Dante Boccuzzi is an American Michelin Star chef and restaurateur.

Dante Boccuzzi
Born1971
EducationCulinary Institute of America
SpouseSimone Sturgl
Culinary career
Cooking styleModern American
Current restaurant(s)
    • Dante Restaurant (2010 to Present)
    • Ginko Restaurant (2011 to Present)
    • D.B.A. (2011 to Present)
    • Dante Next Door. (2014 to Present)
    • Coda Music Venue. (2015 to Present)
    • Northside Speakeasy. (2016 to Present)
    • Dante’s Inferno at Progressive Field. (2016 to Present)
    • Inferno Nightclub. (2017 to Present)
    • Goma by Dante. (2021 to Present)
    • Giappone Cocktail Lounge (2021 to Present)
    • Nirvana Coffee Company (2023 to Present)
    • Dukes N Boots (2023 to Present)
Previous restaurant(s)
    • D.C. Pasta Company. (2012 – 2019)
Television show(s)

Early career

edit

Boccuzzi attended high school at Cuyahoga Christian Academy in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Graduated in 1989. Boccuzzi received an AOS degree in culinary arts in 1991 from The Culinary Institute of America.[1]

Upon completing cooking school Boccuzzi worked at Aureole New York under Charlie Palmer in 1991- 1995.[2] European training included working at London’s famed L’Escargot under chefs Gary Hollihead and David Cavalier in 1993-1994.[3] Six months of training at Les Muscadin in Mougin France.

Working in Italy included L’Albereta in Erbusco under Michelin starred chef Gualtiero Marchesi and Aqua Marina in Sardegnia under Chef Antonello Colonna in 1995.[4]

Boccuzzi was part of the opening team at Lespinasse in Washington D.C. under chef Gray Kunz from 1996-1997.[5]

After working abroad, Boccuzzi returned to the states to head the kitchen at Silks at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel.[6] While chef de cuisine Boccuzzi was nominated by The James Beard Foundation for Rising Star Chef, two years consecutively 1998 and 1999.[7]

Boccuzzi headed back to Italy to become the chef for Armani/Nobu working directly with fashion designer Giorgio Armani from 2000 – 2002.

Boccuzzi received a Michelin Star while working as executive chef of Charlie Palmer’s Aureole in New York city from 2002 - 2007.[3]

Restaurant career

edit

In 2010, Boccuzzi opened his restaurant, DANTE, in Tremont, Cleveland, which offers Modern American Cuisine. The following year, he opened Ginko, a sushi restaurant located beneath DANTE.[6] In 2012, Boccuzzi opened D.C. Pasta Co., an Italian trattoria in Strongsville, Ohio, and a second restaurant under his name, DBA (Dante Boccuzzi Akron), in Akron, Ohio.[8] Later that year, he was nominated for The Next Generation Culinary Master Competition by Robb Report magazine.[9]

In 2014, Boccuzzi opened DANTE Next Door, a restaurant offering traditional Italian cuisine.[10] He also participated in Season 4 of Guy’s Grocery Games.[11] In 2015, he opened Coda, a live music venue.[12]

In 2016, Boccuzzi opened Dante’s Inferno at Progressive Field and Northside Speakeasy, a craft cocktail bar located in the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in downtown Akron.[13] In 2017, Boccuzzi opened a second location of Dante’s Inferno in the recently renovated Flats East Bank near downtown Cleveland.[14]

In July 2021 Boccuzzi opened Goma by Dante on East 4th street downtown Cleveland.[15] Goma is Boccuzzi's second sushi restaurant location. In May 2023, Boccuzzi opened Dukes ‘n Boots in downtown Willoughby, Ohio.[16]

Personal life

edit

Boccuzzi is father to Francis, Andrea, Julien and Isabella. Boccuzzi lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Simone and her two girls Aurora and Evangeline.[17]

Restaurants

edit

Active

edit
  • Dante Restaurant (2010 to Present)
  • Ginko Restaurant (2011 to Present)
  • D.B.A. (2011 to Present)
  • Dante Next Door. (2014 to Present)
  • Coda Music Venue. (2015 to Present)
  • Northside Speakeasy. (2016 to Present)
  • Dante’s Inferno at Progressive Field. (2016 to Present)
  • Inferno Nightclub. (2017 to Present)
  • Goma by Dante. (2021 to Present)[18]
  • Giappone Cocktail Lounge (2021 to Present)
  • Nirvana Coffee Company (2023 to Present)
  • Dukes N Boots (2023 to Present)

Closed

edit
  • D.C. Pasta Company. (2012 – 2019)[19]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Music to Our Mouths". Cleveland Magazine.
  2. ^ "Welcome to Dante's Inferno". Cleveland Magazine.
  3. ^ a b "Why The Michelin Guide Skips Cleveland". Cleveland Magazine.
  4. ^ Schrambling, Regina (1 October 2012). "Culinary Masters Competition 2012: Advantage Ohio". Robb Report.
  5. ^ Crea, Joe (9 July 2014). "The Blue Door in Cuyahoga Falls opens for dinner with European chef Torsten Schulz at the helm". Cleveland.com.
  6. ^ a b "Welcome to Dante's Inferno". Cleveland Magazine.
  7. ^ Fabricant, Florence (5 May 1999). "Chefs and Authors Reap Their Plaudits". The New York Times.
  8. ^ Crea, Joe (3 July 2012). "Dante Boccuzzi Akron, doing business as DBA, opens in Northside Lofts: Restaurant Row". The Plain Dealer.
  9. ^ "Culinary Masters Competition". Robb Report. 1 October 2012.
  10. ^ Hartshorn, Kristel (12 April 2014). "First look inside new Tremont restaurant Dante Next Door--family friendly and live pizza-making: Kristel's CLE". The Plain Dealer.
  11. ^ "Chef Dante Boccuzzi to compete on Fieri's 'Guy's Grocery Games' on March 15". The Plain Dealer. 25 February 2015.
  12. ^ "Chef Dante Bocuzzi's new venture, Coda, focuses on live music (photos)". The Plain Dealer. 24 October 2015.
  13. ^ "The secret's out: Northside Speakeasy brings a vintage feel". Crain's Cleveland Business.
  14. ^ Trattner, Douglas. "A Bocce Bar and Dante's Inferno To Open in Flats East Bank". Cleveland Scene.
  15. ^ Trattner, Douglas. "Goma Kicks Off East 4th Street's Next Golden Era in Style". Cleveland Scene.
  16. ^ Koestner, Mark (23 January 2024). "Dukes N' Boots review: Chef's chicken indeed glorious in Downtown Willoughby". News-Herald.
  17. ^ "Dante". AmericasCuisine.com.
  18. ^ "Restaurant Review: How Sushi-Giant Nobu Inspired Dante Boccuzzi's Goma". Cleveland Magazine.
  19. ^ Joe Crea, cleveland com (21 March 2012). "Boccuzzi's latest venture means pasta al Dante at D.C. Pasta Co. in Strongsville: Restaurant Row". The Plain Dealer.