Paesano Restaurant in Ann Arbor says goodbye to Chef Isabella, promotes David Whitney
Michael Roddy, co-owner of Paesano's, which prepares for a new chef to start on Sunday: David Whitney.
Janet Miller | For AnnArbor.com
Michael Roddy believes in following his nose — and that's good news for a man who owns a restaurant.
When Roddy, owner Ann Arbor’s Paesano Restaurant and Wine Bar, hired Isabella Nicoletti as the restaurant’s executive chef more than 12 years ago, he let this Italian native who had come to find the American dream drive the menu. The colorful Nicoletti went on to create seasonal specials and regional offerings from the Veneto region of Italy, where she grew up. Her name and the 220-seat Paesano’s, located on Washenaw west of Arborland shopping center, became entwined.
But Nicoletti leaves at the end of the year, handing her chef’s hat over to a man she’s trained for the past decade. Sous chef David Whitney takes over Sunday, Jan. 2.
Whitney came straight out of the culinary arts program at Washtenaw Community College a decade ago. While most culinary arts graduates travel from one restaurant to another, Whitney stayed to learn under Nicoletti, Roddy said.
“We have an abundance of culinary students from Oakland, Schoolcraft and Washtenaw who come here because of European-trained Isabella.”
Now, it will be Whitney’s turn to shape the menu.
“There’s no getting around that we’re an Italian restaurant that uses fresh, healthy, rustic and seasonal food,” Roddy said.
“But (Whitney) will leave his own stamp. He wants to do more locally grown/made items, such as cheese for our cheese plate. I’m not going to scrap what we’ve built on, but he will have his own style.”
He is, perhaps, a bit less adventuresome than Nicoletti, Roddy said.
“Isabella likes to expose her wild side. She had beef tongue on the fall menu. She had snails once because she used to catch snails on the grass when she was growing up in Italy. Isabella was a talent right out of the gate, and we followed our nose. Now we will follow our nose with David.”
Still, it’s a giant change for a restaurant that has grown each year, much of that owed to Nicoletti, affectionately known in the community as Chef Isabella.
She has offered cooking demos around Washtenaw County, from Whole Foods Market to the Ann Arbor District Library. She’s appeared on Fox TV and at Williams Sonoma stores around Metro Detroit.
Nicoletti is leaving to become a private or corporate chef, but will remain in Michigan, Roddy said. She lives in Madison Heights.
When Roddy hired Nicoletti, he said, “we were looking for someone to differentiate us from other Italian restaurants. We’d always been rustic Italian, living the Mediterranean diet, and we’ve never been a red sauce Italian restaurant. But (Nicoletti) gave us the legitimacy to be authentic Italian.”
She took her cues from her northern Italy homeland, creating specials that change weekly. Some 40 percent of what’s ordered now comes off the specials menu, Roddy said. Then she created a section of the menu for seasonal offerings, such as the winter gnocchi seasoned with fennel or clam pasta now on the menu. Another 40 percent of daily receipts are from this section, Roddy said. That leaves only 20 percent that comes from the original menu.
“It’s a small part of what we were before Isabella,” Roddy said.
In 2001, Roddy remodeled the restaurant he and his wife, Bridget, opened in 1984 to reflect the Italian roadhouse menu Nicoletti had created: The colors were warmer, stone was added to the décor to create a more rustic feel.
“The remodeling followed her food,” Roddy said. The move worked. Even with Sept. 11, sales shot up.
And except for 2009, Paesano’s has seen growth every year since it opened in 1984, Roddy said. Carry out wine sales lead the current growth, followed by catering and then the dining room. Traffic has picked up not only for Paesano’s but also for other Ann Arbor restaurants since the fall, he said.
“People are dying to get out.”
Janet Miller is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to AnnArbor.com.
Comments
John Hritz
Fri, Dec 31, 2010 : 6:26 p.m.
She has developed many fine dishes. I still remember the Lake Como pasta: a combination of spring vegetables, salmon and spiral-shaped gamelli. Paesano's also has some of the best soups I've tasted. The minestrone is pretty hard to beat. Good luck in your new adventures, Isabella.
JudithS
Fri, Dec 31, 2010 : 2:31 a.m.
I will miss chef Isabella! I got spoiled with her Duck and roasted pear.... I can't eat duck at other restaurants now, because it never quite measures up the the explosion of flavor her duck brings out! Glad I have her cookbook, wish I had gotten it signed!
liz d
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 10:37 p.m.
Thank you isabella for giving me a love of cooking and food, I worked in your kitchen when I was 15 and you let me make tiramisu! I still work in the restaurant and I am married to an Italian. Liz Dobroy AKA Liz Taricone
Thor143
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 6:41 p.m.
Clam Pasta...Yum.
Mary
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 3:27 p.m.
Visiting and dining at Paesano's has been a long time pleasure for my husband and myself. Although there have been many upgrades and changes over the years, great service and delicious menu choices have kept us coming back for more of the same. The Roddy's make us feel at home, like we're family. Thanks Chef Isabella and good look to you; congratulations and best wishes to you David Whitney; and many thanks to Michael and Bridget!
leezee
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 12:08 p.m.
I have spent much time over the years at Paesano's. I'm looking forward to some changes to the menu. I love Isabella and loved some of the options she presented, but some of the offerings were so off the beaten path that I sometimes felt it might put patrons off a bit.
katie
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 11:35 a.m.
Paesano's is one of two restaurants that I know of that offers a gluten-free menu. Please, please, please, please don't change that! I eat there frequently because of it and bring friends.
HerrSnibbens
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 11:32 a.m.
"and weve never been a red sauce Italian restaurant. " And yet, perhaps ironically, they've always had a *fantastic* red sauce. I appreciate all the exotic dishes they serve there but I can't think of a better simple plate of spaghetti and marinara around these parts than Paesano's.
Janet Muhleman
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 10:32 a.m.
I'm certain Paesano's will remain one of our favorite escapes. We trust the Roddy's will continue to provide great food and service and look forward to experiencing each new menu.
Joy
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 8:59 a.m.
Chef Isabella leaves Paesanos in the very capable hands of Dave Whitney. I'm sure his own spin on Italian will be nothing short of fabulous. Cheers!
E
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 8:47 a.m.
One of our favorite restaurants. Looking forward to the "new chefs" menu. Under the leadership of the Roddy's I have no doubt it will be excellent.
Bob Heinold
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 8:25 a.m.
Paesano's is a great restaurant value--great food, well selected wines, very professional staff. Isabella will be missed. -Bob H
bedrog
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 7:29 a.m.
As longtime regulars, we'll miss isabella alot..and wish her all the best in whatever future directions she takes. We're confident the restaurant will remain as pleasant a dining venue as its been.
Tom Teague
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 7:23 a.m.
Ciao Isabella and good luck; the new job sounds exciting. For the record, I followed right along on the culinary adventures: the beef tongue, the tripe, and the snails were all fabulous. Paesano's has just gotten better and better over the years and I'm sure David will continue the tradition.
Newbster
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 7:11 a.m.
The article failed to mention she wrote a fabulous cookbook, "Pebacco Isabella!" that's available at the restaurant and Amazon. Best of luck Chef Isabella!
glimmertwin
Thu, Dec 30, 2010 : 6:55 a.m.
Great restaurant. I'm sure it will remain that way. Good luck, Isabella!