Chef Michael White on Cooking Italian Cuisine at Atlantis Paradise Island

In 2023, Atlantis Paradise Island, which comprises five hotels and a 154-acre waterpark, celebrated 25 years of welcoming guests to the Bahamas. A multimillion-dollar renovation took place in honor of the resort’s milestone, resulting in a full refurbishment of The Royal’s towers, a reimagined Atlantis Casino and the debut of brand-new restaurant, Paranza, helmed by renowned chef Michael White.

While the resort is home to dozens of dining options, Atlantis is particularly proud of its upscale restaurants — and now, it’s the only resort in the region to boast three Michelin star-rated chefs: White of Paranza, Nobu Matsuhisa of Nobu and Jose Andres of Fish by Jose Andres. 

As the newest member of that culinary trio, White spoke with us about Paranza, and how he’s letting Bahamian influences inform his Italian cooking. 

Paranza celebrated its grand opening last fall. How are things going now that you’re a few months in?

I like to say that restaurants are like children — except that children grow up, while restaurants do not. You have to keep watering and nurturing them; it’s a job where I can always be doing something. 

We are really enjoying the work at Paranza. There’s a bit of a learning curve around ordering and getting things we need to the destination. But our staff is excited about cooking — we’ve got locals on the team, and folks from Italy and Dubai that I’ve worked with. We’re teaching them a trade, and passing down the knowledge. So, any challenge is also rewarding.

You’ve focused on Italian cuisine for decades. What initially drew you to it?

Its simplicity is a big part of it. Also, when I was growing up — outside of Chicago, in Wisconsin — there was great Italian food of American origin near us, and going out to dinner meant Italian cuisine. Then, since there was a heavy Sicilian population there, that’s what we ate on special occasions: Italian American food that was Sicilian-based. That’s how it started.

Imagine this kid from Wisconsin, tasting new flavors and shaving white truffles on a mandolin — they were like $600 a pound. It was eye-opening.

Then, I got the opportunity to work at Spiaggia [in Chicago] in 1991, for chef Paul Bartolotta. That’s when everything changed for me. We were cooking with porcini mushrooms, we were making this green sauce called ‘pesto,’ and we were whipping risotto with a wooden spoon. Sob imagine this kid from Wisconsin, tasting new flavors and shaving white truffles on a mandolin — they were like $600 a pound. It was eye-opening, and from that point on, I dove into Italian cooking.

After having trained and worked throughout Italy, in France and in New York, what is it like to make Italian food in the Bahamas?  

We’re very, very fortunate to get incredible ingredients here. We work with local fishermen who spearfish strawberry grouper, and that fresh catch is really a chef’s dream. And the conch here are amazing, too. In America, people may know of conch just as the canned version, eaten at Christmas time — it’s okay, but it's nothing like fresh sliced conch, which we often use in a crudo. We’re having fun with it.

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What else should guests try, and what else should travel advisors know?

We make all the pasta on the premises. Let’s take something as simple as a spaghetti al pomodoro — we do it with San Marzano tomatoes and some lightly toasted garlic — so people are getting a quality dish with quality ingredients, even if it sounds simple. It’s a lot of fun when a table orders another spaghetti right behind their first order, because everyone’s sharing, and [felt that] it was such a great dish. People think they know spaghetti al pomodoro, until they have one “fatto bene,” (well-made) and then it’s a whole different story.

Then, we have everything else. Our crudos, made with whatever Mr. Brown (the fisherman) brings, are wonderful. Mr. Brown fishes for Jean-Georges, as well. I’m hoping to get the local fishermen to dive for urchins, too, because there are so many here. We’ve also got some local micro-growers we’re working with for greens and herbs. Then, looking ahead, we’re preparing for the Wine and Food Festival; we’ll be getting things dialed up for that and a busy spring.

What are you loving about being in the Bahamas more? And what does an off afternoon look like for you?

The water here is just incredible and super blue, so I love that. I get up early most days and go for a walk — I’ll do a hot lap  around the whole facility with my headphones on. Then it’s often breakfast with the team, and we’ll talk about what we’re working on. If we have true time off, we’re doing something local. We’re going to McKenzie’s for conch, or we might eat at Nobu. And I have to mention Silan by Alon Shaya, which just opened and who I’m a huge fan of. Silan is in The Royal, and it is fantastic Middle Eastern and Israeli food. There’s such a wide variety [of dining options] here now, and the program is only building. I’m lucky to be one of the new folks here after COVID-19, and that we have this outdoor veranda, or terrace, that overlooks the property — it’s a perfect time to eat outside.

Twenty-five years of Atlantis is a reason to celebrate. How does it feel to be on the property right now?

Becoming part of the culinary landscape here is simply the opportunity of a lifetime. Twenty-five years is a big milestone, yes, and that’s why I’m at the resort every month. I’m invested, and I’m working with the teams at Atlantis to make sure it’s all rising forward.

We know people are very interested in food, wherever it is that they travel. They want better quality [cuisine], and it's exciting to be a part of that movement here. And we’ll be opening for brunch soon, because we know people are looking for that experience. So, keep your eye on us — there’s a lot going on at Atlantis.