Delaware’s Big Fish Grill is an icon at the Delaware beach. Originally a 90-seater in Rehoboth Beach, brothers Eric and Norman Sugrue have reigned in three additional outlets in the seafood family, complete with a namesake seafood market. One of those is the Wilmington location, a year-round draw complete with a river view, outdoor seating and a massive dining room and banquet space. Keeping all those parts sliding fluidly takes special kitchen leadership.
Leading one of Delaware’s busiest restaurants is chef Michael McNutt. The Wilmington native has been the captain of Big Fish’s Wilmington kitchen for the last seven years.
A Friday night at the Delaware landmark is a culmination of 300 pounds of fish, 15 kitchen crew and around 1,000 guests. Successful at the Wilmington riverfront isn’t by chance. McNutt spent time in New England running steak houses with Rare Hospitality, parent to The Capital Grille. In 1997, McNutt moved back to the area to oversee the now shuttered Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse. The volume was a primer for the move to Big Fish.
McNutt’s tenure includes working under chef Hanz Winkler at the legendary Hotel Dupont. “I came from the hard school,” said McNutt. That push was the impetus to go on for a formal culinary education at Johnson and Wales. That classic mentoring is embedded with McNutt as he leads his crew. “Culinary school is about learning the basics. You have to pay attention. So when you go work in different places, you know to get your pan hot for saute. A lot of people don’t understand the basics.”
McNutt’s steady grip, soft heart and keen eye keep the ever-moving kitchen in harmonious balance of speed and quality. Pushing out dishes like Lobster Nachos—only on Lobster Tuesdays—cioppino, caramelized Scottish salmon and pan-roasted grouper is part of the intensity of the kitchen.
“I have a great staff,” and it shows. The camaraderie oozes. “I love being in the kitchen, in the trenches with the guys. Love the high volume aspect of it. If you run a slow restaurant, I’m not your guy,” laughed McNutt.
That staff, insisted McNutt, is integral to keeping the whirlwind dining room moving forward. While many restaurants are dealing with shortages of skilled labor, the guest volume at the downtown location helps with ebbing the labor issue.
“The whole ego thing of a chef, that’s not me. If people are happy working for you, that’s all I need. The old days with guys jabbing a finger at you, that doesn’t work anymore. Then you don’t have people and you don’t have a job. You are only as good as your staff. A lot of young guys don’t understand that. The days of throwing [stuff] at people are over.”
To keep sharp, chef McNutt is all about crabbing, boating and fishing, “I could live off of seafood,” which fits perfectly for Big Fish’s nearly all-seafood menu.
For inspiration outside the confines of the whirling kitchen, McNutt turns to Anthony Bourdain. “His laid-back attitude! He says it how it is. He’s politically incorrect.” McNutt added, “I like Emeril Lagasse. He’s a true chef with those Creole recipes!”
While out for a culinary adventure, “I like looking for that little hole in the wall that nobody knows about, that’s known for that one great dish. Seafood shacks in Maryland and New England” are draws for this seafood cook. “Cantler’s Riverside Inn in Annapolis is phenomenal. They are right on the Severn River. The soft shells shed right there. They clean ‘em and they come right to your table.”
And closer to home? “I always enjoy the Reading Terminal Market. I get a whole duck to go!”
Next for McNutt and the Big Fish group? McNutt will be an integral part to Big Fish’s growth along the Wilmington riverfront as the area flourishes more as a regional draw with neighboring restaurants in the works.
Find Big Fish Grill at 720 Justison St., in Wilmington; phone: (302) 652-3474.
- Photos: Jim Berman
4 Comments