Chef paints on the canvas of Philadelphia’s Il Pittore A satiny cauliflower soup drizzled with jeweled green pesto oil. Hearty ribbons of pappardelle pasta with rich red sauce of wild boar, rosemary and parmesan. Delicate ravioli filled with braised duck and sage. Crimson-hued ahi with coral-toned sea urchin and blood oranges. Il Pittore means “the Painter” in Italian. And at Philadelphia’s newest Rittenhouse Square restaurant, Il Pittore, the painter is none other than chef and owner Chris Painter ’89. Painter graduated from Millersville University with—of all things—a degree in political science. Who would have imagined that he would become one of Philadelphia’s most notable chefs? Certainly not him. “I always enjoyed cooking, my mother was a wonderful cook, and my great-grandmother was Alsatian,” says Painter, who never really considered becoming a chef until after college. He was working as a bartender, mixing up cocktails, when he realized he didn’t want to go to law school or become a politician, as most political science majors might do. He wanted to become a chef. A native of Pottsville, Painter graduated from the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh in 1992, then eventually returned to the Philadelphia area to make his mark as a chef. His newest creation is Il Pittore, an artistic dining spot at 2025 Sansom Street, that opened in fall 2011, near Rittenhouse Square. It is a narrow swath of whitewashed brick, sunlight dappled skylights, deep-red leather seats and lush herb greenery. At Il Pittore, the emphasis is on Northern Italian cuisine, most notably pasta dishes with simple, yet imaginative presentations. The menu changes with the seasons, as Painter incorporates the freshest produce, seafood, meats and cheeses into each dish. From spicy rabbit sausage to sea urchin, Painter encourages people to try something new, that really isn’t new in the world of hearty country Italian food. Who would have thought that a little cockscomb would add the perfect spark to braised duck ravioli? Ever wonder what tender veal cheeks—yes, they really are cheeks—might taste like, especially when served with buckwheat polenta and blood orange marmalade? Funny thing is, Painter isn’t even Italian. His ancestry is Irish-German. “To me, the food of the countryside of France and Italy are my inspiration,” says Painter. Over the years, Painter has been a force in the Philly dining scene, mostly within the Stephen Starr empire of restaurants. When Painter opened Il Pittore, it was his chance to shine on his own. Every dish has his signature touch, and he presents them as if each is his offspring. “With Il Pittore, I wanted to do the modern interpretation of Northern Italian food, not what most people think of as Italian, which is more Southern Italian,” he points out. While Painter’s name has become synonymous with Philadelphia Certificate Program. He is a scientist at Integral Consulting, Inc., in Portland. • Diane Yateman ’84, Hanover, received a master’s degree in international relations and conflict resolution in February 2013, from the American Military University. • Steven Buterbaugh ’87, Lancaster, was named executive
vice president at E.K. McConkey & Co., an insurance, risk management and benefits consulting firm. • Melinda (Gates) Fee ’87, Manheim, was sworn in as Pennsylvania state representative for the 37th District in January 2013. • Douglas Ober ’87, Lancaster, was promoted to supervisor at
dining, he has been well-traveled as a chef. After culinary school, he worked at The Hotel Hershey, then at The Woodstock Inn in Vermont. He was lured back to Hershey—perhaps by chocolate?—and became chef de cuisine, overseeing the four-star hotel’s fine dining operations. Later, Painter headed west to Portland, Oregon, where he was executive sous chef at Avalon Restaurant, then to California’s Napa Valley at the French Laundry and back east to New York City at Lespinasse. In 1999, he began his true rise to Starr-dom, with his role as executive chef at Tangerine, a Stephen Starr gem brimming with the diversity of Mediterranean flavors. Painter was named by the Philadelphia Inquirer as the Best New Chef of 2000. In 2003, Painter went on to serve as executive chef of Starr’s Angelina, then serving as a consultant and executive chef for New Jersey’s PJW Restaurant Group in 2005, as well as executive chef at Izakaya at Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. To prepare for his latest endeavor of Il Pittore, Painter spent more than three weeks traveling and eating through Italy for inspiration. The result draws on influences from Emilia Romagna, Piedmont, Tuscany and Sicily, with antipasti such as braised octopus with pickled sweet peppers and housemade pasta like corzetti pasta coins with braised goat, mint and chili oil. The most acclaimed dish of all is the tender, slow-cooked suckling pig with pear mostarda, roasted baby carrots and cavolo nero. People come back again and again for this hearty main course. And one of the favored side dishes is Brussels sprouts, which Painter magically transforms with burrata cheese. “I aim for a nice balance of big, fresh modern flavors with classic, soul-satisfying techniques,” says Painter.
Trout, Ebersole & Groff, LLP, an accounting firm in Lancaster. • Susan (Boltner) Barnhart ’89, Glen Rock, received the Outstanding Teacher Award for 2012-13, sponsored by the Shippensburg University School Study Council. She has taught elementary school in the Southern York County School District for 23 years.
• 1990s • Kathleen Frankford ’90, Harrisburg, became president of the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau in January 2013 (see profile p. 42). • Robert Mancini ’93, New York, N.Y., was promoted to executive producer at the Bravo Television Network.
Class Notes Spring-Summer 2013 41