Chef Manager Stephen Giampietro

Stephen Giampietro is excited to lead St. Hilda’s and St. Hugh’s School dining service program as Chef Manager. Prior to joining Cater To You, Stephen put his culinary talent to use in fine dining. He spent several years at locales such as the Gramercy Park Hotel, Maialino, Gramercy Terrace, and The Rose Bar and Jade Bar under the supervision of Union Square Hospitality Group and Danny Meyer. He then spent time as Executive Sous Chef for DINEX (Daniel Boulud) where he developed his skills in managing a property and employees. Most recently, he served as Executive Sous Chef at the Standard Hotel in the East Village.

From a very young age, Chef Stephen spent countless hours in the kitchen helping his mother and grandmother in any way he could, or just observing. “To this day, I love watching my mother and grandmother cook,” he says. “I still always learn something from them.” He also enjoys watching Jacques Pepin, Two Fat Ladies, Julia Child, the original Iron Chef, Lidia Bastionich, Andrew Zimmern, and Anthony Bourdain for inspiration. Chef Stephen attended the International Culinary Center’s Classic French Culinary accelerated program.

As a native New Yorker, Stephen was always exposed to many cultures and the food those cultures produce, which helped in developing his diverse and open-minded palate. “Being a New Yorker, I feel my standards and expectations for food and dining experiences are high, and I hold myself to that same standard,” he elaborates. The majority of Stephen’s family is from Italy (Napoli and Puglia specifically), which heavily influences his cooking style. However, he also attributes influence to Peruvian, West African, Lebanese, and Spanish cuisines. His favorite food, however, is pizza from Napoli. “Nearly every day I dream of…the Mortadella pizza with pistachio-pecorino cream and chopped pistachio,” he explains.

Chef Stephen also loves cooking with vegetables. “With every dish I produce, it is typically my goal that the vegetable on the plate is just as enjoyable and worth coming back to as anything [else] on the plate,” he says. His approach to cooking is to make it healthful and memorable with equal attention given to all components. “Cooking can bridge a gap between cultures,” he notes. “It can be an expression of love and warmth and can tell a story or create new memories.”

When he is not busy in the kitchen, Chef Stephen loves to read, go for walks, hike, camp, listen to music, venture to art museums, travel, and spend time with friends and family.