You might know Cesare Casella as the chef with the rosemary springing from his pocket, but he’s not just an herb man.
He grew up in the Tuscan countryside, above the restaurant his parents owned, Vipore. Cesare’s dad, Pietro, was passionate about ingredients and ruled the grill; his mom, Rosa was queen of the kitchen; Cesare's job was feeding the pigs and tending to the prosciutto curing in the cellar. After finishing culinary school, he took over the kitchen at Vipore, where fresh herbs became his signature, and earned a Michelin star. In 1993, he moved to New York, bringing the tastes of Tuscany with him to his new home. He opened restaurants such as Beppe, Maremma, and Salumeria Rosi, was appointed Dean of Italian Studies at the International Culinary Center, and got involved with the Center for Discovery, a residential community for people with medical frailties. If there was a constant in Cesare’s life, it was the pigs, who were always close by, which in 2016, brought him back to his first love, prosciutti and cured meats, which today he makes under his brand, Casella’s Salumi, the same way he did at Vipore. His latest project is Acetaia del Sole, a craft vinegar workshop in Hurleyville, New York.
View photos below.
You might know Cesare Casella as the chef with the rosemary springing from his pocket, but he’s not just an herb man.
He grew up in the Tuscan countryside, above the restaurant his parents owned, Vipore.
Chef Casella’s dad, Pietro, was passionate about ingredients and ruled the grill. His mom, Rosa, was queen of the kitchen. No one could beat her pasta or sauces. Here they are (in a photo courtesy of the great Art Streiber) in the ‘90s.
Some boys had trains. Cesare had prosciutti. His very first job was taking care of the ones curing in the cellar. He also was in charge of feeding the pigs, his favorite chore.
Rosa and Pietro taught their son everything they knew about the restaurant business. Here he is in toque and apron at 18.
Fresh herbs became his signature (hence the rosemary). He dubbed his garden the arometo, the aroma orchard, which helped Vipore win a Michelin star in 1991.
Yes, that’s Chef arriving in New York. Dig the coat. It was 1992. His mission was to bring true Tuscan tastes to his new home.
One thing led to another, and after a little kitchen-hopping, Chef started opening restaurants of his own, including Beppe, Maremma and Salumeria Rosi.
In 2003, Chef was appointed Dean of Italian Studies at the International Culinary Center and started hanging out on the streets of SoHo with his fellow deans like André Soltner, Alain Sailhac and the two Jacques—Pepin and Torres.
By 2003, he was involved with the Center for Discovery, for people with medical frailties, and in 2012, was named Chief of the DNA, a nutritional, culinary and farming program. Being out in the Center’s fields was like a homecoming to Tuscany and the arometo.
If there was a constant, it was the pigs, who were always close by, as attached to Chef as he is to them.
Which in 2016, brought him back to his first love, Prosciutti and cured meats, which he makes the same way he did at Vipore, under his brand Casella’s.