Paul Bartolotta facts for kids

Paul Bartolotta (born June 8, 1961) is a famous American chef and restaurateur. A restaurateur is someone who owns or manages restaurants. He is well-known for his real Italian cooking style. He also innovates by bringing fresh seafood from the Mediterranean Sea directly to his restaurants.

Paul Bartolotta has won the important James Beard Foundation Award twice. He won for Best Chef: Midwest in 1994. He won again for Best Chef: Southwest in 2009 for his restaurant, Bartolotta, Ristorante di Mare, in Wynn Las Vegas. In 1997, he received the Insegna del Ristorante Italiano del Mondo award from the President of Italy, Oscar Luigi Scalfaro. This award recognizes chefs who are true ambassadors of Italian cooking around the world.

Early Life and Cooking Journey

Paul Bartolotta was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the third of four children. His father was of Italian background, and his mother was from Austria.

He started working in restaurants when he was just 15 years old. He learned a lot from an experienced chef named John Marangelli, who taught him about "taste." After finishing school at Milwaukee Area Technical College and cooking in local places, Bartolotta moved to New York City in 1980.

In New York, he met Tony May, a famous restaurateur. With May's help, Bartolotta traveled to Italy in the fall of 1980. He spent seven years there, learning all about European cooking. He even became a citizen of Italy.

Learning from European Masters

During his time in Italy, Paul Bartolotta worked at Locanda dell’Angelo with Chef Angelo Paracucchi. Then, he moved to Imola to work at Ristorante San Domenico. This restaurant had two Michelin rated stars, which means it was very highly rated. There, he became a "Chef di Cucina" (head chef) at only 24 years old.

In 1984, Bartolotta went to France. He worked at several restaurants that had three Michelin stars, which is the highest rating. He learned from legendary chefs like Roger Verge, Paul Bocuse, and Pierre and Michel Troisgros. While in Paris, he also took advanced classes in making pastries.

Career in the United States

New York Success

Paul Bartolotta came back to New York in 1988. He worked for Tony May at two restaurants: San Domenico NY and Palio. As the head chef at San Domenico NY, he helped it earn a three-star review from The New York Times. This was a big deal for an Italian restaurant at the time.

Esquire magazine also named San Domenico NY the "Best New Restaurant in the U.S." in 1988. It was also listed as one of the "Top 50 Restaurants in the United States" by Condé Nast Traveler. In 1990 and 1991, Forbes Magazine gave San Domenico four stars.

Chicago Achievements

In 1991, Bartolotta moved to Chicago. He became the head chef at Spiaggia, a well-known restaurant. He managed Spiaggia's fine dining, café, and private dining areas. From 1991 to 2000, he led Spiaggia. In 1993, he also became a managing partner.

In 1994, Bartolotta won the James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef: Midwest. Spiaggia also received the AAA Four Diamond Award every year from 1994 to 2000. In 1997, he received the Insegna del Ristorante Italiano del Mondo award again. Spiaggia was named one of the Top 100 Restaurants in 1998 and 1999. It also became the first restaurant in Chicago to win four stars from both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago (magazine).

Milwaukee Restaurants

In 1993, Paul Bartolotta teamed up with his brother, Joe Bartolotta. They started The Bartolotta Restaurants group in Milwaukee. As a chef and co-owner, Paul helped open and run many different types of restaurants. These included fine dining (like Bacchus), upscale casual places (like Ristorante Bartolotta and Lake Park Bistro), and quick casual spots (like Pizzeria Piccola and Nonna's).

Several of their restaurants, including Mr. B's, Lake Park Bistro, and Ristorante Bartolotta, won the DiRoNA (Distinguished Restaurants of North America) award. The brothers also created Bartolotta Catering and Special Events Company. They even partnered with SSP America to open restaurants at General Mitchell International Airport.

Las Vegas Venture

In 2004, Bartolotta moved from Chicago to Las Vegas. Steve Wynn chose him to create and run the Italian restaurant at his hotel. This became BARTOLOTTA, Ristorante di Mare, named after him.

Located in Wynn Las Vegas, this restaurant was special. It imported about 1 to 1.5 tons of fresh seafood every week. This seafood was caught in the Mediterranean and served within 19 to 48 hours. They even used small microchips to track the seafood's temperature during air travel. A marine biologist was on site to look after the live seafood tanks.

BARTOLOTTA, Ristorante di Mare was one of only 12 restaurants in the world to serve fresh-caught langoustines. In 2006, it was nominated for a James Beard award for Best New Restaurant. In 2009, Bartolotta won the James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef: Southwest for this restaurant. It also received the AAA Four Diamond Award from 2006 to 2012 and a Forbes Four Star award in 2012. In 2015, it was announced that Bartolotta would leave Wynn Las Vegas, and the restaurant served its last meal on October 18, 2015.

Media Appearances

Paul Bartolotta has appeared on many television shows, sharing his cooking skills and passion for food.

American Television

• Guest chef on the CBS daytime show The Talk (October 2012)
• Cooked live with Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• Guest chef on NBC's The Today Show (2006 and 2010)
• Celebrity guest judge on the Bravo reality show Top Chef
• Featured chef on ABC's Nightline: Platelist
• Live with Regis and Kelly on WABC-TV (November 2009)
• Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie
• Iron Chef America
• Travel Channel with Samantha Brown
• The Martha Stewart Show

French Television

• Cuisinez Comme Un Grand Chef with Joël Robuchon

Italian Television

• I Grandi Cuochi on Gambero Rosso Channel
• Le Merediana with Luigi Veronelli, RAI

Restaurants

Paul Bartolotta has been involved with many successful restaurants throughout his career.

• BARTOLOTTA, Ristorante di Mare, Wynn Las Vegas (now closed)

The Bartolotta Restaurants (Milwaukee Area)

• Ristorante Bartolotta, Wauwatosa, WI
• Bacchus - A Bartolotta Restaurant, Milwaukee, WI
• Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro, Milwaukee, WI
• The Commodore - A Bartolotta Restaurant, Delafield, WI
• Harbor House, Milwaukee, WI
• Joey Gerard's - A Bartolotta Supper club, Greendale and Mequon, WI
• Mr. B's - A Bartolotta Steakhouse, Brookfield, WI
• Mr. B's - A Bartolotta Steakhouse, Mequon, WI
• Downtown Kitchen, Milwaukee, WI

Awards and Recognition

Paul Bartolotta has received many awards for his excellent cooking and restaurant management.

• James Beard Foundation Award, 2009 - Best Chef, Southwest
• James Beard Foundation Award, 1994 - Best Chef: Great Lakes
• James Beard Foundation Award Nomination, 2006 - Best New Restaurant
• AAA Four Diamond Award, AAA, 2006 - 2012, BARTOLOTTA, Ristorante di Mare
• AAA Four Diamond Award, AAA, 1994 - 2000, Spiaggia
• Insegna del Ristorante Italiano del Mondo, 1997
• Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DIRONA), Spiaggia, 1993, 1999
• Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DIRONA), BARTOLOTTA, Ristorante Di Mare, 2000
• Restaurants and Institutions’ Ivy Award, 2008, BARTOLOTTA, Ristorante di Mare
• Restaurants and Institutions’ Ivy Award, 1993, Spiaggia
• Restaurants and Institutions Top 100 Restaurants, 1998 and 1999, Spiaggia
• International Food Service Manufacturers Association (IFMA), Culinary Excellence Award, 1993, Spiaggia
• Nation's Restaurant News’ Hall of Fame Award, 1992, Spiaggia
• Silver Spoon Award, 2009