AT THIS SHORESIDE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT, CHEF NICHOLAS LIBERTO RELIES ON HIS “FARMTO TABLE” ROOTS BY JESSICA JONES GORMAN PHOTOS
BY ERIC COLEMAN
When chef Nicholas Liberto was growing up in Hunterdon County, his parents stressed the importance of living off the land. Through plucking vegetables from his family’s massive garden and tending to the chickens in his backyard coop each morning, Liberto learned firsthand how to prep a meal from start to finish.
“We lived a farm to table existence long before it was chic to do so,” noted Liberto regarding his hunter/gatherer upbringing. “Fresh food was so incredibly important to my parents, and those values that they instilled in me really had an effect on my life and career.”
An early introduction to the NYC restaurant scene also fueled his passion. The aspiring chef recalled going into Manhattan to dine at top restaurants, finding inspiration through flavors and immersing himself in the culinary arts.
After high school, Liberto took a job as a bus boy, eventually climbing the ranks to server and bartender. Then when chef Lou Smith offered him an opportunity at Blend on Main in Manasquan, the young chef eagerly accepted.
“I learned so much from him,” said Liberto. “He gave me this tremendous opportunity and really helped me climb the ranks.”
After a few years under Smith’s tutelage, Liberto helped the chef open Prime 13 in Point Pleasant. He then moved on to Social 37 in Toms River which specialized in globally influenced American comfort food. At Albarino in Shrewsbury he focused on Spanish inspired cuisine.
“I enjoyed my time at each and every one of those restaurants because they each allowed me to hone my skills and learn a variety of different cooking styles,” he said. Now the executive chef at One Willow, a classic Jersey Shore waterfront seafood restaurant in Highlands, Liberto is currently focused on sourcing the highest quality sustainable seafood from the finest purveyors and fishermen in the tri state area. He is joined by Chef de Cuisine Pablo Toxqui and a strong kitchen staff.
“This position has really brought me back to my roots,” he explained. “The menu here is built from the finest, locally sourced ingredients very similar to my Hunterdon County upbringing but also reminiscent of my family’s summers in Point Pleasant. I spent months fishing with my father in these same waters.”
The chef, who recently celebrated his one year anniversary in the One Willow kitchen, said that while his tenure with the eatery was challenged by COVID, the experience also made him stronger.
“We reinvented just as everyone else did in the restaurant industry. We tried takeout and were thrilled when outdoor dining was announced. All of the restrictions forced us to maintain a strict ‘back to basics’ ideology which I felt really kept our menu grounded.”
That uncomplicated menu included locally sourced oysters, roasted chicken with whipped potatoes and baby carrots, halibut from Nova Scotia, and cold water lobster from Maine.
“That’s the type of culture One Willow has source all of the best meats and fish and then dress them simply,” noted the chef. “You never want to disguise the delicately beautiful flavor of your main protein.”
When Liberto is off the clock he cooks “unfussy” food for himself, like “a nice bowl of pasta with garlic and oil.” But he is always researching and experimenting with new cultures and cuisines.
“I spent some time in the Penedes and Basque regions of Spain with my dad before the pandemic touring, drinking wine, and eating some of the best food I’ve ever had,” concluded Liberto. “I always have my nose in a cookbook researching new and innovative recipes, but the most wonderful food experiences come when you travel and taste some amazing dishes.”
ONE WILLOW
One Willow Street, Highlands / 732.770.7770 / OneWillowHighlands.com