Chef Vincenzo Nicoletta

Amazing how times go by, I remember as it was yesterday when I was a young eight years old working in my grandfather restaurant during summer school vacation. I started cleaning pots and pants, gradually working my way up, learning how to make bread, like the one I am making in my restaurant, pastry, cleaning meat, fish, poultry. At the age of fourteen I was already on the cooking line preparing all kinds of dishes from our local Cucina Amalfitana to other dishes from different part of Italy. I also learned how to make wine, olive oil, salami, prosciutto in my grandfather farm with my Uncle Franchino. My grandfather before world war II was working as Chef on the Italian passenger line The Rex .At the start of the war he returned to the Amalfi coast and opened a restaurant during the summer months and taking care his farm the rest the year. When I arrived to Los Angeles in 1969 I worked at an Italian restaurant in Hollywood for one year and than went to La Dolce Vita in Beverly Hills. After my military service in the USMC I returned to the restaurant business and worked as an executive chef in Italian Restaurants such Guido’s and Vito’s. In 1986 I opened LA Trattoria on Third street between Crescent and Fairfax, broke up with my partner and opened Casa Monica on Montana and 11th Street in Santa Monica, on November, first 1997 moved to Montana and 7th and opened Vincenzo Ristorante and after twelve years I am still catering to my customers authentic Italian food as my Grandfather taught me. I hope you will enjoy your dinner and taste the true flavor of Italy. I will appreciate immensely your comment on the web site to better serve you in the future.