Pelican Hill Gets New Head Chef for Italian Restaurant

Good news for foodies in California: The Resort at Pelican Hill has named Luigi Fineo as head chef for Andrea Ristorante, the resort’s Northern Italian restaurant. The chef has said that he will draw upon his own family cooking traditions, his early culinary training in Italy and techniques developed during his professional career in America, most recently with the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group.
 
Prior to joining Andrea, Fineo spent more than two years with the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group at two globally acclaimed restaurants in California, including The French Laundry in the Napa Valley and Bouchon in Beverly Hills. Previously, Fineo earned consecutive Michelin star ratings in 2008 and 2009 as executive chef of La Botte Ristorante in Santa Monica. Before that, he was sous chef at Drago Enoteca in Beverly Hills.
 
Born and raised in Southern Italy in the small town of Gioia del Colla, Puglia, Fineo graduated from the Italian Culinary Institute I.P.S.S.A.R.T in Bari, Italy. Before moving to the United States, Fineo’s early culinary career spanned Italy from south to north as sous chef at Beccofino Ristorante in Florence and Michelin-starred restaurant Shöeneck Ristorante in Falze, near Italy’s northern border. Fineo currently resides in Santa Monica, California.

As Andrea's head chef, Fineo will lead menu development, kitchen operations and mentorship of the restaurant’s culinary team. Notably, Fineo’s commitment to the development and execution of gluten-free pasta recipes will be reflected in Andrea’s lunch and dinner menus beginning in the fall season.