Hello Wilmington. I look forward to sharing my decades of experience with you through teaching, good times and great food. I want to share my past with you for you to understand who I am and how I got to be. So, sit back, pour a glass of wine, beer, coffee or whatever you like and enjoy the ride.

My love for food began at a very young age. Being of Sicilian descent, I spent many summers in my grandmother’s garden and kitchen. Helping her pick fresh herbs and vegetables to stirring sauces, rolling meatballs, breading eggplant and of course taste testing her amazing food.

I began my career in food service at the age of 12 in a friend’s family-owned restaurant in Woodstock NY. It was the early 80’s, in the Hudson Valley and next to the Woodstock Playhouse. It was the gathering place for great performances and great food at the gateway to Woodstock. It was the place to be and be seen. The staff buzzing around, the excitement of meal service, the smells and sounds of a busy kitchen…I was hooked from the start.

I applied at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park NY in 1991. At that time students weren’t just enrolled, they had to be accepted. Through my experience, my passion for food and a genuine desire to be a chef I was accepted. While putting myself through school I was also working at America’s oldest Inn, The Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck NY. I worked under Larry Forgione, who really is one of the first celebrity chefs, has been called the ‘Godfather of American Cuisine’ and truly one of the best chefs I’ve worked for. I met Wolfgang Puck at Beekman Arms one afternoon following a recording of The Today Show and with Chef Forgione’s help, I secured an externship training alongside Wolfgang Puck at his first and most famous restaurant, Spago, in West Hollywood. This was the best experience ever. Not only did I learn invaluable techniques, but also the importance of using high quality, wholesome, local, organic products simply prepared to allow the ingredients to be the focus. We made everything from scratch, everything. There has yet to be a restaurant that I’ve stepped foot in of this caliber. I loved going to work every day for the shear excitement of cooking the most amazing food and working with the best ingredients. It didn’t hurt our clientele was actors, musicians, comedians, sports stars and everybody in between either. After all it was the Sunset Strip, Hollywood.

Following graduation from The Culinary Institute of America I worked in New York and Connecticut for some time. I gained a lot of hands-on experience working with some great chefs honing my skills in all aspects of food service, even opening a sushi bar.

Fast forward to today and how I came to North Carolina. I can honestly say I was looking for a change of scenery, and less snow and ice. I’ve held numerous jobs here in Wilmington from French bistro to rolling sushi, breakfast, catering, country club and even corporate chef. I most recently opened from scratch an Italian restaurant with the best Neapolitan pizza you’ll find in the county.

I decided recently to make the transition out of the daily grind of the commercial kitchen and into your home. I excel at intimate, fine dining food and am looking forward to giving you the experience of a 5-star rated meal, without leaving the comfort of your own home. I’m wholly devoted to preparing uncomplicated food allowing the quality and care in the preparation of the ingredients to show through in the dish.