Culinary Arts

Chef David Blessing.

DAVID BLESSING

Vice President of Culinary Arts + Development

Our culinary program led by David Blessing who’s career spans more than 30 years in private restaurants, inns, catering and the Four Seasons Hotel company. His food philosophy springs from a devotion to creating unforgettable meals. His cooking style is focused on pristine, local, seasonal ingredients that highlight the bounty of New England. With this focus his cuisine showcases ingredients and technique that parallel any top restaurant on the East Coast. Each Longwood kitchen is led by talented chefs and professional cooks that produce fine dining restaurant quality food that is unsurpassed in the private event world.

“ I love food and being a chef. Cooking is very personal to me and I want our guests to feel that same connection to food that I have. “

Growing up in Portland, Maine, carrots were king and a minor obsession with carrot cake began. As a boy, it was not unusual for him to feign illness, skip school and bake the day away. Life revolved around food, the gardens it came from and the shared act of cooking for the family. Both Chef David’s grandmothers were exceptional cooks; one a true Maine Downeaster and the other from Abruzzi, Italy. They taught him to respect the land and appreciate its abundance, and that the communal sharing of food is the quintessential and most powerful way to bring people together.

Chef David’s professional career in Boston began 30 years ago. He spent 13 years with the Four Seasons Hotel company in Boston and San Francisco; both 5 Star, 5 Diamond Hotels and held positions as Executive Chef, Executive Sous Chef and Chef de Cuisine of the nationally acclaimed AAA, 5 Diamond restaurant, Aujourd’hui. He then moved to California as part of the leadership opening team of the highly anticipated Four Seasons.

In 2006 Chef Blessing partnered with Columbus Restaurant Group, working with longtime mentor and restaurateur, Jamie Mammano at Sorellina, Mistral and as Executive Chef opening L’Andana Grill in Burlington, MA.

Chef David joined Longwood Venues + Destinations in 2010, bringing with him not just experience and his ensuing passion but also a unique perspective on private-event dining. It is both a daunting task and extraordinary feat to provide every diner a singular and incredible food experience when feeding hundreds of guests. Chef David created and oversees the culinary program for Longwood’s five properties in Boston, Brookline, and Newport, Rhode Island. His cooking style retains his focus on pristine and seasonal ingredients highlighting the local bounty of New England while bringing the same personal connection to the food he had as a child to his communal table today. Read More about Chef David here

Culinary Team

SEAN WESOKY

CULINARY OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Chef Sean’s eclectic tastes in food are a reflection of his well-traveled lifestyle. He lived in London as a child, spending summers in France and Italy. He credits these years abroad with exposing him to a rich diversity of world cuisines. Later, living in San Francisco, where he studied at the California Culinary Academy, he got hooked on the California style of cooking; fusing contrasting fresh, local ingredients with close attention to presentation. Influenced by local farms and artisan producers, Chef Sean developed his unwavering philosophy that source, quality, and originality should never be compromised.

CARLO DELFINO

CHEF DE CUISINE, BELLE MER

Chef Carlo comes from a large Italian family whose passion was food. As a young child growing up in Johnston, Rhode Island, Carlo spent many hours in the kitchen cooking with his grandmother, mother and father making all the classic Italian dishes we know and love. This experience influenced him deeply, and by the age of 14 he began his career working at local restaurants. Chef Carlo cooks with his heart - he puts tremendous effort into each dish he prepares, as if it was the only one.

ROBERTO UMANA

CHEF DE CUISINE, ALDEN CASTLE + NEWPORT BEACH HOUSE

Chef Roberto’s first and most influential memories of food date back to his childhood. His grandfather frequently brought him along on fishing trips, showing him the proper way to clean and butcher his catch, which his mother would then use to prepare her famous fish stew. As a child, Chef Roberto loved watching his mother and grandmothers prepare papusas, a dish that would be shared with friends and neighbors visiting throughout the day. Today, Chef Roberto is Longwood’s most tenured employee.

MARCELO SANTOS

CHEF DE CUISINE, STATE ROOM

Chef Marcelo’s passion for cooking was inspired by the fresh, tropical foods from his native Brazil. With a desire to learn and grow in the industry, he came to Boston, training at Back Bay Restaurant Group, later under Celebrity chef Jasper White at Summer Shack, then as Sous Chef at Masa. In 2009, Chef Marcelo joined the Longwood team at our flagship venue, the State Room. Chef Marcelo loves the intensity of our busiest location.

Taste our Food

Original. Our Farmers, Growers and Artisan Producers.

Our Farmers and Growers:

    Backyard Farms, ME
    Hudson Valley Foie Gras, NY
    Beeker Pork, IA
    Jergielewicz Duck, PA
    Calabro, Italy
    Calvisius Caviar, Italy
    Creekstone Farms Natural Beef, KS
    Two Friends Farm, ME
    Green Thumb Farms,ME
    Wards Berry Farm,MA
    Lanni Orchard Farm,MA
    Heron Pond Farm,MA
    Lookout Farms, MA
    Jonathan’s Organics, MA
    Young Family Farms, MA
    Eva’s Garden, MA

Our artisan producers:

    I Dream of Jeanne Cakes, MA
    Nantucket Pasta Goddesss, MA
    Iggy’s, MA
    Pain D’avignon, MA
    Great Hill Dairy, MA
    Deano’s Pasta, MA
    Eastern Standard Provisions
    Highlawn Farm Creamery, MA
    Old Chatham Creamery, NY
    Grafton Village Cheese, MA
    North Country Smokehouse, NH
    Vermont Butter and Creamery, VT
    Stonyfield Farm, VT
    Jasper Hill Farms, VT
    Narragansett Creamery, RI

THE BAR

Our beverage program marries simplicity and refinement. Our spirits list is made up of some of the most respected labels in the industry like Johnny Walker Black, Bombay and Patron as well as some innovative newcomers like gluten-free Tito’s vodka and Casamigos Mezcal. Let our professional and creative bar staff create a custom drink menu for your event, infusing every sip with your signature flavor.

How Can We Help ?

Interested in more than one venue?
Great news, submit just one form and we can help you with all venues.