Extraordinary Chef
Ben Sutter CEC
By Maralyn D. Hill
Ledges has a café, whereas, The
flavors at 4- does that count? My
first serious interest was when
I took a job as a dishwasher when
I was 16, and then one day the salad
guy didn’t show up and it was like,
“Hey Ben, you wanna be a salad
guy?” That night, I got my first steak
as a thank you and I was hooked.
Settlers Inn is famous for its dining
room. In fact, it’s so famous, people
drive from Philadelphia and New York
on a regular basis to dine and spend
the night. After our eight course
pairing meal, we had a chance to
meet Chef Ben. In addition to our
interview, we convinced him to
share two recipes.
MDH: What was your family’s
reaction to your career choice?
Ben: This career has pretty much
destroyed any normal family
relationships. How many weddings
MDH: When did you start showing
an interest in cooking and how did
you get started?
Ben: I started mixing Kool-Aid
86
have you been to in your life? I’ve
been to one, my own. And I catered it.
MDH: Did you do an apprenticeship
or go to a culinary school? If so,
could you tell us about it?
Ben: I worked my way up. I’m a true
self-taught chef, because most of
the chefs I worked for couldn’t stand
me. But I always showed up for work,
I made the food correctly, so I kept
moving up the rungs. I’ve definitely
mellowed a lot, since running my own
kitchen. I’d probably be more patient
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SETTLERS INN
R
arely do I have the
opportunity to meet the chef
managing two properties,
The Settlers Inn and Ledges
Hotel, at the same time. The
Settlers Inn is a long time wellknown Inn in Hawley, Pennsylvania
and Ledges is a new contemporary
boutique hotel in a 1800s abandoned
glass factory. Just under a mile
apart, Chef Ben Sutter does an
exceptional job.