Joe Sparatta

Sous Chef

Joe Sparatta was born into restaurant culture. His father was the chef of the Ryland Inn; his mother, a gifted baker, and so it was not long before his passion for cooking developed. He began cooking formally in his teens, primarily at small, family-owned restaurants in Whitehouse and the surrounding areas. It was when he returned to the Ryland Inn that things started to come together. Cooking under the intense pressure only a four-star kitchen can deliver; he was also introduced to organic farming and gardening, and the benefits of true seasonality. Over the years he has cultivated these skills while working with Chef Scott at the Lawrenceville Inn, and with his wife Emilia at Circa. Joe has also honed his skills while working with Chef David Bouley and Pastry Chef Michael Laskonis of Le Bernardin in New York City. An avid fisherman and gardener, Joe brings his lifelong passion and insatiable curiosity for food to our kitchen at elements.

News

elements' Scott Anderson on his Best Meal of 2011
as published in Opinionated About Dining (OAD): I always find the Meal of the Year post to be highly informative. Not only does it include a number of restaurants that I never heard of before, it allows me to keep track of important trends in the world of fine dining. Among the things that I learned from this year’s responses are the following:

Read the rest including Scott's responses here.

(posted on 12/20/2011)

Scott Anderson one of Esquire Magazine's Best New Chefs of 2011
"If Anderson had merely given Princeton its one great eatery, he'd be a hero, but he is in fact in the vanguard of modern global-American cuisine.": Scott Anderson has been selected as one of Esquire Magazine's Best New Chefs of 2011. See the article here.

(posted on 10/11/2011)

Chef Scott Anderson talks about Foodie Fridays
: Chef Scott Anderson talks about Foodie Fridays

see the video here

(posted on 07/27/2011)

A Tale Between Two Cities
: elements now rated one of New Jersey's top 25 restaurants, among the finest in the region.

Read more here

(posted on 07/20/2011)

Another Glass Please
: Elements Restaurant receives the Two Glasses "Best Of" Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator!

Read more here

(posted on 07/20/2011)

news 12 segment with elements
Princeton restaurant cooks with Jersey fresh produce: News 12 segment with elements See the complete video clip here.

(posted on 07/01/2011)

elements chef/owner wins Jersey Seafood Challenge
by Peter Genovese: Sixteen chefs from all corners of the state competed in the Jersey Seafood Challenge at the governor's mansion today....

(posted on 07/01/2011)

Chef on Chef
Dora Dunn talks anything but turkey with Scott Anderson of elements: Don't tell Eddie I said this; the truth is that despite some shocking bad meals and some edgy conversations, reviewing restaurants and interviewing chefs is not exactly worthy of hardship pay...

(posted on 06/24/2011)

gourmet destinations
elements in princeton: You never know what you're going to find inside elements.

It might be strawberries grown a few miles away...

(posted on 06/14/2011)

5@5 Mixologist Mattias Hagglund
5 Ingredients You Might Not Think of Including in Cocktails: Our managing editor already waxed poetic about the refreshing revelation that is tomatoes and booze. Now, it's Mattias Hägglund's turn to get in the mix and raise up those unsung heroes of the cocktail world. Perhaps we should mention he's the mixologist at elements in Princeton, New Jersey - so let's just say being behind the bar is kind of his thing.

Five Ingredients That You Might Not Think of Including in Cocktails, But Really Should: Mattias Hägglund

read the entire post here.

(posted on 08/06/2010)