Print
Restaurants

Wilmington Convention Center Hires New Executive Chef

By Jessica Maurer, posted May 24, 2017
Don Vilain is the new executive chef at the Wilmington Convention Center. (Photo courtesy of the Wilmington Convention Center)
Elaine Tricarico, sales and marketing manager for the Wilmington Convention Center, recently announced the arrival of the center's new executive chef, Don Vilain.
 
Vilain, a graduate of the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh, has been in the culinary industry for the past 24 years.
 
“We are so excited to have chef Don join our team as our new executive chef,” said Scott Frazzetta, director of food and beverage for WCC. Frazzetta held the position previously, but has been transitioning to the role of food and beverage director for the past couple of years.
 
“I think chef Don’s creative culinary vision and large-scale fine dining experience make him the perfect chef for the Wilmington Convention Center,” Frazzetta said.
 
Much of Vilain’s early career was spent in North Carolina, including positions at the resorts of Pinehurst and several Wilmington area restaurants, including Jack Mackerel’s Island Grill in Kure Beach. He was the People’s Choice Award winner at the Pleasure Island Chowder Cook-Off in 2007 and 2008 and won the same honor for Best Entrée at the 2004 March of Dimes chef auction in Wilmington.

Vilain departed from North Carolina four years ago to take a position with the Sand Bar & Grille on Martha’s Vineyard followed by a move back to his hometown of Clarksburg, West Virginia, where he was the executive chef of the Bridgeport Conference Center and corporate chef for Charles Pointe Hospitality.

But throughout that time, Vilain longed to come back to Wilmington, feeling that it was the best place to raise his family.

“I’m thrilled to be back in Wilmington and this position offers me the stability and quality of life that I am looking for at this point in my career,” Vilain said.

Vilain said his influences are wide-ranging, including Caribbean, Australian, Italian, and naturally, the cuisine of the coastal Carolinas. He recently finished a new banquet menu for WCC and said he enjoys sitting down with clients to plan personalized menus for events.

“That is my chance to be creative and incorporate seasonal ingredients into the menus,” Vilain said.

The Wilmington Convention Center is owned by the city of Wilmington and managed by SMG, a Philadelphia-based public facility management company that works with more than 230 venues worldwide.

Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email [email protected].

Story On The Map

Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Headshots march websized 2

Is Your Commercial Roof Ready for April Showers?

David Grandey - Highland Roofing Company
2022052 75 142344351

Bridging Futures: The Case for Toll Funding in Wilmington’s Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Revamp

Natalie English - Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
Dave sweyer 300 x 300

Insights into the 2023 Leasing Market in Wilmington, NC: What You Need to Know

Dave Sweyer - Sweyer Property Management

Trending News

Conservation Group Signs $8M Deal To Buy The Point On Topsail Island

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

National Organization Bestows Top Award On Cape Fear Professional Women In Building

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

Engineering Firm Hires Four Employees

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

N.C. Ports Officials React To Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

NCino's Fourth-quarter Earnings Signal Rebound From Liquidity Crisis

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 27, 2024

In The Current Issue

Q&A: Andrews Reflects On Leadership

Pender County Manager David Andrews is slated to retire this summer after 33 years in local government....


Park Progress

The planning for Pender Commerce Park began in the early 2000s when the county wanted to create an economic driver on its largely rural west...


Expanding Tastes On Castle Street

As John Willse and Beth Guertin, owners of Wilmington Wine bottle shop and now the recently opened Creative Tastings restaurant on Castle St...

Book On Business

The 2024 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2023 Power Breakfast: Major Developments