Nicholas Stefanelli
American chef
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nicholas Stefanelli is an American chef and restaurateur in Washington, D.C., known for his Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Masseria.[2]
- DeMatha Hyattsville, Maryland
- L’academic de Cuisine, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Nicholas Stefanelli | |
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| Born | Maryland |
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| Culinary career | |
| Cooking style | Italian |
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Current restaurants
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Previous restaurants
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| Website | masseria-dc |
Early life
Born in Maryland, Stefanelli is of Greek and Italian descent, with family from the Apulia region of southern Italy.[3] He was an aspiring baseball player at DeMatha Catholic High School in Washington, D.C., until he broke his foot.[4][5] After high school, he went to Italy to pursue a career in fashion in Milan, but he became interested in the food he encountered in Rome, Florence, Assisi, and Venice.[6] After realizing his passion for cooking, he enrolled in L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland and joined the kitchen of Roberto Donna at Italian restaurant Galileo in Washington, D.C.[4] He then went to work for Fabio Trabocchi at Maestro in Tysons Corner, Virginia, following Trabocchi to Fiamma in New York City.[6] After Fiamma closed in 2009, Stefanelli worked a stage at The French Laundry in California.[4]
In 2009, Stefanelli was recruited by restaurateur Ashok Bajaj to return to D.C. to develop a menu and lead the kitchen at a new Italian restaurant, Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca.[7] Bibiana received many positive reviews upon opening,[8] and it was recognized as one of the best new restaurants in America by Esquire magazine.[9] Stefanelli won the title of "Rising Culinary Star" at the 2010 Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (Rammy) Awards.[10]
Masseria and Officina
In 2014, Stefanelli left Bibiana to open his own restaurant, called Masseria.[11] Named for the agricultural estates in Italy's Apulia region, Masseria opened in August 2015 and was Union Market's first standalone restaurant.[12] In October 2016, Masseria earned a Michelin Star within the city's first-ever guide.[13] In 2018, Masseria won the Rammy Award for Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year.[14]
In October 2018, Stefanelli opened Officina, a three-floor Italian trattoria, café, and market located in The Wharf, a new development on Washington's Southwest Waterfront.[15][16] In November 2018, Stefanelli announced plans to open a Greek restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C.[17]
Awards
- 2010 Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMMY), Rising Culinary Star.[10]
- 2017 Michelin Star
(Masseria), the Michelin Guide.[18] - 2018 Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMMY), Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year (Masseria).[19]
