Ellington

Char Restaurant Executive Chef Brian Cartenuto was calm and focused as he emerged from a sweltering kitchen during a recent chef's table tasting, which the Jackson Free Press attended at no cost. He's only been at the restaurant for two months, but he's already shaken things up with his fusion of Southern and Italian cuisine.

He served simple tagliatelle pasta with oyster mushrooms, pearl onions and Parmesan cheese topped with a raw farm egg yolk.

"My big thing is this: Try not to put too much on a plate," he says. "... It's harder to say less is more. I was always brought up on technique and taught to let that shine through."

The chef's simple tastes are reflected even in his personal meal choices. The perfect meal for him, he says, is a simple roasted chicken accompanied by a glass of bourbon and ginger ale.

At 29, Cartenuto has had a career a Food Network star might envy. He grew up in Niceville, Fla., where his parents owned a small Italian restaurant. Though he originally had his heart set on becoming a priest, his parents coaxed him into cooking. At 17 years old, realizing he liked girls too much, he changed his career path. Taking cues from his parents' Venezuelan and Italian ethnic backgrounds, he spent his teenage years behind a stove perfecting his culinary creations.

After graduating with a culinary arts degree from Johnson Wales University in Charleston, S.C., he worked as a chef at the Equinox Hotel in Vermont. Since then, he has been the chef at well-known establishments such as Lavandou, Brasserie Les Halles and Dean & DeLuca in Washington, D.C.

In early August, Cartenuto moved to Jackson from Seattle where he was the chef and part owner at Cantinetta.

"I felt Jackson was more my style," he says about his move. "I feel like I can help it grow. Jackson is ready for the next level--to be progressive, focus on local products and simplicity," he says.

Cartenuto says he has opened a few restaurants but has never revamped one, so he has worked a lot the past couple months. He says that he has not taken a day off since moving to the city.

In addition to revamping Char's menu, Cartenuto wants to introduce homegrown products and handmade pastas to his customers. One of the first things he did as chef was remove the microwaves from Char's kitchen. He envisions the restaurant having its own garden in the future.

"I'm only as good as my last plate. What I did 10 years ago doesn't mean anything," he says. " I can be a perfectionist, because I demand the best out of my self and my staff. You can call me bullheaded, but I only want the best. But more than perfection, I want consistency."