Newport Restaurant Group Promotes Chef to Restaurant Director

A world-class chef who has been working as the executive chef at Castle Hill Inn for the past five years has been promoted to director of restaurants for Newport Restaurant Group.

Chef Karsten Hart will now oversee the entire culinary operation for the restaurant group, which is operated by Newport Harbor Corporation, an employee-owned corporation with a stable of some of the top restaurants in the area including The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar, 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grille and, Smoke House and The Mooring in Newport; Waterman Grille and Hemenway’s in Providence; The Boat House in Tiverton and Trio in Narragansett. 

Hart has been in charge at Castle Hill Inn, the group’s Relais & Châteaux property, for five years and six seasons and “was pivotal in bestowing guests with a world class culinary experience showcasing international culinary techniques and local ingredients from the New England bounty,” according to a Thursday news release.

Hart is one of just 20 chefs in the country with the “Grand Chef” designation and he will have a full plate as director of restaurants. In addition to executing a culinary strategy that “dually enhances the guest and staff experience,” he’ll bring his understanding of techniques from around the world ”to a new caliber of authentic cuisine that tells a story and has a distinct sense of time and place.”

“To see my time with Newport Restaurant Group culminate in being appointed to director of restaurants is both personally and professionally rewarding,” Hart said. “Through the years, we have celebrated a love of food that not only transcends the guest experience but also fosters a meaningful culture for our team. Those are two of the key ingredients to Newport Restaurant Group’s success and I look forward to continuing to move the needle for our patrons and staff.”

Along with designing menus, creating new dishes and the myriad tasks associated with running a restaurant empire, Hart said he believes his leadership role implies a responsibility to mentor as well.

The company prides itself on cultivating talent from within and Hart said he believes that the best way to repay his mentors is to “provide endless and integral development opportunities to his team.”

For more information on Newport Harbor Corporation, visit www.newportharbor.com. For more information about Newport Restaurant Group, visit www.newportrestaurantgroup.com.