“I figured I might not be a chef forever, but it has been a huge part of my life and I would never regret any tattoo I got.”
—Tony Marciante
Born in Milan, Italy, Tony Marciante moved to Bethesda, Maryland, when he was four. He started his restaurant career at a seafood restaurant called O’Donnell’s Sea Grill in Washington, D.C., washing dishes, and by the time he was twenty-two, he had worked at many restaurants, honing his skills and taking on challenges, and even had a partnership in a restaurant. Tony says, “I believe that as my father wisely told me, ‘learn everything, that way no one’s got you by the short strings.’ … I’ve cleaned out grease traps, been a waiter, busser, bar back, bartender, GM, executive chef, line cook, etc…. ” He adds, “I would almost demand that anyone planning to own a restaurant one day plan to work in every position. As well, many chefs I know aren’t very front of house savvy or even comfortable. A chef today needs to be a business person first, and a creative type second.”
At the age of twenty-six, Tony moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he opened two restaurants with friends, which they sold a few years later. Tony then went back to Bethesda to head up McCormick & Schmick’s, a seafood and steak restaurant, as executive chef. In 2007, after eight years at McCormick and Schmick’s, he opened Chef Tony’s. Tony envisioned a home to locals, a relaxed setting for business dinners, and a spot for great quality seafood, and that’s exactly what Chef Tony’s is. Since opening, the restaurant has been featured on Channel 9 locally, on CNN nationally, and in several trade magazines.
Tony got his first tattoo—Italian and American flags inked beside his name—in his early twenties when he was in Miami on vacation with a few friends. The tattoos are a tribute to his heritage. “It went over really well with the parents,” Tony says sarcastically. Several years later, he commissioned Miami-based artist La Ron Burke to do a back piece inspired by Roger Blachon’s The Kitchen, a painting depicting a caricature-like view of the many different chaotic happenings in a busy kitchen. A print of the painting hung in the office of a restaurant he worked at in Baltimore. Tony liked it so much he eventually got a version of the painting inked across nearly his entire back. Tony combined the painting with his love of hip hop by adding the words “Chef Life” in true Tupac style above the painting across his shoulders. He says, “It pretty much represents my daily life, not as much literally, but every day is just a humongous mishmash of events, phone calls, e-mails, prepping, line cooking, guest interactions, and such.” The entire piece took more than twenty hours to complete. Tony says, “It’s funny because most people who know me, like my staff, don’t think I have any tattoos because I don’t have any visible ink. Then when they find out that I have a tattoo and ask to see it, I’m like yeah, here you go … boom.”
Today, Tony’s commitment to his craft is unwavering. He continues to delight the palates of his diners and to teach and inspire upcoming chefs. He is taking on more challenges, developing a line of bottled sauces and online cooking lessons, as well as online training for people who plan to open restaurants. He says, “Another location of Chef Tony’s would be great as I get investors. We’ll just have to see what God has planned out for me…. ” Tony hasn’t been inked in five years, but there is definitely more to come, maybe something visible this time on his arms.
Tony says, “In my restaurant, the results are from quality ingredients, not over-the-top presentations or overthought flavor combinations. ‘Rustic gourmet’ is what I like to call my style. For this dish, you’ll need to buy excellent ‘dry pack’ scallops from a quality fishmonger to make sure it tastes its best.”
NOTES FROM THE CHEF
While the Crispy Sweet Potatoes will be delicious made on your stovetop, they’re absolutely amazing when done in a deep fryer. Try it this way if you have one available.