The Dunlin, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, a new waterfront resort opening this summer on Johns Island, today announced Michael DeCicco as Executive Chef. He will oversee the property’s signature restaurant, Linnette’s, the Willet Room bar and the pool-side restaurant, The Cove, as well as catering and the in-room dining program.
The property says Chef DeCicco’s menus for The Dunlin will "celebrate soulful, coastal Southern cooking with thoughtfully crafted dishes that highlight the best ingredients in the region."
Linnette’s will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The open kitchen will serve up woodfired dishes from a seafood-forward menu, with ingredients sourced from local fishermen and Kiawah River’s ‘agri-hood’ of local farmers. Diners can expect signature dishes such as wood fire roasted oysters with bone marrow butter and pickled peppers; Storey Farms poached egg with Carolina Gold rice middlins; and ember grilled local shrimp featuring sweet corn, dilly bean vierge.
The iced tea, all-day bites, cocktails, and rare whiskeys can be enjoyed at the Willet Room, The Dunlin’s riverside lounge bar. Poolside dining can be enjoyed at The Cove, The Dunlin’s swim club, which is infused with a sense of 1950s glamor from beach clubs of a bygone era, and serves lunch classics and cocktails to be enjoyed beneath green and white striped cabanas.
“Having spent time in the area visiting family and friends, there could not be a more inspiring setting for developing a culinary program than the natural landscape of The Dunlin,” said Executive Chef DeCicco. “I look forward to building exciting menus focused on authentic, yet modern dishes that celebrate Southern heritage and the incredible local ingredients that the Sea Islands and Charleston have to offer.”
Hailing from upstate New York, Chef DeCicco’s interest in the culinary arts began at a young age after growing up in an Italian American household where home-cooked meals were at the center of family gatherings and holiday celebrations. He studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, before starting his culinary career with close mentorship from Chef Thomas Keller. DeCicco worked alongside Keller at Bouchon Bakery & Café in New York where he was elevated to the role of Chef de Cuisine. He most ecently served as Chef de Cuisine at The Surf Club Restaurant by Thomas Keller in Surfside, FL, where he was a part of the opening team. In his role, DeCicco oversaw all culinary operations, from menu development to team mentorship and helped lead the restaurant to its first Michelin Star during his tenure.
DeCicco hopes to bring some unique culinary experiences to guests of The Dunlin, including oyster roasts and whole hog BBQs to Lowcountry boils and riverside breakfast only accessible by kayak.
A 40-minute drive from downtown Charleston, The Dunlin is located along the coastline within the waterfront community of Kiawah River.
To make a reservation, or for additional information, visit aubergeresorts.com/the-dunlin.
