Chef Highlight: Noah Schwartz, Chef and Owner of Noah's

A native Long Islander, Schwartz graduated from New England Culinary Institute in Vermont and began his culinary career on the West Coast. He met his wife in 2003, while working as a sous chef at The Girl and The Fig, a French-inspired restaurant in Sonoma, California. Sunita grew-up working in her family’s restaurant in Nepal and that experience formed the foundation for her front-of-house knowledge that led her to Sonoma.

While Schwartz continued to thrive as a chef, Sunita began to develop an interest in viticulture and oenology and left the restaurant for a position at Ravenswood Winery where she studied under winemaker Joel Peterson. It was at this California vineyard where the couple later married in 2006. During this time Noah took a position as executive chef at Monty’s in Santa Rosa.

The couple later decided to relocate to the North Fork with the intention of opening their own restaurant. The resulting Noah’s is a restaurant that combines the passions of both husband and wife. Schwartz was responsible for the concept and the menu, while Sunita met with local winemakers and began cultivating a wine program that highlighted wines from the local vineyards, as well as wines from California and other international vineyards that would pair well with the menu.

The restaurant has received many accolades since it opened in 2010, and Schwartz has been lauded by the peer-reviewed Best Chefs America in both 2012 and 2013. Joanne Starkey of The New York Times gave the restaurant a “Don’t-Miss” (three-star) rating and calls Schwartz “a wizard in the kitchen [who] shows signs of similar talent in his debut as a restaurateur.” Peter Giannotti of Newsday gave the restaurant three stars, calling it a “bright star” and raving, “Schwartz delivers a small-plate special: Refreshing, full-flavored, in sync and very popular.”

To learn more about Noah’s, visit chefnoahs.com.