Chef Stefano Secchi is celebrated for his culinary artistry and the passion that shapes his distinctive approach to Italian cuisine. Renowned for his innovative creations and unwavering commitment to sourcing the finest ingredients, Chef Secchi graciously spoke to Pursuitist, and we chatted all things inspirations, lessons learned along the way and guilty pleasures.
Pursuitist: Tell us about yourself. How did you get started? What inspired you to be a chef?
Chef Stefano Secchi: This is a loaded question, my father is from Italia and we had a restaurant growing up. I grew up in the industry and had been cooking at a very young age, I however struggled about whether to be a chef or not…my parents always made the argument that they moved to America so we could have a better life and they I think were hoping I worked in a white collar job etc…I am and have been obsessed with this career for quite some time.
You have worked at some of the best kitchens in Italy (Osteria Francescana under Massimo Bottura, Hosteria Giusti under Nonna Laura Morand, and Ristorante all’Enoteca under Michelin-starred chef Davide Palluda) with well-respected chefs. What lessons did you take with you that paved the way to your success today?
Another loaded question…my whole goal has been to push Italian food & culture forward, in the correct way. To do that, you need to have a great team, everyone talks about team but there needs to be constant reinforcement from the line cooks & servers to the managers and head chefs…and above all, quality, quality, quality. Then, you just have to outwork everyone.
You recently did a collaboration with Impression by Secrets in Mexico. What was that experience like?
I was a bit skeptical about the dedication outside of the larger cities in Mexico but Secrets was a place that took what they did seriously…that was very refreshing, plus the views/resorts & access to ingredients locally is top notch.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing?
Something in film/music, on the creative side, probably a Director
Guilty pleasures: what do you eat when nobody’s looking?
No question, all types of Japanese food and tacos for days (aside from plenty of pasta)
