At Ninety Acres Culinary Center, Chef David C. Felton fills menus with ingredients from a certified naturally grown 14-acre farm

by Jessica Jones-Gorman

On his days off from Natirar Estate’s Ninety Acres Culinary Center, Chef David C. Felton drives around on his motorcycle on a quest for great burgers and chicken wings.

“ I like good food,” the seasoned chef said. “ And great food can be found in a fine dining establishment, or in a little diner off Route 9.”

In fact, Felton recently flew to Seattle to sample a remote little restaurant on Lummi Island named by one New YorkTimes food critic as a place where you must dine before you die. “

It took two-and-a-half hours to drive there after the flight and then we were picked up by a bus to finish the trip,” Felton said. “ It was quite a journey, but the food was amazing.”

For Felton, amazing food has always been integral to living. His mother, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, operated a small catering business out of their house when he was just a kid, so he was witness to many fine cooking techniques. And when it came time to prepare the family dinner, Felton was his mother’s top sous chef.

“Family meals were important to us,” he recalled. “ My mother used them to gather us together, and we each had a job: one would cook, one would serve, and one would clear. I was the youngest of three, so for as long as I could remember I always had to cook. Even at eight years old, it influenced me.”

By the time he was 14, Felton was working at a local Bergen County pizzeria and started managing it at 16. His love of food led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts from Johnson and Wales University and upon his graduation, he traveled the U.S. for more than three years—a journey he refers to as his own “ self-imposed culinary apprenticeship. I met so many people—ate and worked at so many different restaurants. I was able to live and work in 42 of the 50 states.”

A stop in Kansas City, Missouri, where he worked under Chefs Michael Smith and Debbie Gold at the American Restaurant, proved to be fortuitous when the pair later recruited Felton as chef de cuisine at their latest endeavor, 40 Sardines. It was there that Felton was honored as one of “ America’s Top Ten Sous Chefs” in a nationwide competition.

He switched gears after the opening, moving to New York City and connecting with famed Manhattan chef Gary Robins to help oversee opening the kitchen of The Biltmore Room. The restaurant received rave reviews, but Felton was still searching for more, so he accepted a teaching position at a small culinary school, The Natural Gourmet Institute of Health and Culinary Arts in
Manhattan, where he rediscovered a passion for using local and sustainable ingredients.

“I loved teaching,” he said with a smile. “ But after a few years I realized I missed the long hours and harsh conditions of working in a kitchen.” So, he accepted an executive chef position at Blue in Surf City, then the same position at The Pluckemin Inn in Bedminster.

When Felton became aware of the Natirar project in Peapack-Gladstone NJ, which would support local agriculture by using ingredients from a 14-acre farm (not just farm-totable, this was essentially a table at the farm), he started campaigning for the executive position there. “

This was honestly a dream come true,” Felton said. “ Whether I’m cooking for a wedding of 200 guests or hosting a class for 10 people, I’m able to tell a beautiful story.”

Natirar’s Ninety Acres Culinary Center offers a few distinct dining experiences. Guests can opt for a traditional menu in the main dining room or dine BMF (bring me food)-style near the open kitchen at a linen-covered bistro-style table.

There are also communal tables in the Cognac Lounge, where diners feast on tapas-style small plates—as well as at a back patio adjacent to the farm, weather permitting.

“My intention here was to provide a little bit of something for everyone,” Felton said. “ You can find everything here from pizza and fried chicken to foie gras.”

For fall, Felton is concentrating on mushrooms and herbs like rosemary and sage which just “ make sense in autumn.” He’s also starting to incorporate ingredients like chestnuts and longer cooking techniques, but the emphasis remains on quality and local sourcing.

Ninety Acres Culinary Center 2 Main Street, Peapack-Gladstone / 908.901.9500 / natirar.com