What were your favorite foods growing up?

There wasn't any one thing but my favorite meal was our Sunday dinners. My mother and Grandmother made so much food for the whole family. The seasonal dishes were my education like spring lamb with artichokes and mentuccia (a delicate wild mint) and acacia blossoms fried. All the wild game from the area like wild boar, hare, deer, pheasant, quail the list is too long.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?

I was attracted to food and cooking from spending time watching my grandmother cook as a child but as a young adult I wanted to be in wine like my father. After wine school it was clear to me that I had more creative passion for the culinary arts and that my wine experience was a plus.

Where and when did your career in food begin?

My career really began when I came to the US. I was surrounded by some of the most creative young chefs and the challenge to surpass my self began.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?

A wine grower/maker.

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

There hasn't really been any single influence that changed or shaped my cooking style. I think it took me a few years to get to the place where I wanted to express myself on my own. I really just wanted to make my statement and be different.

How would you describe your cuisine?

I am not sure there is a definition as I am evolving and trying new things all the time. The basis is my Northern Italian cultural background that I value but I definetly think of it as my interpretation. Maybe it's the California injection that has me interested in trying to challenge tradition in a better way.

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?

Start with the food culture of Piemonte, recipes that have been around forever and add my imagination with the seasonal, sustainable ingredients that we find in California.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?

My paring knife. It's a Victorinox! (Switzerland)

What is your favorite secret ingredient?

Passion!

What was your worst restaurant disaster?

When I was in the middle of dinner service and the sprinklers & foam went off in the kitchen over the stove and all over the food. It was a malfunction and I had to start all over. People were waiting it was very tense.

What is your least favorite food?

I am curious about all foods but I really don't like the deep fryer.

What is your beverage of choice?

The list is too long but start with a Martini and go from there.

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?

I try to eat out on my days off to see what's going on around me but by the nature of my hours I mostly eat at home.

Which foreign country inspires your style most?

My own (Italy)!

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?

In Spain, in a farm house the owner prepared from what he grew and raised around him. It was very rustic but it was the most honest, flavorful meal I have ever had.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?

Salt your pasta water!! So many people hold back on the salt. Its better to flavor the pasta when you cook it than to add salt to your food.