AARON HALE

John Federici is the executive chef at Crust Bistro and Wyldes Cafe in Bonita Springs. He's been working in the restaurant business for 15 years.

- Name: John Federici

- Age: 28

- Position: Executive chef

- Restaurants: Crust Bistro and Wylds Cafe

- Experience: “I started cooking at an Italian restaurant about 15 years ago. I met my mentor up there. I went to Johnson and Wales culinary school in Providence, (R.I.). I’ve bartended a little bit and served a little bit.”

- Specialty: “We like to call it modern American cuisine.”

- What do you like about your job? “I like working with different cooks. You learn different styles, techniques, hints. You never stop learning. It’s all about the people you work with.”

- Hardest part of the job: “The hours (in season more than 70 hours a week). The higher up you are the more hours you work.”

- Dish you’re most proud of: Hudson Pasta at Wylds Cafe, which is duck and foie gras sausage tossed with roasted duck cavatelli pasta, shiitake mushrooms, in a sage butter sauce.

“That’s just one of my favorite dishes. It’s earthy. It brings everything together. It’s a big seller.”

- Favoriter local restaurants: “Futuro’s and Grandpa’s Pizza, my two favorite places. Usually on my day off, I’m trying to save cash and I’m a big pizza fan.”

- What do you in your free time? “Beach, boat, fish. Something outside.”

- What’s something most people don’t know about you? “To most chefs, saffron is the king of the spices and known as the world’s most expensive spice, but I hate it. I dislike the smell and the flavor. It’s been way over-used in commercial kitchens all over the country. I feel it should be limited to being used in Boulliabase only.”