UTICA—The risk of opening a business in his hometown was scary for Jason Nole at first. But his flair for preparing enticing meals proved early on he had nothing to worry about.
Nole, 25, of Wtiitesboro, and co-owner of Cafe CaNole in Utica, was chosen to receive an Accent on Excellence Award for his commitment to serving unique food dishes in the pastry and bistro shop he owns with his brother. Dean.
"It's a long day, but you're constantly moving," Jason said about starting at 6:30 a.m. as a master ohef.
"Every time you plate a you're creating something.
It's like creating a picture."
Mike Ezzo of Whitesboro, who owns Babe's Macaroni Bar and Grill and Carmella's Cafe, said he admires Jason Nole for using the best ingredients and techniques when he prepares dishes.
"He has been practicing authentic, old-world recipes you just don't find in this area," Ezzo said. "They do things the way they have to be done."
Nole's degree in culinary arts from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park taught him the cooking and
baking skills of a pro, but he also |
Jason Nole
learned tricks and traditions at a young age from family members.
The Noles' mother, Linda Knight of Utica, and their grandmothers, Antoinette Nole and Mary Carlesimo, all were excellent cooks, Jason said. Their father, businessman Arthur Nole of Utica, helped the brothers with the business side of Cafe CaNole when it opened in 1996.
The atmosphere of bistro and pastry shop is a mix of old-world Italian charm with modern, black furniture and espresso machines. Pictures of the Noles with family members and scenes of Italian-Americans from popular movies hang on the walls.
The Noles chose the decor because it provides "table talk," Jason said. A colossal oil painting of men enjoying a glass of wine around a table includes the faces of Frank Sinatra, Robert DeNiro, and Dean and Jason Nole.
Many of Jason's creations come from traveling to other American cities or Italy, then merging dishes he experienced with his own techniques. He loves cooking with meats and seafood, but prefers to keep ingredients simple. |
"I create layers of flavor," he said. "It's always constant thinking and constant creating."
"Two of them working together really complement each other. They're real gentlemen and very consistent.”
Ronald Cuccaro
— nominator
His inventive ability to change menus with the seasons is another feature that keeps patrons coming back. He is now working on a new menu for fall.
Adjusters International-President and CEO Ronald Cuccaro nominated Nole for the Accent on Excellence Award because of his creative ideas and the integrity he brings to the job.
"The two of them working together really complement each other," Cuccaro said of the brothers. He was also impressed by the Noles' generosity and their willingness to donate food and pastries to local events.
"They're real gentlemen and very consistent," he said.
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Before opening Cafe CaNole, Jason cooked and made
pastries and cakes at the former Donna Marie's
Restaurant in Frankfort, cooked at Lupino's
Trackside Tavern in Utica and at Olive's Restaurant
in Boston, Mass.
The Noles' decision to open a business in Utica
after working in different cities in the U.S. and
Italy was easy, because they had their family close
by. Still, Jason said he was a bit nervous at first
about venturing out on his own.
"It's amazing how things turned out," he said.
"There's more tradition here than in any other
city."
“We're very lucky, because at a young age we knew what we wanted to do?”
Dean Nole
co-owner, Cafe CaNole
Continued...
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