Nick Curtola

The Climb

Nick Curtola’s early kitchen work reads as a study in movement: Camino in Oakland, Restaurants in Piedmont, Italy, Franny’s in Brooklyn, Glady’s in Brooklyn (from 2012), Roman’s in Brooklyn, and Noma in Copenhagen, with additional stops at Restaurants in London and Restaurants in Amsterdam. The thread through those rooms is less about a single style than about adaptation—working different cities, different cadences, and different expectations while keeping the cooking legible. Today, the role that has anchored that experience is Executive Chef of The Four Horsemen (since 2015). In Brooklyn, that continuity has allowed the work to settle and sharpen: less turnover of context, more repetition, more detail, and a clearer house language.

Today

At The Four Horsemen, the cooking stays vegetable-forward and built to sit naturally alongside natural wines. The menus are concise, but they do not read as narrow; they ask for attention, not appetite alone, and they reward it with range inside restraint. The style associated with Curtola is direct: simple and rustic, but tuned with care. Seasonal dishes carry influences from Italy and France, as well as the cuisines of Italy, England, and Northern California. The result is food that keeps its footing in produce, acidity, and texture, with enough precision to avoid flatness. That sense of steadiness is also part of the restaurant’s internal culture. Curtola puts it plainly: “We have almost 10 years under our belt.” He adds, “We have the team locked in, a bunch of people who have been with me for years.” In practical terms, that kind of tenure matters; it gives the kitchen a shared rhythm and lets refinement happen by repetition.

Signature

Nick's signature dishes include The Four Horsemen Cookbook, marinated Maine mussels with onion vinaigrette, Sea Scallop Crudo, Carrot Dashi, and Puffed Rice. Taken together, they show the range of his cooking: brisk, ingredient-driven, and focused on contrast, with the book extending the restaurant’s identity beyond the dining room.

In Their Words “We have the team locked in, a bunch of people who have been with me for years.”

Recognition

Nick's honors include James Beard Foundation semifinalist, Best Chef in New York State (2022) and James Beard Foundation semifinalist, Outstanding Chef (2020).