Chef Andrea Apuzzo

Born and raised on the Isle of Capri, Italy. Career : Chef-Proprietor of Andrea's Restaurant in Metairie, Louisiana. Andrea began his formal culinary education while working in a bakery in his home town of Anacapri at the early age of seven. At fourteen, he left Capri to travel to Germany, Switzerland, England and South America to further his culinary training in some of the best hotels in Europe and abroad. After working 35 years in kitchens all over the world under some of the finest, most respected chefs, Chef Andrea moved to Bermuda in 1973 to work at the Southampton Princess Hotel and later in Hamilton Princess Hotel. In 1975, he came to the United States as Executive Sous-Chef of the Omni International Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. And in 1977 he moved to New Orleans as Executive Chef of the Royal Orleans Hotel; a position he held until January, 1985 when he left to open Andrea's, his life-long dream. During the course of his culinary work experience, Chef Andrea has prepared culinary dishes for such notables as Queen Elizabeth, Princess Ann, President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, Senator Ted Kennedy, Clint Eastwood, Omar Shariff, Sophia Loren, Senator Jack Kemp, Lee Meriwether and Tommy Lasorda. In 1990, Chef Andrea published his first cookbook, "La Cucina di Andrea's," which contains over 300 recipes from his select collection. In 1994, Chef Andrea published his second book, "Andrea's Light Cookbook." Chef Andrea has received the Wine Spectator of Excellence Award and the DiRona Excellence Award, and many more.