Behind the Counter: Chef Colin Clark, Acqua Bistecca

One of my favorite things about Behind The Counter is introducing whose names may not always be on the sign out front, but whose talent leadership shape every guest experience.

Before Acqua Bistecca opened at City Ridge, I had the opportunity to spend time with both Chef Michael Mina and Executive Chef Colin Clark. What struck me immediately was their rapport. Michael brings decades of experience building award-winning restaurants around the country, while Colin brings the confidence of a chef who has spent his career learning from some of the very best before stepping into a leadership role of his own.

And that journey is an impressive one.

A classically trained Italian chef, Colin began his career under the mentorship of Marc Vetri in Philadelphia, mastering the foundations of Italian cuisine from bread and pasta to charcuterie and an unwavering respect for exceptional ingredients. From there he joined Starr Restaurants and was part of the opening team at Le Diplomate - talk about trial by fire - before refining his craft alongside James Beard Award-winning chef Fabio Trabocchi at Fiola Mare. He later led the kitchen at the Hamilton Hotel's Italian restaurant, developing a style that blends rustic Italian traditions.

Today, as Executive Chef of Acqua Bistecca, Colin is helping define one of the DMV's most exciting new restaurant openings. And through Acqua Bistecca's Test Kitchen program, he's inviting diners directly into the creative process.

The Test Kitchen gives chef the freedom to push beyond the boundaries of the restaurant's established menu, presenting new dishes and new risks directly to guests. The result is a delicious dining experience.

I recently caught up with Chef Colin to learn more about the program, how guest feedback influences the process, and what he hopes diners take away from the experience.

Chef Colin Clark & The Acqua Bistecca Test Kitchen 

Where did the inspiration for The Test Kitchen come from?

Test Kitchen was a program initially conceived by Chef Michael Mina to empower his chefs and to push the envelope of their given concept. It has been an exciting opportunity for me to fold my perspective, experience, and background into the restaurant's cuisine, while also landing dishes on the menu through testing in front of an audience and constant innovation inside the kitchen.

This is pretty bold. It hands real diners unfinished dishes and asks for opinions. How do you filter those opinions? Have you ever gotten feedback that stung?

Test Kitchen feedback has been overwhelmingly positive thus far. Absorbing and learning from critique is part of being a chef, and Test Kitchen has been no different. These dishes feel more personal than unfinished, as they are an expansion of the concept's current bounds rather than an incomplete thought.

To say customer feedback is important would be an understatement. What makes The Test Kitchen different in terms of what diners can expect?

Test Kitchen is designed to be an experience separate from the restaurant's business. We endeavor to engage as many people as possible with an approachable offering, and we challenge ourselves to make it work by serving nine independent dishes within that structure.

The menu is designed to open people up to our hospitality and connect with their personal tastes. Current and future Test Kitchen menus, along with the à la carte menu, will reflect the lessons of this project, and that's what diners can expect.

How do you incorporate diners' feedback in a way that makes them feel included in the recipe development process while still staying true to what Acqua Bistecca wants to serve, communicate, and create for its audience?

We incorporate guest feedback with humility fueled by a drive to deliver excellent hospitality. It is always a fine line staying true to your goals while responding in real time to what the guest in the dining room wants.

As we take more chances and bigger risks with this menu, there will be more opportunities for misses. We stay humble, focused on the guest, and constantly adapt.

What do you want diners to walk away feeling after these experiences?

Above all, I want them to think about the food the next day. I want the tastes, textures, and colors to linger. I want them to mention it to a friend. I want there to be something memorable about every dish, some detail that sticks out to the guest. I want the guest to be excited to try our next iteration of this project.

What I love most about this approach is that it invites guests into the conversation. Dining out has always been about discovery, and Chef Colin Clark has created a space  at Acqua Bistecca where diners can experience that discovery alongside the kitchen.