Joseph Brancaccio

Born in 1967 and raised in Brooklyn , New York , Chef Joseph Brancaccio discovered a passion for cooking at an early age. His Italian upbringing was a powerful catalyst for Joseph's interest in the cuisine and culture of Italy .

Chef Bracaccio attended St. Johns University in New York and graduated with a degree in Finance and Economics. His love of cooking and desire to one day have his own restaurant, however, led him to a position as a cook at Urbino, an Italian restaurant on Carmine Street . After getting his first taste of the restaurant business, Chef Brancaccio enrolled at the Institute of Culinary Education . During his time at the Institute, Chef Brancaccio worked as an extern and developed his skills at Montrachet, one of New York 's finest restaurants. Finally, prior to joining the Agata & Valentina team in 1998, he worked with Lundy Brothers for three years.

Chef Brancaccio has now been an integral member of Agata & Valentina's culinary family for eight years. Until Agata & Valentina Food Bar & Restaurant opened in November of 2005, Chef Brancaccio's work was focused on creating the prepared foods at Agata & Valentina's store. A&V's prepared foods are defined by Italian and, more specifically, Sicilian specialties as well as a variety of internationally inspired offerings. Over the years, Chef Brancaccio used his extensive talents and skills (some acquired over the course of multiple trips to mainland Italy and Sicily) to develop and expand the prepared foods department at Agata & Valentina, which is now considered one of the best in New York.

In November of 2005, Chef Brancaccio became the Executive Chef at the new Agata & Valentina Food Bar & Restaurant, which offers elegant Italian cuisine with strong Sicilian accents. As the Executive Chef, he has conceptualized and created many unique and inspired dishes that are rooted in his first-hand experience of Italian cuisine in both Italy and New York .

Traveling to Italy over the years has helped Chef Brancaccio to understand and interpret true, authentic Italian cuisine. His trip to Sicily during the summer of 2004, allowed him to study and work side by side with Nino Graziano, a renowned Sicilian chef and owner of Il Mulinazzo, located outside of Palermo, which was one of only two Sicilian restaurants rated by the Michelin guide. During that time, he also visited various schools in the Sicilian cities of Palermo and Catania to further expand his knowledge of Mediterranean and Sicilian cuisine. Chef Brancaccio continues to develop his skills and enhance his knowledge in order to prepare and serve food of the highest quality.

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