Don’t hand a seven-year-old a kitchen knife – unless you’re Lydia Shire, matriarch of Boston’s dining scene. Her son, Chef Alex Pineda took his first steps in the kitchen of Shire’s legendary BIBA, where he was making pizzas at seven. He’s since trained in London at Dinner By Heston Blumenthal and at Quo Vadis with Jeremy Lee. While in Barcelona Pineda staged at Tram-Tram with Isdre Soler and Can Fabes with Xavier Pellicer. He worked for Wolfgang Puck in LA and at The Waterhouse in the New Hampshire mountains where he started to put his own spin on things. At Scampo, Pineda was both proud of his legacy and looking to carve his own path. In 2021 Pineda decided to partner with The Landing restaurant in Marblehead, MA. As his first venture into ownership he doubled revenue within two years of taking over.

The Landing restaurant growth is only the beginning. His next project will not only bring a following of loyal diners but also shake up the culinary potential of many of the Boston neighborhoods that lack food that’s made with love.