Nick Unangst

SERG Restaurant Group | Hilton Head, SC

Get to know Chef Nick

38 years ago, Nick Unangst took a side job as a cook in an Italian restaurant in St. Louis to help pay his way through college. By his senior year he quit school, realising he was already doing what would become his life’s work. With a breadth of talent across many cuisines, Chef Nick enjoys Italian and Mediterranean dishes best, where flavours allow the quality of ingredients to really shine.

A Sterling Silver Signature Chef for seven years, Chef Nick is the corporate chef for SERG Restaurant Group, overseeing the menus and kitchens of eight of the group’s 17 eateries.

Meat on a plate with veggies and garnish
Image from Chef Nick’s culinary portfolio
Steak and asparagus with a glass of red wine
Image from Chef Nick’s culinary portfolio
I’m inspired by talking about, eating and exploring other cultures’ cuisines. It could be a microculture within a country, or any other world culture that I may be lucky enough to run into.
Music Note
Kitchen Tunes
“When I’m working, I listen to Carlos Santana, Southern rock, Marshall Tucker Band, Outlaws, Lynard Skynard, Almann Brothers.”

Favorite Cut

From Sterling Silver
“I really like working with a sirloin flap. There are so many ways to add global flavours. It really fits any cuisine!”

What does “modern steakhouse” mean to you?

“A modern steak to me means that there is a nod to tradition, but you’re not pigeonholed by it. A modern steakhouse should look at the non-traditional cuts of beef offering a flavourful alternative. Non-traditional cooking techniques should also be explored as well as the use of global flavours to further carry a modern view point.”
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