Going to Puglia

Michelin star chef Luigi Fineo

Born and raised in Southern Italy in a  small town in Puglia, Fineo graduated from the Italian Culinary Institute I.P.S.S.A.R.T in Bari, Italy.  Fineo’s early culinary career spanned Italy from south to north as sous chef at Beccofino Ristorante in Florence and Michelin-starred restaurant Shöeneck Ristorante in Falze, near Italy’s northern border.  After moving to California, Chef Fineo spent more than two years with the legendary Thomas Keller Restaurant Group  including The French Laundry in the Napa Valley and Bouchon in Beverly Hills.   He most likely learned the power of appealing popular dishes as sous chef at Enoteca Drago, Beverly Hills, owned and operated by the Drago family. There he rounded out his management skills by directing menu development, kitchen operations and mentorship of the culinary teams at several Drago  restaurants. After earning La Botte Ristorante a Michelin star, he continued his career as Head Chef at Andrea Ristorante in Newport Beach, CA  and as Executive Chef at the Angelini Restaurant, RivaBella, in Los Angeles.

If “beach” seems to play a big role here, it is because, in Chef Fineo’s words, “I used to surf a lot and I still like to be outdoors and so I live close to beach where I can see the ocean,  I can walk, I can run, I can exercise. When I am not in the kitchen, I need to be out in open space.” (the chef also operated Osteria Venice West located right on the sand on the beach until this year.)

​