What were your favorite foods growing up?
Veal Milanese sandwiches, skirt steak, Panqueques de Dulce de Leche.

When did you decide you wanted to open a restaurant? When I felt I really knew what people would want in this climate. I wanted to create will be a modern take on a classic idea: the local restaurant. I envisioned the bar and restaurant as a neighborhood hangout that would transition from casual dining to an after dinner destination.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
My first real restaurant experience was at Windows on the World in the World Trade Center. That is when I knew I wanted to be in the industry. I had worked other places but that is when it dawned on me that I would do this for the rest of my life.

If you didn't become a restaurant owner, what would you be?
It is hard to think of any other career that would suit me considering how passionate I am about the restaurant industry.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
My father and my grandfather who were both from Argentina.

How would you describe your cuisine?
Alma33 is an Argentinian restaurant with influences from Italy and Spain. We serve classic Argentine dishes with a modern twist. The food boasts quality, comfort and value. High quality meats, freshly caught seafood, and organically grown produce are standard fare.

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
The menu combines the Argentine classic dishes I grew up with with the Italian dishes our chef, Enrico Primarti, grew up with. It is also influenced by my travels through Spain.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
The smoking gun. We use it for our Salmon and Beef Tartar and our Rosemary Smoked Skirt Steak.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
I keep a sign that says "keep calm and carry on" in the kitchen and I think that says it all.

What qualities do you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
People with passion and who want to learn and be the best.

If I am trying to watch my weight and I am eating at your restaurant, what am I ordering to eat?
You might opt for the apple smoked salmon tartar with fennel and avocado or the branzino with a red pepper puree, dandelion greens and grapefruit segments. We also serve grilled broccoli rabe, haricot vert with raisins and slivered almonds and trumpet mushrooms. A piece of rosemary-smoked skirt steak also would be a good option.

What is your beverage of choice?
Bourbon.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
Smoking foods.

Which foreign country inspires your style most? Argentina, Spain and Italy.

What do you eat when you are home?
I like to make Veal Milanese with arugula salad for dinner, eat it with a fried egg (a caballo) for breakfast and on bread for lunch.