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.

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