Tony is a native New Yorker who has been in the land of enchantment for almost 12 years.  Some of his earliest memories involve food or cooking in the kitchen with his mom, dad, or Sicilian grandmother.  To this day, there is still debate over who the best cook in the family is.  This strong foundation gave him his love of food and helped him to develop his style of food today.  During his career he has taken home two best in category titles at the Santa Fe Souper Bowl for the Four Seasons and was most recently awarded the “People’s Choice” for best burger at the 2021 Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown.

Tony became Executive Chef of Rio Chama Prime Steakhouse in June of 2023, after holding the position at the iconic Inn and Spa at Loretto for two and half years. His professional cooking career spans back over 17 years.  What originally started as a job to make money as a teenager, eventually turned into the clear and obvious career choice given his love for food and cooking.  During his time in Santa Fe, he has studied under Chef Jerry Dakan at SFCC and spent 4 years at the Four Seasons Rancho Encantado, under Chef Andrew Cooper.  He was also the sous chef at other notable Santa Fe favorites like Market Steer Steakhouse, opening 2^nd Street Brewery’s Rufina Taproom and was the sous chef under Italian Master Chef, Cristian Pontiggia at Sassella. Blending modern American and Mediterranean traditions, while incorporating local ingredients and flavors, Chef Tony looks to bring his globally influenced take on cuisine, to make his own mark on Santa Fe’s already stellar culinary scene