Chef John Botticchio feels venerated when he peeks his head out of the kitchen window to hear the silence of the guests at La Scatolina, too busy enjoying their meal to converse, or to see expressions of joy when his beautifully presented and bountiful dishes arrive at a table.

            John’s devotion to using only the freshest, finest ingredients, and his ability to create artful homemade Italian food are a reflection of a culinary enthusiasm evident since early childhood.  In need of a stepping stool, John would help his grandmother from Naples to prepare traditional Italian Sunday dinners, often using produce plucked from their Long Island garden that day, learning the custom of starting sauces early in the morning for meals begun in the afternoon and stretching into night.  His mother was a prolific baker and talented cook as well, further enhancing the wonderful food oriented household that fed John’s culinary aptitude (his sister is a pastry chef, their environment clearly nourishing an inherited talent.)

            John went directly to culinary school from high school sure of his professional aspirations, having already immersed himself in an apprenticeship of sorts as a teenager by zealously devoting himself to learning food preparation at jobs in a pizzeria and gourmet deli.  One of the youngest graduates of New York Restaurant School, he went on to spend three years at the Garden City Hotel gaining four star culinary experience.  His talent and initiative earned him the position of sous chef.  He moved on to Alaia to work under chef Tim Eagan to transform it into the restaurant Luahn – a celebrity owned high profile neo-classical American seafood restaurant and lounge – to gain experience as a Manhattan chef and was promoted to executive chef at the age of 23.  John next worked at Etoile, a 70,000 square foot restaurant in the historic Lombardy Hotel, where he gained further seasoning as an executive sous chef.  It was here that, impressed by John’s culinary skills, owner Eduardo Rodriguez approached him about La Scatolina.

            John began consulting for La Scatolina, and in September of 2002 he took the position of executive chef.  It was an opportunity to return to his earliest culinary experiences and prepare the Italian food he has always loved, free to “make food from his essence,” comfort food from an Italian Kitchen.  His signature dishes, like the homemade Lamb Ravioli and the Tuscan Stew, are dinners one remembers feeling, food that is as much a meal as an experience.  John looks forward to creating next season’s menu, using the flavors he relishes during his planned trip to Italy.