Ben Porter of Beachside Brawl describes herself as “a local Harwich, MA with a love of cuisine and hospitality!” About eight years ago, the chef and his wife founded their first restaurant, Viera on Main. He is also the owner of The Lanyard Bar and Grill. Ben Porter is one of four East Coast entrants who will compete against the West Coast team in the Beachside Brawl to show that the East Coast offers better cuisine. The program will premiere on Food Network on June 19, 2022 at 10 p.m. ET.
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Everything you need to know about Beachside Brawl contestant Ben Porter.
After years of working as a chef at several restaurants, including the Glass Onion in Falmouth and the Belfry Bistro in Sandwich, Porter founded his own restaurant Viera on Main in 2014, along with his wife Angela Porter, who runs the front-end. manages. Growing up on Cape Cod, Ben has been a scallop fisherman all his life. He attended Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.
The couple opened their eatery with the intention of serving their client’s fresh coastal cuisine. In 2014, Ben informed wickedlocal.com about their new venture:
“I believe there is a scarcity of restaurants where you can get a whole meal made from scratch with genuine attention to authenticity.”
Additionally,
“We believe we are doing everything we can to provide guests with an experience that is becoming more unusual at the Cape.” A restaurant for the general public with an eye for detail and high-quality cuisine, whether it be scallops, steak or fish & chips.”
Ben’s restaurant does not stock any processed or ready-to-eat foods. He buys vegetables and other things directly from local farmers as it is more cost effective and healthier. Bread and spaghetti are also prepared from scratch. Fresh clam chowder, Frito Misto, tuna crudo, creamy truffle goat cheese polenta to roast chicken, wood fired short rib ragu, fennel custard tuna and many more dishes are available. Angela had this to say about the menu:
“We wanted the kitchen to feel familiar and welcoming.”
Angela, like Ben, has tremendous expertise in this area. For nearly a decade, the East Carolina University student in Greenville, North Carolina, has worked at both the Ocean House and Clancy’s in Dennis Port. The couple was looking for a place where it wasn’t too crowded. Ben had this to say about the venue:
“We wanted a location with reasonable traffic but not too much crowds.” Route 28 was fantastic and other customers are already flocking to this place to eat. “I had a feeling we might find our niche here.”
Viera was only available for dinner when the couple originally opened it.
What brought Ben Porter and Angela together?
Ben Porter and Angela originally met in Harwich Kindergarten. Angela recalled their first meeting as follows:
“I think he was mad at me for a while for claiming I didn’t ask him to my fifth grade birthday party, but I believe I did and he didn’t attend.”
The two went on to create their profession after graduating from Harwich High in 1995. A few years later, they got back together at a friend’s wedding, and the rest is history. Ben is currently gearing up to appear on Beachside Brawl, which will air this Sunday on Food Network and Discover Plus. Check out Ben’s culinary skills at Beachside Brawl at 10 p.m. ET.
