Marc Taxiera

Coming Up

Formal training at Institute of Culinary Education (1998) gave Marc Taxiera a frame for work that already demanded discipline. From there, the foundation was built in service and repetition: an externship at Felidia, then work at Baldoria. Those rooms matter because they show the kind of early kitchen education that shapes a cook’s timing, range, and confidence before the title of Executive Chef is ever attached. The Russian Tea Room in New York, NY, marked a step into a different level of pressure, with Marc Taxiera becoming Executive Chef there in 2007. That role asked for command of pace, standards, and room culture in equal measure. The later addition of Executive Chef at Vida Restaurant (since 2024) sits alongside Augustine's Sal in Westchester, extending a career that has moved through distinct kitchens without losing its focus on control, adaptation, and regional expression.

Where They Are Now

At Augustine's Sal in Westchester, the work is anchored in Tuscan and Livornese cuisine, and Marc Taxiera’s cooking is presented through that lens. The register is regional rather than decorative: grounded, direct, and attentive to place. On service, he puts it plainly: "I love orchestrating the kitchen and having all the elements come together. Making it through a busy night of organized chaos is one of the greatest rushes in the world." That description points to the discipline behind the pace. The value is in coordination, not noise; in holding a kitchen together while the room moves. In the context of Tuscan and Livornese cooking, that approach favors clarity and structure, letting the food carry its own regional character without being overworked.

Signature

Marc's signature dishes include cacciucchino cappelletti, beef francesina, spaghettone with sea lupins and bottarga, Sunday meatballs, and Bolognese. The list reads as a cook working with dishes that carry weight, familiarity, and regional memory. It suggests a hand comfortable with sauces, structure, and the sort of cooking that depends on timing and restraint as much as flavor.

In Their Words “I love orchestrating the kitchen and having all the elements come together. Making it through a busy night of organized chaos is one of the greatest rushes in the world.” “ICE opened a new world of new ingredients and gave me the confidence I needed to walk into any restaurant and know I have the skills and knowledge to succeed.”