“Yum’s” the Word at The Market

By: Jackie Sheridan
Posted In: Entertainment

Pete Kittredge has come a long way in 15 years. Having made a humble start as a dishwasher at Salve, he has fried many fish on his way to his current job as Executive Chef for one of Newport few gourmet grocers, The Market, on Memorial Boulevard.

After attending Johnson and Wales University to obtain a degree in culinary arts, Kittredge worked for a buffet of local companies and catering businesses, including Sodexho, the Regatta Club, Blackstone, and Kathleen’s Catering. An avid traveler and die-hard Newport native, Kittredge has now settled in his position at Newport Gourmet, having been there for nearly five years. He has platefuls to say about The Market, being a chef, and life in Newport.

Q: What’s the goal of The Market: Newport Gourmet?

A: We’re here trying to fill that niche for people who are on the go and don’t have time to cook themselves home-cooked meals. We kind of have two niches: one is in the winter with “home crowd” people with busy lives and kids in school, and in the summer it’s the yacht or boat people, or tourists who come into town, the beachgoers.

Q: What’s a typical day like for an executive chef at The Market?

A: I don’t think there is a typical day! Let’s see, a typical day. We come in, set the [display] case up. Once that’s all set, the guys get soups going. Now during the year we have our Blue Plate Special, so basically we make sure that that’s prepared the day before, so that it can be chilled and cooled and we can put it out there the following day. And in between that it’s everything from quiche to pot pies, to croutons and bagel chips, the salad dressings, things for the deli, and usually it’s kind of thrust upon us, and catering orders on top of that.

Q: Have you had any unusual experiences with the catering part of your job?

A: I don’t’ know about unusual…I can give you moments when things went to Hell…and [we] didn’t know what to do. When I was working for Kathleen’s Catering, it was tennis week, where they had the inductees come in. For us, it was a big thing, we got.parties for a lunch of 750 [people]. I had a dinner on Friday for 225, and a dinner on Saturday for 225, but then I also had another event on Saturday evening. I’d go to a function and set it up, then I’d jump in my car and run to the other function and expedite that myself, and hope to God everything was good. It was stormy and windy and the little tents they had set up were shooting off into the air because they weren’t tied down, I couldn’t get the ovens lit for about forty-five minutes.yeah, we were freaking out a little bit.

Q: How do you prepare yourself for each day?

A: I think it’s like everything else. Your work is your work, yes, it does get monotonous and boring.uh, yeah, I’d rather be on a golf course. Once I get past my first hour of still being half asleep, I kind of roll with the day. And some days actually turn out fine; you have a good time in the kitchen. It depends on where you’re at, I guess. I think I have more fun towards the end of the week than at the beginning of the week.

Q: What kind of food do you prepare?

A: Everything! A lot of people ask me this all the time, “what’s your specialty?” I don’t have one. I love Asian cookery; I love fusion, the blending of different ethnicities and playing with things. Something that’s Southwestern you’re putting an Italian flare to, or Italian flavors with Southwestern cooking methods and things like that. I like it all, it’s all fun. For me, it’s my creative outlet; it’s my way to express myself.

Q: What’s your most popular item?

A: As sad as it is, it’s probably Mr. Price’s chicken salad. In the summertime, it’s hard to keep up with it. That’s definitely one of the big ones. As far as entrees, it’s chicken. It’s always chicken, that’s what they want. No matter what they say, that’s what they eat!

Q: Do you have any chef secrets?

A: Do I have any secrets? Oh, man. I probably have a ton, but to me they’re not secrets, to me they’re just kind of what I do. I don’t know.they’re not really secrets, I have.my own methods of madness of getting things done within a certain time frame because my backbone is catering. So, if I’m cooking for 50 to 5, 000.I’ve got to plan, I’ve got to prep, I’ve got to expedite.maybe I should write a book.

Q: Does The Market: Newport Gourmet have tough local competition?

A: That’s where we’re lucky. There really aren’t any around on the island. Around here, we’re it, so it works, it’s nice.

Q: How do you feel about working in Newport?

A: I’m a native, born and bred. I grew up in Portsmouth and moved downtown when I was 19. I’ve been here ever since. I love Newport.your home is your home, but you also can’t compare it to anything else. I’ve traveled a lot, I’ve seen a lot. I’ve got brothers and sisters who have moved all over the country and they still call [Newport] “home.”

Q: If you were stranded on an island and could prepare only one meal, what would it be?

A: You know what, I don’t know because there are so many things that I like. As dumb as it sounds, I’d probably make myself a sandwich. Usually it’s “all right, what’s in the fridge?” Boom, boom, just throw it together. So, I think if I was relaxing on an island, I’d probably make the quickest thing possible and get back to my chair.