Alain Allegretti

Expert Interview: Alain Allegretti

Chef, Allegretti

What were your favorite foods growing up?
My favorite dishes as a child were my grandma's homemade pasta or any hardy dish.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
I decided that I wanted to become a chef around the age of 8. I grew up on a farm in Nice and I became inspired by the spirit of food while helping my grandmother prepare meals for the family.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
My career in food began at Le Chantecler Restaurant in the famous Hôtel Négresco in Nice, France.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
I would be a professional football (soccer) player!

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
Jacques Maximin

How would you describe your cuisine (e.g. New American with Indian influences)?
I would describe my cuisine as being "Elaborated Provencal."

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
The main influences for my menu come from the French Rivera, Italy and Spain.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Love and Passion!

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
I try to instill the respect for the chef and for the food, and to work properly in the kitchen.

What qualities do you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
The number one quality they must have is a passion for food.

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I'm eating at your restaurant, what should I order to eat?
You would most likely be able to order anything off of Allegretti's menu. All of my dishes use the freshest ingredients including seasonal vegetables and fish. I use a lot of olive oil and I hardly ever cook with butter.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
The most challenging meal I have ever made was for President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush. I felt it was the most challenging because there was a pressure for perfection -- I was cooking for the most powerful people in the United States! If something went wrong with the meal, I would be directly responsible. I wanted to make sure they had the best meal possible.

What is your beverage of choice?
Red wine and Champagne.

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?
You can usually find me eating at places around my neighborhood in Tribeca.

Which foreign country inspires your style most?
Italy

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
The two most spectacular meals I ever had were at Eleven Madison Park and French Laundry.

What do you eat when you are home?
It usually depends on my appetite and mood -- I like a variety of foods!

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Expert Profile

Alain Allegretti hails from a prominent culinary background developed in kitchens across France and the United States. His cooking style pairs cultural influences from his home city of Nice with the guidance culled from famed chefs including Jacques Maximin and Alain Ducasse. He opened Allegretti, his first restaurant, in New York City on August 11, 2008, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Previously the Executive Chef at the New York Ritz-Carlton's highly acclaimed restaurant, Atelier, Allegretti was instrumental in aiding the restaurant to achieve multi-star reviews by prominent publications. Allegretti honed his culinary skills at several Michelin star rated restaurants including the two-star Restaurant Le Chantecler at Hotel Negresco in Nice, where Jacques Maximin served as his mentor, three-star rated Chez Chapel in Mionnay and three-star rated Restaurant Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo, under Alain Ducasse. Allegretti arrived on the New York restaurant scene in 2001 as Co-Executive Chef at Sirio Maccioni's Le Cirque 2000. Discovering all that New York has to offer while working in highly esteemed kitchens, Allegretti enjoys sharing his craft and culture with the city's most discerning palates.

Raised in the Provençe region of the South of France, surrounded by the Alps and the bountiful vegetables and livestock at his family's farm, Allegretti learned to tend animals and gather fresh produce at a young age. While working on the farm as a boy, he realized his calling and began to help his grandmother prepare homemade dishes such as various rago�ts; fresh pasta, sauces and prosciutto; as well as press olive oil and make wine.

"I am proud to have learned from all of the chefs I have worked with and instilled lessons from each," says Allegretti. "Cooking with my grandmother taught me the importance of using the best seasonal ingredients and allowing their natural flavors to shine. From Jacques Maximin, I learned to be flexible with ingredients and to respect the product. From Alain Chapel, I learned a more precise and upscale style of cooking. And from Alain Ducasse, I learned that the smallest details in the entire dining experience make the difference between a good restaurant and a great restaurant. I've taken the best of what I've learned from all of them and incorporated it into my philosophy and technique."

Allegretti's strong cultural and culinary background has been finely tuned by a wealth of experience in several notable kitchens. His cooking style reflects fond memories from his childhood and brings diners an authentic and refreshing experience of the French Riviera right here in New York.