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Business & Tech

Meet the Chef (and Owner): Giuseppe Dalto of Fellini Cafe Trattoria

This week food writer Clara Park sat down with Chef/Owner Giuseppe Dalto of Fellini Cafe Trattoria in Ardmore.

On a rainy Tuesday, I went in to in Ardmore to speak with Giuseppe Dalto. I was greeted by a larger-than-life character who talked a mile a minute, gesticulated wildly and could not have been friendlier. Dalto is an industry vet to say the least—he grew up in a restaurant family in Italy and has been around the world three times. Find out more below.

Name: Giuseppe Dalto

Age: 40

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Years in the Industry: “All my life.”

Hometown: Salerno, Italy

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Current home: Ardmore, Pa.

What brought you to Ardmore?  “I had worked on cruise ships for seven years and had been around the world three times. I worked for Celebrity cruise lines, Royal Caribbean and even the Queen Elizabeth cruise liners. I had friends all over the place because I had worked with so many different people from different countries, and one of my friends lived in the Ardmore area. I came to visit him and I never left.”

Favorite Thing about Ardmore: “It's a nice community of nice people. It's safe, it's family focused, perfect for kids.”

Do you do any work with the community? “Yes, we make food for some local area churches, give gift certificates for school raffles and for the kids.”

Earliest Cooking Memory: “Cooking with my grandmother and mother in the kitchen when I was little. The recipes we use at Fellini's are actually my mom's and grandmother's.”

First Kitchen Job: “At 12, I started as a dishwasher and making cold salads and cold appetizers in my family's restaurant.”

Advice for Home Cooks: “You need a passion for cooking, you have to create, figure out new ways to do things. Experiment, make sure you enjoy what you do. Be creative. At Fellini's we do everything fresh everyday, just like in Italy.”

Favorite Thing to Cook: “Seafood, linguine frutti di mare.”

Best Thing on the Fellini Menu: “We add items to our menu often, we always update right after Easter. We're going to have a lobster ravioli and a mixed seafood grill on the menu soon, both are delicious.”

Healthiest Thing on the Fellini Menu: “Probably the mixed salad and spaghetti pomodoro.”

Favorite Local Restaurant: “Fogo De Chao and D'Angelo's in Philadelphia.”

Favorite Restaurant in the World: “In Rome, Canaletto, La Pineta and San Domenica.”

Guilty Pleasure (food or drink): “Chocolate is my favorite.”

Last Meal on Earth: “Grilled Branzino, asparagus, bottle of white wine and chocolate mousse.”

Biggest Kitchen Disaster: “Our refrigerator broke and everything was ruined. We had to get rid of it all and then buy everything fresh again.”

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