Talent

Dominique Filoni
Executive Chef, Avenue

From an early age, St. Tropez, France native Dominique Filoni had a unique passion for cooking. Whether helping his grandmother prepare one of her legendary culinary specialties, foraging for exotic mushrooms and wild leeks with his uncle, tending to the family garden or searching for snails with his mother, family activities often revolved around food. At the age of sixteen, Mr. Filoni graduated with honors from the intensive culinary program at the Lycee Hotelier Institute in Hyeres, France.

For five years, Mr. Filoni cooked at several well-regarded restaurants in the French Alps, the French Riviera, and Paris. During this time, he learned the importance of using only the freshest ingredients and the necessity of incorporating these ingredients on a seasonal basis into menu development. As he rose through the ranks, Dominique also began to grasp the importance of subtlety, and how to coax maximum flavor out of an ingredient by letting the natural flavors speak for themselves.

Always eager to expand his knowledge, Chef Filoni moved to the United States in 1995 to accept the position of Chef de Cuisine at the newly opened Tierra restaurant in Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania. In 1997, the owners of Tierra recognized Filoni’s extraordinary talent and promoted him to Chef de Cuisine at the subsequently named Savona. In the kitchen, Chef Filoni blended his superb French discipline with his love for Italian spontaneity, the result being his own innovative signature style of cooking. Dominique’s dedication to Savona was rewarded when he was named Executive Chef/Partner in 2000.

In 2003, Filoni became inducted into the Maitres Cuisiniers de France, making him the youngest French Master Chef in the United States at the time, and in 2004, he was named one of America’s Best New Chefs by Food & Wine magazine.

In 2004, Dominique opened Bianca in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania with his wife, Sabine – where, as Chef/Owner, he prepared flavorful dishes using simple, market-fresh ingredients. In late 2005, Filoni became the Chef de Cuisine under Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix at his eponymous restaurant inside Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Hotel, then in spring of 2006 he joined the culinary team at Seasons Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC. As Executive Sous Chef, Filoni helped transform the restaurant’s menu with his modernized versions of classic French dishes.

Filoni returned to Philadelphia in 2008 to become the Executive Chef at Stephen Starr’s Parc in Rittenhouse Square.

In 2009, he accepted the position of Executive Chef at Avenue restaurant – an elegant beach-side brasserie in Long Branch, New Jersey. In keeping with his unique philosophy to utilize the only the best, most seasonal ingredients available, Chef Filoni serves up elegant cuisine infused with the flavors of the French Riviera - from classic Steak Frites and Trout Amandine to the decadent Salt Crusted Branzino and Lobster Pot-au-Feu. Chef Filoni has been featured on the CBS Early Show, Food Network, in Wine Spectator, Bon Appetit, and Town & Country, among others.

He resides in Little Silver, New Jersey with his wife, Sabine, and three children.