Justin Ermini has been appointed Executive Chef at the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, CT, overseeing culinary operations in the Main Dining Room, The Terrace and Tap Room and the Spa. A native New Englander Ermini joined the Mayflower team in summer 2008 after having most recently worked as the Sous Chef at Michelin – starred restaurant, The Watergrill, in downtown Los Angeles, California, where he studied the art of seafood and was credited for introducing fish from a multitude of international locals.
Ermini’s training originated at the acclaimed Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and then continued at Le Meridien hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It wasn’t long after his internship at Le Meridien that Ermini journeyed to San Francisco where he studied the art of California cuisine at Wolfgang Puck’s four-star, Mobil-awarded, Postrio. After working every station at the internationally praised establishment, he moved to New York City and joined the team at the famed three-star Michelin-rated restaurant, Jean Georges. This experience provided him with the refinement needed to work at several other Michelin starred restaurants in Florence, Italy, where Ermini resided and studied for two years. Soon Ermini was approached by the Palms Hotel and Casino to open their new Italian concept restaurant in California.
Under the skillful direction of Chef Ermini, coupled with the Mayflower Inn & Spa’s holistic approach to health and well-being, the restaurant at the five-star country house inn is forging new culinary paths by creating a distinctive Connecticut Cuisine. Chef Ermini’s imaginative approach to creating a truly regional style relies on the use of fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients from Connecticut’s coast and countryside.The Mayflower works closely with local organic farmers in Litchfield County and with seafood suppliers along the Connecticut Shore. The result is an authentic "Connecticut Experience." Guests enjoy sophisticated dining that spans imaginative regional cooking and healthful and tasty Spa Cuisine.
