This past Wednesday, July 11, chef Grace Dinsmoor took on the role of Nico’s new executive chef. A week prior, when Dinsmoor decided to postpone plans for her own restaurant, Tom Schmidt, owner of Nico and Franco, was the first person she called. “I let him know that I was his,” Dinsmoor said. “Whatever he needed me to do, whatever restaurant he wanted me to continue to work in, I would do it.” Ever since Dinsmoor and Schmidt worked together in the early 2000s, the two have remained friends. “Being back together – it’s very exciting,” Dinsmoor said. “To see him come in, it brightens my day and vice versa.
Ever since Dinsmoor resigned as executive chef of Modesto five months ago, she has been working in the kitchens of both Nico and Franco. During the time she spent at Nico, Dinsmoor said she formed a great relationship with former chef Darin Since and realized that she related to Nico’s eclectic western Mediterranean fare. “I have a very strong passion for Spain, so it’s very easy for me to come in here and do some Spanish influence,” explained Dinsmoor, who added that she is looking forward to delivering more to Nico diners than just Spanish food. “I have been studying a lot since I left Modesto,” she said. “It’s been a great five months. I’m fine-tuning my skills, perfecting them and learning different things. I have been working under a lot of great chefs who have classic French training. For 10 years [at Modesto], I was in the Spanish box. I like to be in that box, but this is new and exciting for me because I can broaden and learn more.”
This article appears in July 2012.