Mary
Dumont is a native of New Hampshire
and was raised in a family of restaurateurs. She grew up watching her parents
grow their businesses into great successes. After attending SimmonsCollege
in Boston for Literature, Mary followed a whim
and moved to San Francisco
at the age of 21. She immersed herself in the culture of food and dining and
knew it was her calling. After the sudden death of her mother, Mary knew that
the only way to succeed was to plan a serious course. She began working with
such culinary talents as Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco's Jardiniere, Laurent Manrique
of Campton Place
and Daniel Patterson of Elizabeth Daniel. Further honing her skills, she worked
at Blackbird in Chicago and then was called back
to California by Chef Manrique to be the
executive chef at Sonoma Saveurs in Sonoma,
Calif. Chef Manrique had become
Mary’s mentor and taught her the art of respecting the past and refining her
palate. Mary returned home to New England in 2005 and was the opening chef at
The Dunaway Restaurant in Portsmouth,
N.H., where she was honored by
Food and Wine magazine as a "Best New Chef" of 2006.In 2007, Mary became the executive chef of
Harvest in Cambridge, Mass.,
– a restaurant in the heart of Harvard
Square, near HarvardUniversity celebrating farm-to-fork New England cuisine long before it became the trend. Mary
has brought the food to a new level of creativity and innovation. Her secret
ingredient in the Harvest kitchen is not only all the local produce but all the
herbs she grows in her own kitchen garden
Mary's signature is her contemporary New England cuisine with classic French
inspiration; she likes to tell a story with the seasons. She is known for
having a keen respect for local farmers and fishermen, plus a passion for food
preservation, and creating intricate dishes with a skilled hand. Mary has long
been a proponent of children’s gardening programs and increasing the quality of
school lunches; she is planning her own farm dinner series with local farms and
friends to support sustainable farming in New England.
Mary is straightforward, honest and doesn't mince words with her humor or her
passion for food; she's been told the combination can be intimidating. In
addition to the multiple awards and accolades she has received, Mary is the
first chef from New Hampshire
ever to be honored in Food and Wine. She will compete in the 3rd season
of The Next Iron Chef, airing in October 3, 2010. Mary has competed on Iron
Chef America, as she battled Cat Cora in 2006.
