For 17 years, John Reed led the team in the Fisherman’s Wharf kitchen. Two years ago, he left to open his own restaurant, Chives, in Damariscotta. This year, he decided to return to his second family in the kitchens of Fisherman’s as Executive Chef.

“Management wanted me back, and I wanted to come back,” Reed said. “I always loved it here and I work for great people.”

Instead of going to school to become a chef, Reed trained on the job for 20 years under Cliff Huskins. Huskins was the chef at the former Lawnmere Inn on Southport, which Reed's parents owned.

“He was very skilled,” Reed said. “He gave me an excellent grounding in the basics.”

Reed takes great pride in the menu at Fisherman’s Wharf. Many of the dishes on the menu are creations of his own, and everything in the kitchen is cooked from scratch.

“Nothing is bought or brought in from outside,” Reed said. “Everything is from scratch and I make all the sauces and desserts. Consistency is the more important thing in cooking.”

Some of Reed’s creations on the Fisherman’s Wharf dinner menu include sauteed sea scallops with lavender lime and champagne beurre blanc (a favorite of his wife, Nora Reed); charbroiled sirloin steak topped with melted Gorgonzola cheese and caramelized shallots; roasted pork tenderloin stuffed with brandied apricots topped with a honey-soy glaze; and a chicken breast sauteed with mushrooms, sliced apples, tarragon, dijon and apple cider.

When asked what his favorite dish on the menu is, Reed said, “It’s impossible to choose.”

Reed also has created several dessert menu items, including a layered chocolate cake made with Bailey’s Irish Cream and a loaded carrot cake, which has walnuts, coconut and pineapple.

Reed often helps out on breakfast and lunch, and is always on during dinner when the kitchen serves between 150 and 200 people.

In previous years, Reed has spent his winters up in Sugarloaf working at Bullwinkle's at Night, where each diner receives a six course meal costing $100. This year, he is not sure what the winter will bring.

“A skiing accident happened two years ago, and my wife knows if I go back to Sugarloaf I’ll be too tempted to ski again,” he said. “She’s the boss, so maybe this winter I’ll work at one of the other Lafayette Hotels. There should be more interaction between them and I’d like to help out.”

Lafayette Hotels in Boothbay Harbor include Fisherman’s Wharf, Tugboat Inn and the Boothbay Harbor Inn.

On June 16, Reed is looking forward to walking his oldest stepdaughter, Lorraine Reed, down the aisle. While he will be working at Fisherman’s on her wedding feast in the morning, he will leave the remainder of the work to the rest of the staff so he can fulfill his fatherly duties.

Katrina Clark can be reached at 207-633-4620 or katrinaclark@boothbayregister.com. Follow her on Twitter: @BBRegisterClark or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BBRegisterKatrinaClark.