Andrea Apuzzo, Chef-Proprietor of Andrea’s Restaurant in Metairie, Louisiana (in the New Orleans metro area) was born and raised on the Isle of Capri, Italy. Chef Andrea began his formal culinary education while working in a bakery in his home town of Anacapri at the early age of seven. At fourteen, he left Capri to travel to Germany, Switzerland, England and South America to further his culinary training in some of the best hotels in Europe and abroad.

In 1975, he came to the United States as Executive Sous-Chef of the Omni International Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. And in 1977, he moved to New Orleans as Executive Chef of the Royal Orleans Hotel; a position he held until January, 1985 when he left to open Andrea’s, his life-long dream. GREAT CHEFS filmed Andrea there in 1988 for the special, Great Chefs, An International Holiday Table.

During the course of his culinary work experience, Chef Andrea has prepared culinary dishes for such notables as Queen Elizabeth, Princess Ann, President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, Senator Ted Kennedy, Clint Eastwood, Omar Shariff, Sophia Loren, Senator Jack Kemp, Lee Meriwether, and Tommy Lasorda.

Presently, Andrea’s New Orleans Italian restaurant is growing strong and Chef Andrea is investing a lot of his time in the community by participating in charitable functions, cooking demonstrations and personal service at his establishment. Chef Andrea has received the Wine Spectator of Excellence Award and the DiRona Excellence Award, and many more.