Jennifer Vellano

As a native New Yorker, Jennifer Vellano was inspired by her passion for food and love of local ingredients at a very young age. Her immense dedication and motivation led her through innumerable front and back of the house positions as she worked her way through culinary school. Jennifer graduated with honors from the Institute of Culinary Education in 2001, after having traveled and tasted 16 countries in Europe.

Through her experience in some of the most heralded kitchens in Manhattan and driven by her fierce sense of ambition, Jen offers gastronomic delight with her ever expanding repertoire of recipes and techniques. Having trained under the Food and Wine Best Chefs (2005) and James Beard award winners Dan Barber and Michael Anthony of Blue Hill, Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Gramercy Tavern, Jen graduated to the enormously coveted kitchen of the three starred Michelin restaurant Per Se, where she honed her skills under the careful guidance of Thomas Keller and Jonathan Benno. Innovative and innately talented, Jen brings local fruits, vegetables, seafood, meat, and handcrafted artisanal cheeses directly from our neighborhood farms to produce a masterfully creative and sophisticated dining experience.

James Vellano

James Vellano’s life has been shaped by his love of food and cooking, having been born into a family owned restaurant in New York. He quickly learned the fundamentals of cooking as a child, and was instantly immersed in the culinary arts as a young teenager. James profoundly accelerated his skills while studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Canada, Australia and Paris, where he lived for 8 months.

James received the Grande Diplome de Cuisine et de Patisserie in 2003 and continued his professional career back in the states, in the esteemed kitchen of James Beard award winner Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud in Palm Beach, Florida. He arrived at the eponymous Thomas Keller Restaurant Group in 2005 as a Chef de Partie at Per Se. His fundamental creativity, knowledge and talent led him to become the Chef de Cuisine of Bouchon Bakery in 2006. James is a member of Slow Food and supports farming techniques that are sustainable, organic, and regenerative. He veers only far enough from his classical American and European training to reward guests with an experience that is unforgettable.