WATERVILLE — Front & Main, the upscale flagship restaurant in the downtown Lockwood Hotel, has a new executive chef, the hotel announced this month.

Matthew Zita, a New Jersey native who has worked in restaurants from Oregon to Texas, started in November. He worked with interim chef Jon Lara for a month before taking full control of the kitchen over the holidays, which Zita said required him to be “focused on maintaining operations.”

Now, though, he said he has begun to implement his vision for the fine dining restaurant, featuring a new seasonal menu system.

Matthew Zita Photo courtesy of Lockwood Hotel

“I’ve been fortunate to always work in restaurants with seasonal menus, and I can’t imagine cooking the same dishes year-round,” Zita said in an email. “In fact, if I could change the menu more than four times a year, I would! I’m constantly thinking about new ways to plate dishes or reimagine flavor combinations, and I hope our guests enjoy the excitement of a fresh, evolving menu as much as I do.”

Zita’s cooking background, he said, has been rooted primarily in Italian cuisine, having grown up learning Italian recipes from his grandparents. He said he also draws inspiration from French and Asian culinary traditions and plans to incorporate them into the rotating menus.

Zita managed the opening of three restaurants at New York’s Hudson Yards, led several others in Dallas and has expanded a plant-based restaurant group across the country. He said it was the enthusiasm of the restaurant staff and the support system that enticed him to choose the job at Front & Main in Waterville.

“My first priority is observing — watching how the team works together and understanding the daily rhythms of the kitchen,” he said. “It’s been great to have staff members come up to me in these early weeks, eager to collaborate on specials and ask about my background. That level of curiosity and engagement is exciting to see.”

Front & Main’s hours — along with Zita’s seasonal menus — can be found on its website.

— Ethan Horton, Kennebec Journal