Many of the customers who sit down for a unique fine-dining experience at Stages at One Washington in Dover might be surprised that the owner had no plans to become an award-winning chef, restaurant owner and television cooking competition star.
Evan Hennessey returned to his native Dover after studying fine arts and drawing at the University of Kentucky and turned his artistic eye to an immediate need: finding a job.
“I looked in the newspaper and saw an ad for a dishwasher. I started out as a dishwasher and prep cook,” Hennessey told NH Business Review. “At no point until then did I ever think about becoming a chef.”
Inspired by experiences in culinary training and at top restaurants in Chicago and New York, he found his niche and never looked back. He opened Stages in 2012 with an eye towards expanding his extensive classical French training into what he has called progressive New England cuisine — with touches of Japanese and Scandinavian cooking as well — that sources every ingredient locally and regionally. He knows many of the farmers personally and has immersed himself in learning about agriculture and aquaculture.
Along the way, Hennessey has become a James Beard award semifinalist among Northeast chefs and a three-time winner on the competition Food Channel show “Chopped.”
But his main focus continues to refine his menu and keep the ambiance of friends visiting for dinner (and gaining a culinary educational experience) at Stages.
Q. Why did you locate Stages in Dover?
A. It’s where I’m from — Dover High School class of 1994. I’m more of a smalltown than big-city person. Dover is also a great location. We source all of our ingredients from throughout New England. My family loves living here, because we are close to the ocean, mountains and forests. My bother, Jared, is my partner in the venture, and we have worked very well together as he runs the business side.
Q. For those not familiar with Stages, what makes it unique?
A. I have always loved learning about how things work, and I became focused on breaking down the boundaries between guests and chefs. ‘Foodie’ knowledge has increased dramatically, and expectations are astronomical for a new experience. If you don’t adapt and change, we can become null and void to the public.
By keeping Stages friendly, small and intimate, there’s a level of comfort as we talk with our guests and get to know everyone while we prepare the dishes. It becomes an all-around educational experience for everyone, as our guests learn the story behind the dishes and where the ingredients were sourced. We also get to see the reactions of our guests as their eyes are opened to new New England cuisine. We finish each meal with warm cookies baked by my daughter, Emma.
Q. What did you learn from your cooking while competing on “Chopped”?
A. One of the big lessons I took away is that the competition increased my confidence that we have carved out a place for ourselves in Dover, and we should be here. When I first did it, the setup of the show was pretty intimidating, but it didn’t take me long to realize that I totally dig doing television and really enjoyed the competition. I learned how to organize and think fast while on the clock: figuring out the best way to handle the ingredients and executing in front of people. I became so dialed in and good at clock management that I finished with time to spare.
Q. How will your intern program Staging at Stages work?
A. It’s important for experienced chefs to inspire and train the next generation, and the reception to this program has been quite exceptional. When we announced it last year, the word really got out there.
Each quarter we will select an applicant who will commit to working for five days with us. They will create three dishes with my guidance and present this menu to a select audience of guests. They will get to experience our approach to a complete dining experience, and we hope that will inspire them.
Q. Do you have plans to expand?
A. We are absolutely expanding. It’s just a question of being 100% ready with the right time and right place.
Q. If you weren’t a chef or restaurant owner, what might you be doing?
A. I would definitely be doing something outdoors: be a mountain guide or around animals.
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