Francesco Antonucci & Antonucci Café

Venetian born Francesco Antonucci was educated at a cooking school in Venice, Italy and apprenticed and worked his way up the kitchen ladder at the elegant Italian restaurant chain, Et Toula. Seven years later, he had worked his way up to chef.  He immigrated to the United States and began as sous chef at Valentino’s in Santa Monica, California. He then joined forces with film director, Dino De Laurentis, first as executive chef at the DDL Foodshow, then DDL Bistro in New York City’s Trump Tower.  He later moved over to Alo Alo Restaurant in New York City for another two years.

In 1987, he teamed up with partner/designer, Adam D. Tihany, and opened the original Remi restaurant on East 79th Street in New York City.  Three years later in 1990, they relocated to a larger space on West 53rd Street, and also opened a second Remi in Santa Monica.   In 1993, the Great Chefs television crew showed up to tape him for Discovery Channel’s Great Chefs of the East series, and their Great Chefs of America series, with different dishes.  It was also the year he opened his third Remi Restaurant in Mexico City.

In 1994, Chef Antonucci opened his fourth Remi Venetian Restaurant in Tel Aviv, Israel.   In 2005 he sold all the Remi Restaurants and opened Antonucci’s Café on New York City’s East 81st Street, where he remains today in 2016.