Cesare Casella is an acclaimed restaurateur, chef, consultant, author and educator based in New York. He is best known as “the chef with the rosemary” and is rarely without a small bouquet springing from his jacket pocket — a nod to his childhood in Tuscany, where rosemary grew wild.

For over 35 years, Chef Casella has been committed to helping people understand that Italian cuisine is defined by its simple ingredients, just as Italian culture is defined by its regions and history. He began his career at his family’s trattoria, Vipore, which he elevated from simple, backroad eatery, to world-renown restaurant, eventually earning it a Michelin star.

Chef Casella began his American journey in 1990 as executive chef at New York’s renown Coco Pazzo, then went on to create and run critically acclaimed restaurants including Beppe, Maremma and Salumeria Rosi; he also launched the Italian Studies division of the International Culinary Center and served as the dean of the program from 2005 to 2020. Chef Casella has written numerous books including the 2013 James Beard Foundation Award nominee, The Fundamentals of Classic Italian Cuisine, and in 2016, Feeding the Heart, winner of the Independent Publisher’s gold award for adult non-fiction.Today, Chef Casella serves as Chief of DNA, the Department of Nourishment Arts, overseeing a team of chefs, nutritionists, therapists, farmers and educators at the Center for Discovery, a residential facility in upstate New York for the medically fragile.

The chef’s contributions to the culinary scene have been recognized in media ranging from Forbes to Food Arts to New York Magazine and The New York Times. He was voted one of the best chefs in New York City by Food & Wine magazine and has appeared on hit shows such as “Iron Chef,” “Top Chef,” “Best Thing I Ever Ate,”  “After Hours with Daniel Boulud ” and  Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations.”

In addition to his work in the kitchen, Chef Casella is involved in various charities and is Honorary President of the Association Italian Chefs of New York. The chef’s newest passion is making vinegar, cooking with it and showing how it can elevate flavors in almost everything we eat.