A native of Queens, New York, chef Nick Forlano was born into a family of restaurateurs. His mother owned a popular American-style restaurant in Delaware called the Eagle’s Nest, and Nick felt the pull of the kitchen early on. At 14 he became a dishwasher, after which he worked his way around the kitchen, quickly developing proficiency in prep work, line cooking, menu development, and meat and fish preparation.

At 24, after five years in the Air Force, Nick enrolled at the Restaurant School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1997. He took his first executive chef position in 1999 at The Gables, a contemporary fusion restaurant in southeastern Pennsylvania, stepping into the shoes of his mentor, chef Mark Eastman.

While at The Gables, Nick hired a line cook who later became his wife. Molly is a 1999 graduate of the hotel and restaurant curriculum at Sullivan University in Louisville. She majored in professional catering, culinary arts, and hotel-restaurant management and was the recipient of the Salute to Excellence Scholarship, awarded to the top two percent of hospitality students.

In 2000 Nick moved with Molly to Middleburg, Virginia, where he became chef of the Ashby Inn, a boutique bed-and-breakfast. With Nick at the helm the Ashby Inn was awarded a prestigious 25 (out of a possible 30) from the Zagat survey for its outstanding menu. Molly, an avid foxhunter and steeplechase rider, became manager and sommelier at the Lightfoot, an eclectic fine-dining restaurant in Leesburg. She earned the Lightfoot its first Wine Spectator award with her skillfully compiled and globally diverse wine list. Molly and Nick were married in 2004 and now live in Warrenton with their daughter, Lauren.

An epicurean venture that taps into years of combined culinary expertise, Forlano’s Market, with its hearth-baked breads, culinary instruction and catering, is the realization of a lifelong dream.