What were your favorite foods growing up?
Homemade bread gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
When I was 13 years old, growing up in Alta Badia in the Dolomites region, one of the most interesting jobs was to work at the local ski resort, La Valle di Alta Badia. It was there that inspired me to want to cook professionally.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
I began my formal culinary training at the Istituto Alberghiero di Bressanone under the late Andreas Helrigl and later also studied with the pastry master Ewald Notter in Lucerne, Switzerland.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
I would go into farming — I have a real affinity for growing vegetables and tending animals.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
I had the great fortune to work with great chefs over the years in different countries. It has really shaped my style by seeing the different ways Italian food is prepared in different places.

How would you describe your cuisine (e.g. New American with Indian influences)?
Modern Northern Italian cuisine

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
The biggest influence is Mr. Armani's vision of simple elegance. He likes food simply made with high quality ingredients, which allows the true flavors to come through.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
I assume you mean tools! I absolutely must have good, sharp knives — that is really key.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
The most important thing to any successful dish is using products of the best quality and those that are naturally grown.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
Respect for ingredients.

What qualities do you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
I like to hire cooks who are passionate about learning.

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I'm eating at your restaurant, what should I order to eat?
We don't use butter in the pastas so there are many choices that are appropriate for those watching their weight. We also offer a good selection of salads and seafood — all light choices.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
I would have to say the most nerve-wracking meal was cooking for Bill and Hillary Clinton in their home at a private party.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?
Thank goodness I haven't had any problems in a restaurant that have reached disastrous proportions...yet!

What is your least favorite food?
Organ meats — liver, kidney and the like. Personally, I really detest them.

What is your beverage of choice?
A good Cabernet Sauvignon is always my beverage of choice.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
People don't want to dress up when they go out to dinner. There's a certain elegance to dining out that has diminished. There is also less interest in very heavy food, such as traditional French cooking.

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?
I like to check out my competitors, so on a day off, I am always eating at somewhere different around the city and not just Italian.

Which foreign country inspires your style most?
Italy, and in particular, northern Italy.

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
The most spectacular meal I ever had was at the Monte Carlo Ducasse restaurant.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Buy the best quality knives you can afford and also a good sauté pan. Don't settle for a cheap pan.

What do you eat when you are home?
When I'm home, I make a fast, simple pasta with olive oil and pepperocino. It always is delicious and satisfying!