SANTA MONICA Calif. Nicola Chessa has been named executive chef of Valentino Restaurant Group's flagship restaurant here.
The native of the Italian island of Sardinia has been working at the group's Las Vegas operations since 2003, most recently as executive chef of Giorgio Ristorante at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place.
"Chef Nico is a great member of the Valentino Restaurant Group and a very talented chef who embraces our ideology about fresh, seasonal and inspiring Italian cuisine," said Piero Selvaggio. "He has been doing a great job in Las Vegas as Executive Chef at Giorgio Ristorante, but we feel that the environment inside Valentino Santa Monica will better suit his creativity in the kitchen and allow him more freedom and flexibility to cook the food he loves."
Chessa is replacing Tomasso Tarantino at Valentino in Santa Monica, the restaurant group said. Tarantino in now working at the company's restaurant in Houston, Valentino Vinbar.
Valentino Restaurant Group operates restaurants in Santa Monica, Las Vegas and Houston.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
