Maurizio Marfoglia

"I was brainwashed to become a dentist. My father was a dentist, and so the career seemed predestined for me too. But to earn some money while I was a student, I was a lifeguard at a resort near Venice during the summers, and I started working in restaurants for fun. I liked it, and so I decided to become a chef" says Maurizio Marfoglia, Executive Chef of Manhattan's innovative Italian restaurant, Barolo.

A native of Milan and veteran of some of America's top restaurants-Tribeca Grill, Mad 61, Le Madri, Tuscan Square and Sette MoMa-Maurizio never regretted his decision to leave dentistry and focus on food instead. At Barolo, Maurizio has created a stunning array of dishes drawing on Italian techniques and ingredients, all the while incorporating visually striking presentations and novel food pairings.

"Food is meant to be fun. I like to get in the kitchen and play, see what I can come up with," he adds. One of his signature items is chilled linguine with lobster medallions in a subtle, tarragon-infused olive oil; another dish is crab cakes served with orange lentil salad. Because half the fun is in the presentation, Maurzio's tiramisù is brought to the table looking more like a trendy architectural design than a dessert: homemade savoiardi are stacked in a tic-tac-toe pattern on an oversized plate along with a bowl of chilled espresso and decadent mascarpone cream for dipping.

Who said a classic can't be improved upon?

Chef's Recipes :

Cold Lobster Spaghetti with Tarragon Infused Olive Oil

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