BEVERLY — Joe Dias has worked as cook for 20 years, most of it in Boston's North End. Now he's the cook at CafĂ© Diciannove, the new Italian restaurant scheduled to open next month at the Beverly Golf & Tennis Club.
The 48-year-old Dias is single and lives in Lynn. We asked him a few questions about this background and his new job in Beverly.
How did you get started in the restaurant business?
In 1976, I starting working at Joe Tecce's (in the North End) as a dishwasher. I learned the basics and then became a prep person. I got a job offer at Emilio's Restaurant in the North End, then I opened two more restaurants.
Do you go to school for cooking?
I learned everything that I know at Joe Tecce's.
Do you have a specialty?
Pork chops with vinegar, peppers and potatoes. Also, Frutti de Mare. It's a mix of seafood with red sauce.
What's the key to Italian cooking?
You've got to have organization, and you've got to do the right thing so the customers will be happy. You've got to send out a plate that you would eat. If you'd eat it, it's good.
Where are you from?
I was born in northern Portugal, near Lisbon. My town is not even on the map. I came to this country on Sept. 20, 1976, at 8 o'clock at night by plane. My godfather brought all our family over.
Did your family do a lot of cooking when you were growing up?
Portuguese food is really good, but I never wanted to cook Portuguese food because there's not a variety. Italian food has a bigger variety. Portuguese food is rice, potatoes, steak, and that's about it. I like the challenge of Italian food.
How did you end up at the Beverly Golf & Tennis Club?
I know Manny (Barros, president of the company that manages the club). I cooked for Manny for several years at El Panino in Cambridge (where Barros lives).
What's it like working at a golf club in Beverly after working in the North End?
It's night and day. I never thought I would end up in an atmosphere like here. You work in the North End, and there's so much noise. And there's a lot of parking here.
