Gabriel Frasca facts for kids

Gabriel Frasca is an American chef who loves to create amazing food. He has worked in many famous kitchens and earned special awards for his cooking skills.

Gabriel Frasca's Journey as a Chef

Gabriel Frasca started cooking when he was just 15 years old, in a place called the North Shore of Massachusetts. Even though he first went to Kenyon College to study journalism, he soon realized his true passion was cooking!

Early Cooking Days

By the time he was 20, Gabriel was already cooking fancy French food. He worked for Gordon Hamersley, a famous chef who had won a special award called the James Beard Award. This was at a restaurant called Hamersley's Bistro.

In 1996, Gabriel got a job at Chez Henri in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There, he worked with other talented chefs like Paul O'Connell and Amanda Lydon.

Learning Around the World

In 1997, Gabriel and Amanda Lydon traveled to Provence, France. Gabriel worked at a restaurant called L’abbaye de Saint Croix. After that, he went to San Sebastián, Spain, to work with Martin Berasategui. Chef Berasategui is very famous and has earned three Michelin stars, which are like top awards for restaurants.

Gabriel then went to Italy and worked at a restaurant called St. Hubertus in the Dolomites mountains. While he was there, the chef he worked with, Norbert Neiderkofler, earned his first Michelin star!

Becoming a Head Chef

While in Italy, Gabriel met another American chef named David Bouley. Chef Bouley invited Gabriel to help him open a new restaurant in New York City called Danube. In 1999, Gabriel moved to Manhattan. He spent time at Bouley Bakery, which got a top rating from The New York Times newspaper. Later, Danube opened and also received a great rating.

In 2000, Gabriel returned to Boston and got his very first job as a head chef. In 2001, his friend Seth Woods hired him at a new restaurant called Aquitaine Bis. That same year, a newspaper called The Improper Bostonian named Gabriel Boston's "Rising Star" chef.

He then started working at a restaurant called Radius, owned by Michael Schlow. While Gabriel was there, Radius won the "Best Overall Restaurant" award from Boston Magazine. It was also named one of the top 25 restaurants by Gourmet magazine.

In November 2003, Gabriel took over Spire restaurant. A few years later, Boston Magazine named him "Best Chef, Up and Coming." He also received three stars from Boston Globe newspaper for his cooking.

Straight Wharf and Beyond

In 2006, Gabriel and Amanda Lydon became the co-Executive Chefs at the Straight Wharf Restaurant in Nantucket, Massachusetts. This restaurant first opened on July 4, 1976. In the same year, Gabriel won the "Rising Stars Award."

You might have even seen him on TV! Gabriel appeared on the show Fetch With Ruff Ruffman in Episode 15 of Season 1, called "Tryin' Chef."