Vittorios Pop Up

My name is Franco Fugel. I am currently a senior at Hastings High School, and I will be attending the Culinary Institute of America next year to receive my Bachelors Degree in Food Business Management and my Associates Degree in Culinary Arts. From the age of 11, when I started Franco Gelato, I fell in love with cooking. Having been raised in a household where food was always a highlight, I grew to appreciate good food, not only food in a fine dining setting. After being on The Food Network's Chopped, I realized that being in the kitchen was where I wanted to be. I started out as a prep cook at Tacos on Hudson in 2015, and I left as a Chef de Partie in late 2017. In 2017 I was given the opportunity to stage at various restaurants, including Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Ranked #11 Best Restaurant in the World), M Threadneedle (Voted Best Restaurant UK in 2015) and The NoMad Restaurant (1 Michelin Star). After spending a day at the NoMad, I was graciously offered a position where I have been working on weekends and holidays from school. Being in the environment of a One Star Michelin restaurant has given me a unique opportunity and unprecedented access to the fine dining world. This knowledge, coupled with my roots in family oriented, comfort Italian food is what I hope to achieve in this pop up.