Scott LaChapelle
Pickerel | Providence, RI
SEPTEMBER 2023
Although Scott LaChapelle had been in the restaurant industry for some time, it was a life-changing trip to Japan that impacted his outlook on food. Working in pizza restaurants along the East Coast, in 2016 LaChapelle decided to take a trip to Japan with a friend. He stopped at a ramen shop in Kyoto where he tried his first hearty bowl of miso ramen. When he came back to the States, he found himself itching for another bowl, but no other ramen shop could compare. He began cooking ramen and experimenting with dinner parties out of his home, until he decided to take his ramen education more seriously. LaChapelle began commuting to New York from Rhode Island, working at Shimamoto Noodle under renowned ramen master Keizo Shimamoto, learning the intricacies of ramen making. He went on to join the team at Ramen Shack, working on the restaurant's wholesale noodle operation for the next two years, where he soon realized he could transform his hobby into a business.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, he started popping up with friend and bartender Spencer Smith while discussing the details of their own brick-and-mortar: an industry-focused spot offering creative, crushable drinks and traditional ramen. In 2022, LaChapelle and Smith opened Pickerel in Providence, Rhode Island. There, they serve Japanese ramen using local New England product, like their lamb tsukemen with curry oil, fried garlic, lamb meatballs, and a soft-boiled egg. With a smaller, more focused menu and meticulously constructed dishes, LaChapelle offers the hospitality community a spot to unwind, and hopes to mentor young chefs on the craft of ramen making.
2023 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Stars Award Winner
