As a youngster, Executive Chef Christopher Bassett had a passion for food sparked no doubt by his mother and grandmother, who he often joined in the kitchen as they experimented with the creation of worldly cuisine. But he always wanted to be an artist, so much so that he even went to school to study graphic design. Along the way, Bassett, now 37, realized that his cooking was artistic. He immediately enrolled at the New England Culinary Institute, and he hasn’t looked back since. “It’s all I’ve ever done,” he says of his cooking.

He followed his wife, Lisa, a native Mainer, back to her home state. After stints at the Black Point Inn, the Tides Inn by the Sea, the Harraseeket Inn and the Old Port Sea Grille and Raw Bar, he landed at Freeport’s Azure Café, an intimate eatery that prides itself on offering a taste of Italy on the coast of Maine. His position as Executive Chef at Azure is one Basset and restaurant owner Jonas Werner, as well as the Café’s customers, expect to be a long-lasting one. “I am here for life,” Bassett says. “We’re already talking about retirement plans.”

The Café is a good fit for Bassett. “I love throwing a party every night and that’s what it feels like,” he explains. “We have a loyal following of locals, so it is almost like having friends over to your home for dinner.” He is also active, through Azure Café, with a variety of community service projects. For example, on Thanksgiving the restaurant goes all-out to put on a massive feast for area needy and also aids in fundraisers for the Freeport Merchants Association, Rippleffect of Portland and Wolfe’s Neck Farm, among others. His culinary expertise has landed Azure Café glowing reviews in Downeast Magazine, Yankee Magazine, The Maine Switch and The Maine Sunday Telegram.