What were your favorite foods growing up?
I loved cold cuts: salami, prosciutto, and more.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
When I realized that I can cook and get paid to do it!

Where and when did your career in food begin?
It began in Rome, back in 1990.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
A contracted killer for the Mafia. Just kidding! I was actually a psychology major, though I didn't finish school. I did want to work with little children and handicapped kids with Down Syndrome.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
The women in my family. When I was younger my mother was a doctor and she didn't come home until late, so my older sister did the cooking. My grandmother would also make incredible food like fried dough with tomatoes, risotto, meatballs, or braciolone with artichokes.

How would you describe your cuisine?
Basic home cooking.

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
Home cooking. I can't make anything fancy, but can make plain pasta perfectly. I cook with just my eyes and my hands. I can make pizza; I'm a pizza guy, not a pizza chef. Only in the U.S. does a pizza chef exist. In Italy, we're pizza guys.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
A knife and a pizza pala.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Bacon and Italian smoked provola, but I'll use anything in season. You can get bored of the same pizza so you can spice it up with different ingredients.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
Always be hard working.

What qualities do you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
I always look for people with a good attitude and willingness to work, and also with a little experience.

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I'm eating at your restaurant, what am I ordering to eat?
Soup and salad. I have a big belly so I'm not so good with diets, but I like soups and salads. Back to my grandmother, she used to make a salad with fennel, celery, carrots, olive oil and lemon: simple. I also like fish with artichokes, Parmesan, cream, and white mushrooms with a lemon vinaigrette.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
The first time I cooked my pizza for my father, he's very critical. I was trying to impress him and I was nervous because I cared about his opinion.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?
One busy summer in Sardegna. It was the first time I had to work alone. Customers had to wait one and a half hours for a pizza!

What is your least favorite food?
Cauliflower and broccoli

What is your beverage of choice?
Tequila Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
A lot of tapas!

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

Which foreign country inspires your style most?
Japan. I like the fresh fish and the simplicity of Japanese cuisine.

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
It was at a fish restaurant one hour outside of Rome, called Romolo. It was fresh, simple, and the best.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Be hungry!

What do you eat when you are home?
Mainly fish.