Cesare Casella is a chef and cookbook author who is chef-owner of  Salumeria Rosi, a restaurant and small specialty market on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. In a recent interview on the gothamist.com, he described the restaurant as “a place to get bread, some salami and cheese, a bite to eat, or a glass of wine. It’s nothing special, really, it’s not a brand new idea. What we did was repurpose the same concept [as I knew in Italy] here for New York."

Cesare is the author of  Diary of a Tuscan Chef, Italian Cooking for Dummies, and True Tuscan. He has been featured in publications such as Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur and most recently Departures and La Cucina Italiana magazines. Cesare has been the subject of a series of the New York Times The Chef columns.  

Cesare in grew up in Italy where his family still owns Il Vipore, a small trattoria the sits on a hillside overlooking Lucca. When he was 14, he enrolled in Culinary Institute Ferdinando Martini in Montecatini and when he graduated, decided to elevate the trattoria from a local favorite to a culinary destination. Cesare developed his trademark herbal cuisine — thanks in part to a garden with more than 40 aromatic herbs — and updated traditional Italian recipes. By 1991, Cesare had earned Il Vipore a Michelin star and a reputation that attracted clients from Henry Kissinger to Tom Cruise. 

Cesare moved to New York where, in 1993, he was named executive chef of  Coco Pazzo. Soon thereafter, he launched, Il Toscanaccio, Beppe, and Maremma restaurants in New York. He also launched Republic of Beans, an import company of Italian heirloom beans, grains and spices.

In 2006, New York Magazine named Maremma one of the Top 5 “Best New Restaurants” in New York City and called Cesare’s recipe for macaroni and cheese the “Best Mac-n-Cheese.” Maremma was honored with three stars from Forbes Magazine, which named it one of the best restaurants in the country. Food critic Adam Platt deemed Maremma to be one of the “Best Places to Eat In 2007.” 

Chef Daniel Boulud asked Cesare to be guest chef on After Hours, with Daniel Boulud.  He also appeared as a featured guest on Dan Rather Reports. He has also appeared on  The Secret Life Of  with host Jim Connors, Tyler’s Ultimate, Molto Mario, Martha Stewart Living, Brindiamo, No Reservations with Anthony Boudain and as a top judge on Bravo’s Top Chef.

Cesare is the 2007 recipient of Food Art Magazine’s, Silver Spoon Award. He is a frequent guest at both the James Beard House and De Gustibus in New York City. He is an active member and supporter of City Harvest, Autism Speaks, Slow Food USA, Chef’s Collaborative, Seafood Alliance and the Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani(GRI), an organization that seeks to promote Italian cuisine.  

He serves at the International Culinary Center as dean of the Italian Culinary Academy, in both New York City and Parma, Italy, and continues to oversee the programs’ development and the comprehensive training of all chefs and instructors involved. Cesare also serves as senior manager at the Center for Discovery, which works in collaboration with Thanksgiving Farms, in upstate New York. He is currently heading up the DaVinci Project with the Center for Discovery, a program that seeks to enhance school lunches and introduce the idea of an edible schoolyard.

Cesare lives in the New York metropolitan area.