Joe DaSilva has been out of the public eye and off the public plate recently, working as a private chef. But this season, he has returned to the Lambert’s Cove Inn.

When Joe DaSilva starts talking about his cooking career, little of it has to do with food. He talks about the people and conversations that start over a meal. Eating is an experience, he says, that doesn’t rely solely on the ingredients. Sometimes you just have to go back to the basics.