DIMITRI VOUTSINAS

Dimitri, a native New Yorker, grew up in the hospitality industry. From an early age, Dimitri gained an appreciation for great food and classic cooking techniques, while he also grasped a sharp business acumen by being part of family-owned food ventures. Starting at age 12, he would work on weekends preparing 'grab and go' items at a neighborhood delicatessen. Dimitri continued to work in food service throughout his teenage years, until finishing high school and enrolling in culinary school. He graduated at the top of his class at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan. (Now known as the International Culinary Center). It was through this accomplishment that he was awarded an opportunity to study and hone this craft in Northern France.
For over a decade, Dimitri has managed and consulted on a number of establishments in New York City. Dimitri would work closely with owners of various concepts to streamline operations, create appealing menus, and increase profits. It was through one consulting project that a producer from Food Network's 'Chopped' noticed a major improvement in her local eatery and convinced Dimitri that he would make a worthy contestant. After the taping of the episode, he was personally approached by Chef Marcus Samuelsson for a kitchen management position at Harlem hotspot Red Rooster. Dimitri has managed the kitchens of restaurants Bar Boulud and The Russian Tea Room - two prestigious and high-volume restaurants in Manhattan. At these restaurants, he worked with the finest ingredients and refined his own craft. During the last two years in New York, he worked closely as the Chef de Cuisine with Chef/Owner Mathieu Palombino and contributed to the worldwide expansion of Motorino, a highly regarded Neapolitan pizzeria that emphasizes the use of the highest quality ingredients and traditional cooking methods. He perfected recipes and created training material for all worldwide locations while managing three restaurants in Manhattan.