At the age of 5, and too short to reach the counter, Kenneth Tufo would stand on a chair to help his mom make pizzelles, the classic Italian wafer cookie.  Driven by his love of cooking, Tufo embarked on a culinary journey, working with some of the finest chefs in New York City and his hometown of Boston.

                   

For Tufo, food was always a way of life.  Practically running the kitchen of a local restaurant north of Boston, at the age of 17, Kenneth knew he preferred life in a kitchen as opposed to the typical “9-5” office job.  Attending Newbury College in Brookline, Tufo graduated with a degree in culinary arts in 1993.  He then went on to work in restaurants throughout Boston as both a cook and a pastry chef, including a stint at the four-star Boston Harbor Hotel’s Rowes Wharf Restaurant.  Tufo's culinary skills were further refined at Hammersly's Bistro, under famed Boston chef Gordon Hammersley.  This restaurant, which specializes in traditional, hearty, French-inspired food, is consistently at the top of the Boston culinary scene.

 

Tufo next took a job opening the famed 4 star Boston restaurant Radius, working under chef/owner Michael Schlow.  Chef Schlow had his own personal style of modern French cuisine, which utilized vibrant colors and flavors, exposing him to yet another style of cooking. Kenneth fell in love with New York City in 1998 after working a Radius James Beard dinner in New York.  Once in Manhattan, Tufo had stages at many top restaurants and finally settled at Veritas.  At Veritas, Tufo came to greatly admire executive chef Scott Bryan, whose cooking was all about flavor and proper technique. 

 

In early 2001, the former chef of Jean Georges, Didier Virot was opening his first venture in the Dylan Hotel.  He recruited Tufo for the sous chef position at Virot.  “I was truly impressed by his innovative French cuisine,” says Tufo.  He then went on to open Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro Modern working with James Beard “Rising Star” Jean Francois Bruel.  In 2002, Kenneth met the owner of industry (food), through an “industry” connection, and was immediately intrigued by the restaurant’s concept. As Executive Chef, Tufo created sexy, upscale food, while maintaining the casual tone that complemented the venues cozy ski chalet décor and style.  “At industry (food), my aim was to make haute cuisine accessible, employing classical techniques.”  Kenneth’s food garnered much praise and he was awarded numerous accolades in his first year at industry (food).

 

Since industry(food) he has gone on to consult for the opening of two large restaurants.  The first was the Pacific Grill in the South Street Seaport with Asian-American inspired fare. Next was Sapa, a French-Vietnamese brasserie. 

 

In the early spring of 2005 he then opened  Maremma, teaming up with chef and cookbook author Cesare Casella.  Maremma is the southwest of Tuscany known for Italy’s famed butteri or “cowboys” and the food pays homage to rustic Tuscan cooking. “Cesare is a master of Tuscan cuisine and his food is true to the flavors of this region.  Working with Cesare was the "real deal" when it comes to cooking classic Tuscan cuisine. Most American chefs don't learn to cook that way unless they travel abroad."

 

Currently, Kenny has opened Bocca Lupo in the picturesque Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn. Bocca Lupo is an Italian wine bar with traditional "enoteca style" food. Since the opening in August of 2006 the restaurant has earned much praise and great reviews.

 

Kenneth constantly shows his versatility in the kitchen, easily adapting to many styles of cooking.  His passion for the work continues and his culinary expertise and dedication to flavor shows in each new plate.