Getting to Know Executive Chef Josh Elliott
Do you anticipate the meals at Garth Newel as much as the music? If so, you’re not alone. And you’re in luck! Menus for the summer season have just been posted. See each event listing for details.
If you’ve ever been treated to a four-course meal after a Garth Newel concert, you know how exquisite they are. Each plate is carefully crafted, with a symphony of flavors, textures, and visual artistry. Audiences leave rave reviews such as “delicious and creative” and “one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten.” The cooking demonstration dinners, picnics, pub fare, and take-out are just as enticing.
The culinary artist behind it all? Josh Elliott, who has been Garth Newel’s Executive Chef for 12 years, ably assisted by Sous Chef Juston “Hot Rod” Hiner. Under Josh’s leadership, Garth Newel’s culinary program has blossomed, building upon the long tradition of excellent food and warm hospitality established by Arlene Di Cecco, who founded GNMC along with her husband Luca and Christine Herter Kendall.
“I love the creativity,” he says. “Cooking for a living definitely has its ups and downs, and it’s a lot of hard work. But it’s worth it. The most fulfilling part is that good food brings people together. They enjoy it, and they want to come back.”
Josh strives to keep the menus fresh and exciting. Each winter, when he has a break from the rush of the summer season, he researches what other chefs are doing, reads cookbooks, and tests out some new things. Months in advance, he creates a unique menu to pair with each concert at Garth Newel. It’s a delicate balancing act. He has to use ingredients he knows will be available, and he’s committed to using fresh, wholesome ingredients. Since each menu is a new creation, when it comes time to cook and plate the dishes he may need to improvise, adding a touch of this or that to make them just so.
“My philosophy is to keep the food fresh and flavorful,” he says. “I love flavors and ingredients from different cultures, so I introduce a little bit from a lot of cuisines—spicy Thai and Latin, Continental, Asian, regional American.”
Originally from Monterrey, California (“very beautiful, and lots of great seafood”), Josh discovered an affinity with kitchens early on. He got his first taste of the culinary world as a restaurant dishwasher at 14, and after high school, he attended the California Culinary Academy in downtown San Francisco. There he learned the basics and some flourishes—everything from butchery to salads, pastries, and ice sculptures—getting hands-on experience not only in classes but also in the school’s two restaurants, which were open to the public. After that, an apprenticeship and then work in restaurants.
Before coming to Garth Newel, Josh ran Elliott’s, a restaurant in Hot Springs where his focus was on creative, healthy cuisine similar to what he prepares at Garth Newel. That is where Hot Rod, now sous chef at GNMC, started working with him as a dishwasher. Hot Rod worked his way up in the culinary world and is happy to be working with Josh again.
“He’s a great partner,” comments Josh. “When you work with someone as long as we have, you don’t have to explain things all the time. We just make things happen and know it will work.”
For both of them, cooking as a high art stays in the realm of the professional kitchen. At home, they focus on simple and fresh without a lot of hassle—things like a chicken breast with fresh vegetables and steamed rice.
When Josh is not in the kitchen, he’s likely to be out enjoying the beauty of Bath County. He plays a lot of golf, mountain bikes, runs, and kayaks. He also makes a point to eat out at restaurants, both old favorites and new experiences.
“Seeing what other chefs are doing opens my eyes sometimes. You keep learning all your life.”
And all of us at Garth Newel can be grateful for that.
