Paul Bertolli facts for kids

Paul Joseph Bertolli (born 1954) is a well-known chef, writer, and food producer from the San Francisco Bay Area in California. He is famous for his work in fine dining and for creating special handcrafted food items.

Paul Bertolli's Story

Paul Bertolli was born in 1954 in San Rafael, California. His family came from Italy. He became very famous in the world of fine cooking while working at a restaurant called Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. He worked there from 1982 to 1992.

Becoming a Top Chef

At Chez Panisse, Paul Bertolli became the main chef, known as the executive chef. He also helped write a cookbook called Chez Panisse Cooking with the restaurant's founder, Alice Waters. This book shared many of the restaurant's famous recipes.

After leaving Chez Panisse, he became the executive chef at the Oliveto restaurant in Oakland, California. He worked there until the middle of 2005.

Making Special Foods

Paul Bertolli is especially known for making handcrafted ingredients. "Handcrafted" means they are made carefully by hand, often in a traditional way. Two of his most famous products are balsamic vinegar and salumi.

• Balsamic vinegar: This is a very flavorful, dark, and thick vinegar often used in Italian cooking.
• Salumi: This Italian word refers to cured-pork products. These are meats that have been preserved, like salami and prosciutto.

In March 2006, Paul Bertolli started his own food company called Fra' Mani Handcrafted Salumi. The name 'Fra Mani' comes from Italian and means 'between or among hands'. It sends a message that the food is made with care, "from our hands to yours."

Paul Bertolli also wrote his own cookbook in 2003, called Cooking by Hand: A Cookbook. It shares his passion for making food with traditional methods.