Personal Bio
Born in the Bronx near Arthur Ave, I was raised in a proud Italian-American family where culture, faith, and food were everything—and the kitchen table was the heart of the home. In the late 60s, we moved to Rockland, bringing my widowed grandmother Jennie with us. She became a major influence in my life, teaching me her simple, organic philosophy: “Ala Naturale.”A Sicilian cook at heart, she filled our house with the aromas of basil, garlic, and slow-cooked sauces. She could turn humble “peasant” ingredients—vegetables, legumes, pasta, and a light tomato sauce—into unforgettable meals. My favorite memories are Sundays: the simmering gravy with meatballs, sausage, brasciole, and pizzaiola, and my special breakfast—a fried meatball sandwich before the pot was finished.She passed when I was twenty, but her legacy lives on through my mother and our Sunday family meals—where one bite can bring it all back.
My Career
My culinary journey began as a freshman in high school when I landed my first job in an Italian restaurant. During those same years, I also worked as a groundskeeper for a wealthy family in Rockland County. The family’s patriarch, Mr. Hornick, loved French cuisine—and once he learned I had a passion for cooking, he quite literally replaced my rake with a Strip Bass and a fish poacher. From that point on, I became the family’s part-time private chef throughout high school and culinary college. After culinary school, Mr. Hornick introduced me to Chef Jean-Jacques Rachou of La Côte Basque—one of the most celebrated French restaurants in the United States. I started as a saucier at his restaurant Café La Lavandou and trained under Jacques Demour, who later became executive chef of Lutèce. Driven to learn, I spent my off-hours assisting the evening chefs at La Côte Basque, where the talent in those kitchens became my real compensation. From there, I was recruited by Chef Michael Romano to La Caravelle as a poissonier, adding another “top-tier” classical French house to my education. I also cooked at the Marriott Marquis in J.W.’s gourmet restaurant, where I learned how to elevate quality and execution at a larger scale. Around 1990, I transitioned into corporate dining as an executive chef for a major IBM facility in northern New Jersey, responsible for executive dining rooms as well as an 1,800-seat cafeteria. After IBM’s campus closed, I continued as an executive chef at UPS. Around 2000, fascinated by the tech world—and with corporate food services in decline—I shifted into technology while never letting go of my culinary roots. I continued catering, helping with a deli business, and turning my home into an Italian/French bistro on weekends. In recent years, my desire to teach and mentor brought me into culinary instruction—sharing decades of experience with future professionals and passionate home “bistro builders” alike.
