Michele Maritato

Michele Maritato, General Manager of Nicola's Ristorante Italiano, inherited his love of cooking from his mother and aunt while growing up in Calabria, Italy. At the age of 14 he launched his restaurant career by working as a cook's helper in his aunt's Italian restaurant, Dino's, in Dover, England. As a young man he left England to further hone his talents in Europe. He was the sous chef at Stuttgart International Hotel's prominent continental restaurant in Stuttgart, Germany and the chef de cuisine at Rusticone, a renowned seafood restaurant in Genoa. Later he left Europe and moved to New York City where he became managing partner in three successful Italian Restaurants.

In 2007, Michele’s passion for food and attention to detail caught developer Richard Gussoni’s eye and he was persuaded to join the team at the award winning Nicola’s Ristorante Italiano. Now Michele uses all of his experience to teach his staff to look and listen for tiny cues they can respond to in order to make each guest's visit special and memorable. He strives to make a connection with every diner in a way that no other restaurant does by providing a level of personal service the guests has never experienced before.