All in the Family

Umberto Menghi is a founding father of our haute cuisine, having mentored many of the chefs whose rooms—and whose own protégés—have come to embody the city’s fine dining. Here are the dozen who have spread the gospel to 40 chefs making a difference in the kitchens and on the tables of the city’s finest restaurants.

 

John Bishop

Bishop’s

Bishop cooked at Umberto’s from 1975 to 1985. From his influential, eponymous West Fourth room, he

 

Pino Posteraro

Cioppino’s

Posteraro was the director of operations for all of Umberto’s restaurants from 1997 to 1999. From his powerhouse Italian room in Yaletown he

Michel Jacob

Le Crocodile

Jacob cooked at Il Palazzo from 1980 to 1981. At his fine French room, Le Crocodile, he

 

David Hawksworth

Hawksworth (not yet open)

Hawksworth cooked at Il Giardino from 1996 to 1998. During his tenure as executive chef at West he

 

Andrey Durbach

Pied-à-Terre, La Buca & L’Altro Buca

Durbach only lasted two weeks cooking at Circolo in 2000. He went on to build his own mini empire where he

 

Rob Feenie

Cactus Club

Although Feenie didn’t spend time cooking at any of Umberto’s rooms, he trained under Bishop and Jacob for many years (see above). During his time at Lumière and Feenie’s he

 

 

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Six more

 

Carol Chow

Gusto di Quattro

Chow cooked at Settebello from 1987 to 1988.

 

 

Romy Prasad

So.Cial at Le Magasin

Prasad cooked at Il Caminetto from 1998 to 1999.

 

 

Cam McKinnon

Greedy Pig

McKinnon cooked at Il Giardino from 1994 to 2007.

 

 

Geoff Lundholm

Moustache Cafe

Lundholm cooked at Al Porto from 1994 to 1995 and Il Caminetto from 2002 to 2004.

 

 

Barbara-jo McIntosh

Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks

McIntosh cooked at Al Porto from 1979 to 1983 and at Il Caminetto in 1983.

 

 

Mario Enero

La Rúa

Enero cooked at Il Giardino in 1980 and at Il Caminetto from 1982 to 1992.