Hamptons: Italian Roots Brought to Sumter

Raffaele Dall’Erta spent his childhood foraging, cooking and eating in Lombardy and Parma, Italy, where he learned that good food comes from simple but purposefully treated ingredients. That experience led to a decades-long career as a chef in Italy, England and the United States—including multiple three-Michelin-star restaurants. As the executive chef at Hamptons, a fine dining restaurant in Sumter, South Carolina, Dall’Erta melds the culinary traditions of Italy and the American South to create a frequently rotating menu he hopes will excite and delight guests.

“When I came to the States, to see all this infusion of flavor, it made my job even more fun. Pretty much to this day, I’m like a kid in a candy store,” Dall’Erta says. His enthusiasm for the diversity of ingredients and techniques in America is clear in both his voice and his menu. Energized by this culinary melting pot, he aspires to prepare approachable, intriguing dishes that are plated in a delicate, natural manner and celebrate the potential of each individual ingredient—especially vegetables.