Chef Highlight: Michael Rozzi, The 1770 House Executive Chef

Michael Rozzi joined The 1770 House Restaurant & Inn as executive chef in 2013. The veteran Hamptons chef creates New American cuisine, or what he calls “Hamptons cuisine,” at the iconic Main Street landmark in East Hampton. The dual-dining concept features a sophisticated fine dining menu in the candle-lit dining room and star-lit seasonal garden patio; and pub-style fare in the intimate downstairs tavern.

Rozzi’s cooking philosophy is that distinguished cuisine begins with appreciation and balance of the freshest local ingredients, blending exceptional flavors and finishing with flawless presentation.

The third-generation East Ender connected early on with land and sea. As a boy, local customs at the root of slow food practice were the norm. Rozzi shucked oysters on Shinnecock Bay, watched wildlife in the fields of Bridgehampton and visited the Halsey family’s Milk Pail Country Store in Water Mill for bags of local apples and jars of cider. His own grandfather lived and worked on an East Hampton farm where many recall the first pony rides in the Hamptons. Raised in a family of great cooks, Rozzi was imbued with the tradition of using honest ingredients. He dreamed of becoming an accomplished chef who would define “Hamptons cuisine.” Today, Rozzi is raising his own family living in Hampton Bays with his wife, pastry chef Holly Dove-Rozzi, their daughter Vivian and son Nathan.

Since boyhood, Rozzi has never held a job outside the kitchen. He likes being hands-on in the kitchen and letting his food speak for itself in the dining room. The culinary arts graduate from Johnson & Wales University refers to himself as a “professional” chef. He prides himself on a deep understanding of the science and technology behind culinary technique and is an avid collector of cookbooks numbering into the hundreds. His leadership skills range from cooking nightly with team members he has worked with over many years to sharing knowledge with visiting culinary students for weeks at a time.

After college, he worked at top restaurants in the Hamptons. Most notably, he was executive chef at Della Femina where he worked for 15 years. In 2011, when that venerable establishment closed, he put his hand to private chef stints followed by a year on the corporate side for The Palm Restaurant at the Huntting Inn.

In 2013, Rozzi joined The 1770 House because he wanted “to cook Hamptons cuisine in the best place on Main Street for local people wanting the best food in the Hamptons.”

Today, Rozzi is doing just that. Under his direction, Open Table named The 1770 House one of the 100 Best Restaurants in America; and the only one of 19 New York establishments outside of Manhattan. Zagat rated it the leader in East Hampton and a Top-5 in the Hamptons. Newsday ranked it on as a Top-10 on Long Island for Fine Dining as well as New American cuisine.

Discover his culinary creations at 143 Main Street, East Hampton and at 1770house.com.