What were your favorite foods growing up?
Certainly the huge Sunday lunch with my family, prepared by both grandmas early in the morning. I love homemade potato ravioli, Tuscan style, with ragout.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
It was during a math test at the University. I realized the only thing I love to do continuously is cooking.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
Helping my dad in his butcher shop on Saturdays when I was 16.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
I would have loved becoming a professional soccer player, but I guess I wasn't that good.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
I think what always drove me was the amazing quality of the ingredients I was always surrounded by. When you can go in the woods and pick up your own porcini mushroom, they really have a better taste.

How would you describe your cuisine?
My cooking is modern Italian, with Spanish and Argentinean influences.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Cumin. This spice is used in so many different cooking styles and yet is so particular.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
Respect the food you're cooking and if you are not proud of it, don't serve it.

What qualities do you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
He/she needs to love this job and have a real passion. I don't think I have ever met a cook that does this job because of the salary or for other reasons. To be on a hot line during a busy Saturday night shift you need to love it.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
For a 300 person wedding in midtown we did "cappon magro", an Italian dish, which consists of a variety of lobsters, shrimps, and oysters. Everything needs to be shucked and chilled and arranged on this bed (like a king size bed) of ice. I think I didn't want any shellfish for a whole week after that.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?
Dropping a whole tray of desserts while walking down the stairs, hurting my back a little, and having to do all the desserts again. This was a month ago.

What is your beverage of choice?
Red wine. I grew up surrounded by it and it still amazes me how some people just consider it a drink. It has life inside.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
More vegetarian and vegan customers need to be served, so the trend will be having more tasty combination of vegetables, prepared without milk, eggs, butter, etc.

Which foreign country inspires your style most?
Spain. Their products are amazing and now they're showing a lot of confidence in new techniques and more modern ways to prepare food.

What do you eat when you are home?
I love just to have pasta with whatever I find in the fridge. Sometimes I impress my wife and myself with unusual and crazy combinations.