Chef James De Sisto
Passion
My passion for cooking started early, and many of my fondest childhood memories were of being greeted by the beautiful aromas of my grandmother’s cooking when I arrived home from school.
While sitting in the kitchen on Sundays, I watched my Grandma take simple ingredients like onions, leeks, potatoes, meats, herbs, and seasoning and turn them into something magical. This stoked my curiosity and desire to create dishes that followed the same guidelines.
And by the time high school was over, I had already been working for more than five years in a local pizzeria owned by a family friend and discovered that cooking was my life pursuit and a passion that filled each day. In this space, I took an active interest in learning everything about bread, sauces, and meats, as well as how to run a kitchen and manage staff. Those early cooking experiences shaped me, but I knew there was still so much to learn.
Later, graduating from the culinary school at Johnson and Wales in Miami Florida, I began working under influential leaders of the culinary world such as Emeril Lagasse, Tyler Florence, and Mitchell Althlz at exclusive restaurants that included Uva 69, Emeril’s of South Beach, and The Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange NJ.
Vision
During this period, I quickly learned that having a passion without developing the core skills and mastering the techniques often created inconsistent results and poor execution.
It became obvious that practicing a technique over and over until it becomes a part of your hands and action frees your mind—allowing you to concentrate on better developing that special dish. It is this dedication to being meticulous in the details and execution that was consistently embraced by these great chefs. Similarly, it is my hope to bring this experience to every dish we create at Osteria LK, where we allow the natural flavors of each ingredient to shine.
“I hope to share with you a wonderful eating experience that my staff and I continually work daily to provide.”
Cooking is the ultimate giving. Meet our team.
Dean West
Director of Beverage
Elmer Arnold
Sous Chef
Nathaniel Blair
Pastry Chef
Gavin Pittman
Chef Garde Manager