Fabio Viviani (chef)

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This article is about the Italian chef Fabio Viviani. For the Italian football player, see Fabio Viviani (footballer).
Fabio Viviani
Born (1978-10-10) October 10, 1978 (age 45)
Florence, Italy
Culinary career
Cooking styleItalian
Current restaurant(s)
  • Firenze Osteria, Cafe Firenze, Siena Tavern, Bar Siena, Chuck Lager, Bar Cicchetti
Television show(s)

Fabio Viviani (born October 10, 1978, in Florence, Italy) is a chef, restaurateur, and cook book writer who has appeared on reality television.[1] He also sells a range of wines.[2] In 2005 he moved from Florence to Southern California. In 2008 he appeared on the reality television competition series Top Chef, where he was voted the "fan favorite"; since then he has had a second career as a television host, on-air personality and product pitchman.

Early life[edit]

Fabio Viviani grew up in Florence, Italy. At age 11 he worked nights at a local bakery (since he was too young to officially join the staff) and held several positions in the restaurant industry during his teenage years. In 1992, 14-year-old Viviani began working at the Il Pallaio trattoria in Florence, which served Italian comfort food and had a 120-seat cover, becoming sous chef by age 16, mentored by Italian restaurateur Simone Mugnaini. He was married to Jessica in Italy and she was watching the restaurants while he was competing on Top Chef. [3]

Career[edit]

Viviani owned and operated seven restaurants in Florence, a farm house and 2 nightclubs by the time he was 27.[4] In late 2005 he moved to Ventura County, CA, US and opened Café Firenze in Moorpark and, soon after, LA Italian restaurant Firenze Osteria in North Hollywood.[5][6] Teaming up with Chicago's Dine|Amic Group, Viviani opened a third restaurant called Siena Tavern in Chicago in February 2013.[7] Siena Tavern was reviewed favorably by the Chicago Tribune, Thrillist, and others.[8][9] He also opened Mercato by Fabio Viviani for corporate lunches at two locations in Chicago. In February 2017, Chef Viviani will be opening a restaurant called Portico at the del Lago Resort and Casino [10] in Tyre, New York

Viviani holds several endorsement and licensing contracts with Bertolli Olive Oil, Smart Step Home Kitchen Mats, Picnic Time Giftware, and Bialetti Cookware.[11][12][13][14]

Viviani runs a website, www.fabioviviani.com, with original recipes, his Kitchen Academy blog, and upcoming events. In 2014 Viviani launched a free bi-weekly E-Magazine titled Fabio's Magazine, with recipes, wine blogs, lifestyle and health-related articles, and other content.[15]

In late 2018 Viviani, and Oklahoma City chef Jonathon Stranger, launched Osteria OKC in Nichols Hills, an upscale residential and shopping city within the Oklahoma City metro.

Television[edit]

Viviani's first appearance on television was as a contestant on the fifth season of reality TV show Top Chef on the Bravo network. He came in fourth place, and was voted "Top Chef Fan Favorite" by viewers.[16] Viviani returned to the show in 2010 to compete on Top Chef: All Stars. In 2012, he was one of four Top Chef alumni whose lives were followed on the Bravo reality show Life After Top Chef, which lasted for one season. He was also the host of Chow Ciao, a web series on Yahoo!,[17] for which he won a Webby Award for "Best Web Personality/Host" in 2012.[18]

Viviani has appeared in a number of television cooking segments and been a guest on television shows including Good Morning America,[19] The Talk,[20] The Chew,[21] Ellen,[22] Good Day LA,[23] Access Hollywood,[24] The Queen Latifah Show[25] and Bethenny,[26] as well as hosting a regular spot on the channel QVC selling kitchen products. He was also a guest host on the Hallmark Channel series Home and Family,[27]

Books[edit]

Viviani's first cookbook, Cafe Firenze Cookbook: Food and Drink Recipes from the Tuscan Sons was published in August 2009.[28] It was followed by Fabio's Italian Kitchen in April 2013.[29] This cookbook was on the New York Times Best Seller List in May 2013.[30] Fabio's American Home Kitchen was published in October 2014.[31]

Viviani has released several e-books, including Did I Really Make Breakfast (Vol I & II), The Skinny Country, We The Soup and I Would Love To Meat You.[32]

Controversy[edit]

On June 1, 2020, an employee of one of Viviani's establishments in Tampa, Lanfranco Pescante of the Nocturnal Hospitality Group, was exposed for posting "shoot them all" in response to Tampa protesters.[33]

Viviani's employee, Lanfranco Pescante has also been associated with other messages featuring racial slurs and suggesting racial discrimination of his patrons. He is now being investigated by the FBI and State Attorney for violent comments and is accused of sex trafficking and rape by several Tampa Bay women.[34]

Some of the victims were minors, and others have stated that some of the sexual misconduct occurred in establishments operated by the Nocturnal Hospitality Group. Fabio Viviani Group was never associated with the venue cited in the LawSuit, Franklin Manor.[35]

In response to these developments and public backlash, Viviani immediately announced on June 4, 2020, that he was cutting ties with the Nocturnal Hospitality Group and its Tampa Bay restaurants -Osteria Bar + Kitchen, and Mole y Abuela and Shibui. Viviani stated: "My whole Hospitality Group, Career and Venues have been built in the spirit of inclusiveness, equality, love and freedom for all, I cannot stand behind any form of hate or harassment nor being associated with people demonstrating such behaviours and for these reasons we have decided to cut ties with all our Tampa Partners and Operators".[36]

Restaurants[edit]

References[edit]

Footnotes
  1. ^ Haughton, Natalie, Daily News Los Angeles (February 17, 2009). Chef Viviani brings love of Italian food to Americans Archived 2009-05-31 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Fabio Viviani Wine Collection
  3. ^ Wiener, Allison. "Success Beyond Reality TV: Interview with Fabio Viviani". Media Mayhem - The Lip.TV. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  4. ^ Each, Molly. "Fabio Viviani". Splash Chicago. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Cafe Firenze - About Us". Cafefirenze.net. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Firenze Osteria - About Us". FirenzeOsteria.com. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  7. ^ "Siena Tavern - About Us". SienaTavern.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  8. ^ "Siena Tavern". Chicago Magazine. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  9. ^ Cooley, Sean. "A TOP CHEF ITALIAN OUTPOST IN RIVER NORTH". Thrillest. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  10. ^ "Portico By Fabio Viviani | del Lago Resort & Casino | Seneca County, NY". www.dellagoresort.com. Archived from the original on 2017-01-26.
  11. ^ "Let's Cook with Chef Fabio Viviani and Bertolli Olive Oil". Appszoom. Appzoom.com. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  12. ^ "Fabio Viviani Comfort Mats by Smart Step Home". Smart Step Home. Smart Step Home. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  13. ^ DeSocio, Jeffrey. "Fabio Viviani Loves America: 4th Of July Picnic Ideas". Los Angeles Local News - Fox 11 LA KTTV. Fox. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  14. ^ "Bialetti & Chef Fabio Viviani Continue Partnership with Launch of Aeternum Signature Series". PR Web. Vocus PRW Holdings. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  15. ^ Barnett, Heather (19 March 2013). "Top Chef alum Fabio Viviani talks new ventures". She Knows Food and Recipe. She Knows LLC. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  16. ^ Andriani, Lynn, Publishers Weekly (March 8, 2009). Top Chef’s Fabio Self Publishes Cookbook
  17. ^ "Life After Top Chef (Season 1)". Archived from the original on 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
  18. ^ "2012 Honoree: Chow Ciao". Webby Awards. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  19. ^ "Italian Classics With Chef Fabio Viviani". ABC News. Yahoo! - ABC News Network. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  20. ^ "CBS The Talk Photos". CBS The Talk. CBS. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  21. ^ "ABC's The Chew's Official Youtube Channel". Youtube. Google, ABC. Archived from the original on 2014-07-05. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  22. ^ "Ellen's Healthy Living - Veggie Burgers with Fabio Viviani!". EllenTV. Yahoo! Lifestyles Network. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  23. ^ DeSocio, Jeffrey. "Chef Fabio Viviani Brings His Holiday Favorites". Los Angeles Local News Fox 11 LA KTTV. Fox Television Stations, Inc. and Worldnow. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  24. ^ "Access Hollywood Live: Let Your Kids Cook For You On Mother's Day!". Access Hollywood. NBC Universal. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  25. ^ "Fabio Viviani's Pizza Dough Recipe | Queen Latifah". Archived from the original on 2013-12-04. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
  26. ^ "Fabio Viviani's Easy Weekday Lunch Salad | Bethenny.com". Archived from the original on 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
  27. ^ "Home and Family Episode Guide". Home and Family. Crown Media. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  28. ^ "Cafe Firenze Cookbook: Food and Drink Recipes from the Tuscan Sons". Abe Books. AbeBooks Inc. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  29. ^ "Fabio's Italian Kitchen: Over 100 Delicious Family Recipes". Cooks&Books&Recipes. Cooks&Books&Recipes. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  30. ^ "Best Sellers". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  31. ^ Viviani, Fabio. "Fabio's American Home Kitchen." N.p., n.d. Web.
  32. ^ "Celebrity Chef, Fabio Viviani Releases I Would Love To Meat You, His Second in a Series of Free Monthly eCookbooks". PR Newswire New Releases. PR Newswire. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  33. ^ "Co-owner of Franklin Manor, other Tampa restaurants steps down after his posts spark outrage". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
  34. ^ "FBI and state attorney now investigating violent comments from Tampa restaurateur Lanfranco Pescante". Creative Loafing: Tampa Bay. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
  35. ^ "FBI and state attorney now investigating violent comments from Tampa restaurateur Lanfranco Pescante". Creative Loafing: Tampa Bay. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
  36. ^ "Fabio Viviani pulling out of Nocturnal Hospitality Group's Tampa Bay restaurants, all of which are now closed". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
  37. ^ "FBI and state attorney now investigating violent comments from Tampa restaurateur Lanfranco Pescante". Creative Loafing: Tampa Bay. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
  38. ^ "Osteria By Fabio Viviani - Osteria Downers Grove". www.osteriadownersgrove.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-23.
  39. ^ "Café Firenze closes its doors after 11 years in Moorpark". 10 January 2020.
  40. ^ "Fabio Viviani's Firenze Osteria to Close, Reopen as New Concept". 30 July 2014.
  41. ^ "Home". sienatavern.com.
  42. ^ "Home". barsiena.com.
  43. ^ "'Top Chef' opening restaurant at del Lago Resort & Casino". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
  44. ^ Threadgill, Jacob. "Dynamic duo". Oklahoma Gazette. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  45. ^ "'Top Chef' contestant opening Pike Creek eatery". delawareonline. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
  46. ^ "The Eatery by Fabio Viviani: Food Hall & Draft House | Hollywood Casino at the Meadows". Meadows. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  47. ^ "Jars - Sweets and Things by Fabio Viviani". jarsbyfabioviviani.com. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  48. ^ "The Columbus Dispatch". www.dispatch.com. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
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