Jamie Mammano.

There is a comic intensity about him, like Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus from a Peter Seller's Pink Panther movie. Though, in Mammano's case his demeanor is most definitely intentional. His quiet, distracted disposition acts as a prelude for the 'straight in the eye' look he can give, implying anger or interest. Slight beads of sweat on his upper lip are proof that he spends his days in the kitchen. However friendly his conversation, his dry sense of humor tests your listening skills, for he shows no sign of having just told a joke. The mood of the restaurant is more forthcoming. Exposed brick and stucco walls and high ceilings and big white columns give the room a regal authority. The slate floors, a buffed concrete bar skirted by twenty pumpkin pie leather stools provide a provincial note, as do the weathered wood and leather accents and antiquated hutch in the front lounge. It is the dream of hotel chef turned restaurateur, Jamie Mammano. "I'm doing this to make money, my ego has been sufficiently satisf ied," he jokes without a smile. "The key now is consistency." Mammano states, again with his half serious look. Though the cooking style is provincial, he considers the food Mediterranean. Originally from New York, this Culinary Institute of America grad, started his career at the The Pierre Hotel in New York. In 1981 he went to work for the, then little known, Four Seasons Hotel. The most revered stint was as Executive Chef at Aujourd'hui the hotel's, Boston location, which under his guidance earned the number one dining spot in the city according to the Zagat Survey. "The Four Seasons Hotel s a good place for a young chef to blossom and learn," Mammano recalls. "I had exposure to so many different elements of the restaurant business." After twenty five years, most of which were spent in hotels, Mammano left the Four Seasons family in 1995. "I am 'hoteled-out,'" Mammano admits. The administrative pace and corporate structure, though valuable, kept Mammano from feeling truly at home in the kitchen. After fiel ding several different offers, Mammano found the ideal opportunity. "I settled for being a partner," he quips of his three year young business relationship with co-owners Seth Greenberg and Paul Roiff. "I'm not the most diplomatic in the kitchen," he admits. Mammano enjoys managing the restaurant in his own style without the corporate rule book over his head. He expects a lot from his chefs, and gives a lot in return.