About the Capo

My culinary journey started not in a kitchen, but on a magical Campania Coast Line in Southwest Italy famously known as The Amalfi Coast or La Costiera Amalfitana. In particular the small fishing towns of Maiori, Minori, A’Trani & Praiano. My parents, born & raised in nearby Napoli, spent their summers on this coast with family & friends before immigrating to the United States (New York) in the mid 60’s long before I was born. However, later on in life & after I was born, they never lost their love for Italy and wanted me to be exposed to the country’s cultures & I am sure feeling a little homesick as well, they wanted to show “La Dolce Vita” way of food & quality of life to me & my siblings. It was there that my culinary journey began, among the pastel cascading homes, restaurants & hotels kissed by the sun & the Tyrrhenian Sea, that my senses & my reverence for simple fresh ingredients were born. Summers & long holidays were when we usually returned to see the family & spend our time on that magical Southwest Coast, the air was thick with those unmistakable aromas of fried fish (A’Paranza di Pesce), smoked mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, giant lemons & wild herbs carried by the sea breeze into the homes, beaches & grottos up & down the entire coast, from Punta Campanella to the town of Salerno. From a very young age, I learned that chefs from Campania do not force flavor, but rather they simply coax it out. Greatest example is one of my favorite food groups, seafood, freshly caught fish, simply grilled whole or encrusted in salt, drizzled with lemon, local olive oil, garlic & local fresh garden herbs that fill your senses all up & down the coast line & cascading on to secretly hidden speakeasy entrance hiking paths called (Sentiero) found all along the rugged limestone mountains named (Monti Lattari), resulting in the ultimate lesson learned, respect the key ingredient, always!

Furthermore, my biggest kitchen lessons & teachings were inspired by my family on both sides of the “pond”. Embracing the Italian philosophy of “La Cucina Povera” (The Cooking of the Poor, Peasant Meals) teaches you that the finest meals do not require any complicated steps, heavy machinery & elitist ingredients, create art on what is simple, forged from deep volcanic Campania terroir & also into the wonderful volcanic forward vineyards that pair beautifully with the region’s culinary history. This, combined with the flexibility to travel & experiencing the senses of flavor & technique hands on, would inspire me later on in life to be the best self taught chef without professional training I could be. Getting lost in all the world’s great culinary destinations, of islands, river cities, towns, villages & magical coastlines is one of life’s greatest classrooms on learning to be a culinary master.

Now, every time I step into the heat of the kitchen, I am no longer just a chef managing & working a line; I am a storyteller tracing my path back to the sun-drenched cliffs of the Amalfi Coast. The rhythmic nostalgia echoes the crashing of the Tyrrhenian sea against the rocks of the coastline, and the vibrant aroma of hand-crushed lemons and torn sweet basil serves as my compass. My culinary journey is an ongoing tribute to the fishermen who taught me the value of patience and the Nonnas & family who showed me that the most profound ingredient is unhurried love. As each plate leaves the pass, glistening with olive oil and carrying the warmth of my heritage, I realize that I haven’t left my roots behind on those steep, terraced hills—I have brought them with me, letting the soul of Amalfi & Campania live on in every single bite!

Buon Appetito,
Executive Chef & Owner,
Alessandro “Capo” Re Lucertola