Massimo Felici

The Climb

At Il Canapone in Florence, Italy (from 1993), the craft sat with the owner and Executive Chef role: Massimo Felici established the first long-form statement of his career in a city where culinary standards are part of the operating environment. The move to New York carried that experience into a more compressed market, first as Executive Chef and partner at Da Vittorio in New York, New York, and later as Executive Chef and partner at Ribollita in New York, New York. In both rooms, the work demanded pace, precision, and consistency alongside the food itself. Ownership became more explicit at La Nonna in New York, New York (from 2000), where Massimo Felici held the title of owner and Executive Chef and continued to shape the business side of the operation. That experience also fed into consultancy work at Various New York City restaurants in New York City, where restaurant leadership becomes portable: useful not just in one dining room, but across several. Massimo Felici served as partner and Executive Chef at The Richmond American Bistro in Staten Island, New York, and partner and Executive Chef at The Belvedere Club in Staten Island, New York, before becoming owner and Executive Chef at Vinum Restaurant in Staten Island, New York (until 2024). Since 2022, Massimo Felici has been Executive Chef and restaurateur of Don Cheech, a role that keeps the emphasis on direct oversight and operating authority.

Today

The shape of Massimo Felici's work is defined by chef ownership in Florence and Staten Island. That span — between Italian training ground and New York restaurant practice — gives the career its continuity. The constant is not geography, but the repeated act of building restaurants, directing teams, and making sure the room and the plate carry the same intent.

In Their Words “"I modeled this little jewel to my first Restaurant I opened in Firenze Italy in 1993 called “Il Canapone”.””

Recognition

Massimo Felici's honors include Michelin Bib Gourmand and Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Those awards align with a career built on more than cooking alone: they point to dining rooms where the standards extend from the kitchen through service, pacing, and the overall operating floor.