Signature dish:
Corn Agnolotti, Tomato, BasilMy passion for food and cooking began at an early age. I grew up in a Sicilian home in the Hudson Valley in New York and family field trips to NYC’s Chinatown, Fish Markets and Union Square Farmer’s Market quickly hooked me to the wide world of food. I attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, in 1993. While at the CIA, I worked with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who at the time had two restaurants, JoJo and Vong. In 1998, I returned to working with Vongerichten, working my way up the ranks of Jean Georges, the chef’s Michelin three-star restaurant in the Trump International Hotel and Tower. In 2001, at only 26, I became the famed restaurant’s Executive Chef.
In 2004, after working in New York City’s best restaurants for 14 years, I left the East Coast and headed to Southern California, where I opened Jack’s La Jolla as Executive Chef/Partner. Jack’s quickly made it onto the map, winning Mobil stars, among other accolades. In 2009, I became the Executive Chef at Viceroy Santa Monica and corporate chef for Viceroy Hotel Group. I’ve spent the past 10 years working as a private chef in homes all over the Los Angeles area.
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This meal was absolute perfection! Tony and his server Justin could not have been easier to work with or more of a pleasure to have around. The food, at every step, was exquisite. Elevated, thoughtful, sophisticated, while managing to please both adults and kids (we had a 12- and a 16-year old at the table). Complete perfection at every bite. Leading up to the meal, Tony was easy to reach and eager to provide guidance. He and Justin arrived an hour and a half prior to our guests, and everything worked like clockwork. They were resourceful, easy going, and extremely professional. The house smelled divine, and the food lived up to every promise, from the first hors d'oeuvre all the way to the dessert. Service was impeccable. We had a table made of well-travelled diners with sophisticated pallets (speaking of the adults, that is), who all continued to rave about our meal long after dinner was over. Now I just need to come up with something new worth celebrating so we could bring them back…