Dante Boccuzzi

The opening of his signature DANTE in the
popular Tremont section of Cleveland in
January 2010 won instantaneous rave reviews.
All of this from someone who at the age of 14,
while going to high school, began his culinary
training working in local Cleveland restaurants.
In 1991, he graduated from the Culinary
Institute of America and began his career at
Charlie Palmer’s New York acclaimed restaurant, Aureole. Boccuzzi spent three years in
Europe working in Italy, France, and England, learning techniques in award-winning restaurants
such as London’s L’Escargot, the famed Les Muscadin in Mougins France and the Michelin
three-star Gualtiero Marchesi in Brescia, Italy. Boccuzzi also spent time in Hong Kong, Japan
and Taiwan in his pursuit to explore influential culinary traditions from around the world.
In 1997, Boccuzzi returned to the states to head Silks at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San
Francisco. His three year tenure at Silks resulted in two James Beard nominations for Rising
Star Chef of the Year in 1998 and 1999. Following this endeavor, Boccuzzi moved to Milan, Italy
to become the executive chef at Nobu/Milan, working directly with Nobu Matsuhisa and Giorgio
Armani at the Armani flagship establishment.
In 2002, Boccuzzi returned to Aureole as executive chef, where he was selected by Star Chefs
as one of their first Rising Stars. Under his leadership, Aureole earned its first Michelin star in
2006.
Boccuzzi’s culinary career has come full circle, returning him to his home state of Ohio where he
opened DANTE in 2007, moving the location to the hot restaurant row in Cleveland’s Tremont
section in 2010. His dreams continue to become a reality with the opening of Ginko in 2011, a
New York Times acclaimed sushi restaurant located in Tremont, featuring a traditional style
sushi and a modern Japanese cuisine. The following year, Boccuzzi collaborated with chef
Carmela Del Busso to open DC Pasta Company in Strongsville, Ohio. Later in 2012, Dante
opened his Akron restaurant DBA—Dante Boccuzzi Akron—melding his musical and culinary
talents to add a flare of rock n’ roll to his coveted modern American style cuisine.
In November of 2012, Chef Dante was nominated by Robb Report magazine for The Next
Generation Culinary Master Competition. The competition was made up of five individuals
chosen by Culinary Masters from around the Country.