butchering specifications of meat.

In 2004, Chef John Paul joined the ThinkFoodGroup as Executive Chef of all three Jaleo locations.  This not only involved supervising the kitchens and creating new recipes for the restaurants, but it also allowed Chef JohnPaul to collaborate with José Andrés and ThinkFoodGroup Management to develop quarterly food festivals to promote Spanish food and the food at Jaleo.  Chef Damato was also in charge of organizing the weekly staff meeting, which included educating the staff on the different delicacies of the Mediterranean region and the integration of this information into the menu at Jaleo.

In 2007 Chef Damato shifted from full time Executive Chef of the Jaleo locations to consulting with José Andrés on his special projects, which included his TV show “Made in Spain with José Andrés” as well, his new cookbooks.  Chef John Paul also became Chef of special projects, which included collaboration to develop six restaurant concepts for a boutique hotel in Los Angeles (SLS) and going back to one of the DC based Jaleo to strengthen their daily routine to create consistent products and budgets.

It all began when John Paul use to visit farms with his two brothers and sister in-law on Sundays when he was a teenager. He quickly appreciated what came from the ground and how to treat it with a level of respect most cooks over see. It’s all about the product and then the technique. That’s what drives John Paul with his culinary vision for his quest each day when he steps into a kitchen or when he cooks for his family. The future cooks also drive John Paul. We have so much information out there for them to become greater cooks then our predecessors. This makes me want to become better each day

John Paul has consulted with restaurant groups and Hotel Brands advising on menu development, operational efficiency and staff development.