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[Jason Perlow]

Please join Richard Hamilton, executive chef of the Spiced Pear Restaurant in Newport, Rhode Island for an eGullet Q&A the week of October 25, 2004.

Chef Hamilton grew up in the restaurant business with his family in Oklahoma and began cooking at the tender age of six. He received his formal training from the Ritz-Escoffier Ecole du Gastronomie and Le Cordon Bleu culinary academy. After his graduation he worked as saucier at the French two-star Michelin restaurant Espadon under Chef Michel Roth and Guy Legay.

Hamilton has also served as Chef du Cuisine at the MGM Mirage Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas and Magnolia’s in Nashville, where he earned the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine in 1999 and a four diamond rating from AAA. Most recently, Hamilton consulted as the Executive Chef at the Dunmore Beach Club on Harbour Island in the Bahamas.

In the course of his 20-year career, Hamilton did stages with renowned chefs such as Joel Robuchon, Alain Ducasse and Jean-Georges Vongerichten and has had the pleasure of working at events with such chefs as Thomas Keller, Todd English, and Charlie Trotter. Hamilton has also been a featured chef at the James Beard House in New York on several occasions, most recently in February 2003.

At the Spiced Pear, Hamilton draws upon his diverse experience to combine island spices, Southern Flavors and New England seafood for his signature style. “Every day, I draw upon all the flavors and countries that have influenced my cooking – from the freshest seafood in the Bahamas to the simplicity of a crystal clear French consommé. I approach each day as a chance to create something new,” he says of his approach which also includes creating menus each day based on what is in-house as opposed to ordering for a specific dish.

Hamilton lives in Newport, Rhode Island with his wife and four-year old son.