Dante Boccuzzi

Dante Boccuzzi is a chef and restaurateur whose career was shaped by training and work in demanding kitchens before he became chef and owner of DANTE in Cleveland. He studied at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy and The Culinary Institute of America, then built his foundation through rooms where speed, precision, and discipline were essential. He worked under Charlie Palmer at Aureole in New York City, then trained under Gary Hollihead and David Cavalier at L’Escargot in London. He also trained at Les Muscadin in Mougins, worked under Gualtiero Marchesi at L’Albereta in Erbusco, and worked under Antonello Colonna at Aqua Marina in Sardinia. By the time he joined the opening team at Lespinasse in Washington, D.C., he had already established a path through kitchens known for exacting standards. His résumé then expanded further when he became head chef at Silks at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, chef at Armani/Nobu in Italy, and executive chef at Aureole in New York City. Across those positions, his career continued to develop through restaurants where precision and consistency were central. Since 2010, DANTE has been at the center of Boccuzzi’s work in Cleveland. Presented as a Modern American restaurant, it offers both à la carte service and chef prepared tasting menus, with an emphasis on creativity and seasonality. The format gives the kitchen room to respond to the market and the moment, and the restaurant reflects the same disciplined approach that shaped his earlier training. His Cleveland presence also includes Ginko, where unagi and foie are paired with an extensive sake list, alongside usuzukuri. The restaurant experience is defined by detail, restraint, texture, and balance. Boccuzzi has also built a broader restaurateur portfolio. He is founder and restaurateur of Ginko, D.C. Pasta Co., DBA, DANTE Next Door, and Coda, in addition to DANTE. His work spans multiple concepts rather than remaining anchored to a single expression, extending from his flagship restaurant to other ventures with distinct identities. His career has also been recognized with a James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef nomination, a Michelin Star, and a Next Generation Culinary Master Competition nomination.