About

Rocco DiSpirito is an iconic Italian-American New York City Chef, television personality, and highly acclaimed author of fourteen cookbooks, including three New York Times bestsellers. He received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor and over the years has garnered endless accolades as a highly respected chef, whose level of success, in and out of the kitchen, is matched by few others.

His culinary foundation was laid early on by his mother, Nicolina, his first teacher, who always cooked with fresh ingredients. At the prodigal age of sixteen Rocco began his formal studies at the Culinary Institute of America and trained across the pond at Le Jardin des Cygne in France with Dominique Cecillon and Gray Kunz. After graduating from Boston University with a degree in business, he began working with renowned chefs around the world. When Rocco settled back stateside, he returned to work for Gray Kunz at Lespinasse, the restaurant received four stars from the New York Times.

At thirty-one, Rocco subsequently opened two Manhattan restaurants. Union Pacific was the first, and shot Rocco to fame for his innovative flavor pairings, exquisite service and warm ambiance. On the subtlety and sophistication of Rocco’s cooking, Union Pacific became a New York City culinary landmark. Ruth Reichl’s New York Times review of Union Pacific began with an image of the woman at the table next to her moaning in ecstasy, and ended with three stars, a recognition not easily given. He also opened Rocco’s which was the subject of a reality series called “The Restaurant”, featuring his mother Nicolina making her famous meatballs for service. The widely popular show cemented Rocco as the “first” celebrity chef whose influence in and out of the kitchen is legendary.

Hailed as one of Food and Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs”, Rocco is the first chef to grace the cover of Gourmet magazine as “America’s Most Exciting Young Chef,” and was voted their “Leading Chef of his Generation.” Referred to as America’s original “Rockstar Chef,” Rocco has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, W, The New York Times, Details, House Beautiful, Us, OK! and People, including the Sexiest Man Alive issue.

In between those two ventures, Rocco debuted his Food Network series “Melting Pot”, the NBC hit reality series “The Restaurant”, and the A&E series “Rocco Gets Real”. He is a content partner on Rachael Ray, and a frequent guest on Good Morning America and Top Chef. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Chelsea Lately, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and NBC’s The Biggest Loser, and was the first chef to compete on the ABC megahit “Dancing with the Stars”.

Rocco is frequently on Food Network’s “Chopped”, “Guy’s Grocery Games” , “Beat Bobby Flay” and “Wildcard Kitchen”. He lives in New York City and appreciates all that cooking has brought to him.