Chef Nick Mastrascusa currently oversees all culinary aspects of Beach Tree Restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. Prior to his tenure at the famed 57 restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel New York, he honed his culinary talents at the Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, and the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach, both in Florida. Mastrascusa also opened Hoquart 2000 restaurant in Montevideo, Uruguay, where he grew up and played on the national soccer team.

A graduate of the Culinary Arts program at Johnson and Wales College, Miami, Florida, Mastrascusa credits his grandparents, who immigrated to Uruguay from Spain and Sicily, for inspiring his passion for cooking. “Both my grandmothers always welcomed friends and family into their homes for casual but delicious meals,” says Mastrascusa. “The new Beach Tree will have that same familiar, warm, and welcoming environment for our resort guests.”

Mastrascusa uses fresh, artisanal, and for the most part, local ingredients to create dishes that are Italian with California and tropical touches—everything from signature pizzas and pastas to mango gazpacho. “I’m amazed by the high quality and range of produce that is grown on the Big Island,” said Mastrascusa. “I’m just beginning to explore all the possibilities.”