JAMES WAYMAN
James Wayman is Executive Chef and partner of Nana’s Bakery and Pizza, Grass & Bone Butcher Shop & Table in Mystic, CT, and a founding partner and creative director of Moromi Shoyu, a small batch fermentation company specializing in the production of koji, shoyu and miso using traditional methods. On his grandfather’s farm just outside of Greensboro, North Carolina, where he spent his childhood, James discovered his appreciation for the taste of farm grown food and his deep appreciation for the natural world. He was introduced to New England coastal cuisine while studying at Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island. Upon graduating, he was the long-time chef at Water Street Café in the historic Connecticut fishing village of Stonington. There, James cooked a menu that changed daily, with a focus on clean, simple flavors honoring the ingredients of the New England coastline. He then took the Executive Chef position at The River Tavern in Chester, CT, working alongside chef-owner Jonathan Rapp. Following his tenure in Chester, he became Executive Chef at Oyster Club in Mystic, Connecticut, a seaside town offering some of the finest bounty from farm and sea. With a focus on cooking with local ingredients, James’ cooking style is heavily influenced by other cultures and his travels through Europe, Thailand and Mexico. At Nana’s, he uses organic, naturally leavened dough for the pizza, which received accolades from Forbes and Food & Wine as among the best pizzas in the country. James also has been featured in Travel + Leisure, Saveur, The New York Times, and was named Best Chef by the Connecticut Restaurant Association. Nowadays, when not at the restaurants you’ll find James fishing and foraging for wild plants and mushrooms. At home he gardens, cooks over a wood fire and takes care of his brood of beloved chickens. Outside of the kitchen, James devotes himself to meditation and traditional Japanese martial arts.
AARON LAIPPLY
Aaron Laipply is a managing partner of LA Playground Food Workers based in Mystic, CT. LA Playground encompasses notable restaurants and eateries such as Grass & Bone Butcher Shop & Table, Nana’s Bakery & Pizza. Born in Brighton, Colorado, Aaron began his professional career working hospitality at the La Estrellita, a family operated three generations old Mexican restaurant. There, Aaron fell in love with restaurant work and also green chili. Aaron left Colorado to study photography at the University of Hawai’i in Manoa. After graduating, Aaron left Hawai’i to pursue his passion for hospitality in New York City. Aaron managed the Café and the La Bottega restaurant in the Maritime Hotel before taking a job as the General Manager of Hiro Ballroom, an expansive subterranean night club below. Aaron moved to New England in 2012 and started by creating the bar program, and then worked his way up to General Manager of Engine Room, an American bourbon and burger bar that was featured in the New York Times. In 2017 Aaron opened up Grass & Bone, a neighborhood whole animal butcher shop and restaurant recognized by Bloomberg News as one of the best butcher shops in the country. Aaron and his business partner James Wayman opened up Nana’s Bakery & Pizza in 2020. In November 2021 Nana’s was named one of America’s best new restaurants by Esquire Magazine.
DAVE VACCA
Dave has been working in kitchens for almost 20 years and within the last few has tapped into his love of bread and baked goods. It all began when he was 16 and his mother told him to go get a job. He walked across the street and got to work bussing tables. It didn’t take long for the Chef to got him into the kitchen to flip pancakes and put home fries on plates. Before long Dave was going in early to sit on the table and listen to stories from the owner, Stan, while he made the bread for the day. The way Stan loved the breads inspired Dave right away. Eventually Dave was cooking breakfast and making the breads. Dave was moved from breads to savory and spent years honing that craft. Those years gave Dave a different perspective on flavor combinations and the food system as a whole. He is a staunch believer in local and naturally raised grains, vegetables and animals. His belief is to buy food from people who we know and trust. Now a family man with two beautiful children and a wife willing to put up with the crazy schedule that goes along with baking, Dave’s passion is sourdough breads and baking using local, sustainable grains and vegetables. He has been lucky enough to team up with two amazing business partners James Wayman and Aaron Laipply who share his passions and goals.