Raffaele Solinas
Raffaele’s culinary journey to America began in the rustic town of Alghero, Sardinia, at the Culinary Institute, where he meets the Chef Sergio Andreini who teaches him the relevance of food in daily life and inspires him.
He went to New York just for a vacation, but he stayed forever. Thanks to Enrico Proietti, who immediately appreciated his skills, he started to work at “Baraonda” and “Ciao Bella” restaurants as Executive Chef. Four years later, he opened his own restaurant, “Osteria Del Sole”, in a quiet section of Greenwhich Village as a tribute to his homeland island of Sardinia.
Getting excellent reviews, six months later he opened “Assenzio”, a wine bar. Raffaele treats food as a celebration; he sings the praises of fresh ingredients. “I search for new combination because food evolves with people, like fashion,” he says, “but most of all I love traditional dishes, simply prepared: a branzino needs to taste of branzino.”
Its motto is “anyone can cook”, meaning that even an executive chef can learn tricks from whomever loves to cook, and that when using excellent ingredients, you can’t possibly get it wrong.
He is now the executive Chef of the “Italian Culinary Center” and of “Shelly’s”, the Restaurant/Wine Bar/Oyster Bar that brings the flavors and warmth of Coastal Italy to Midtown, with the freshest fish in town.
Chef's Recipes :
Jumbo Shrimp with FregolaCheck our Calendar to find out about Chef's Night Demos
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