Quick Facts
Biography
Fabio Viviani (born October 10, 1978 in Florence, Italy) is a Chef, Culinary Personality, Restaurateur, and Cookbook Author, and he also sells a range of wines.
Early life
Chef Fabio Viviani has possessed a passion for food since his childhood growing up in Florence, Italy. At age 11 he worked nights at a local bakery (since he was too young to officially join the staff) and held several positions in the restaurant industry during his teenage years. In 1992, 14-year-old Viviani began working at the Il Pallaio trattoria in Florence, which served Italian comfort food and had a 120-seat cover, becoming sous chef by age 16, mentored by Italian restaurateur Simone Mugnaini.
Career
Between his training in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine at IPSSAR Saffi and working with culinary luminaries such as Alessandro Panzani and Saverio Carmagini, Viviani owned and operated five restaurants in Florence, a farm house, and two nightclubs by the time he was 27. Although a well-respected businessman in Italy, he was ready for a change and in 2005, Viviani moved to Ventura County, CA, where he opened Café Firenze in Moorpark, CA.
Teaming up with one of Chicago’s most innovative restaurant consulting groups, Dine|Amic, Viviani went on to open Siena Tavern in Chicago in 2013. Siena Tavern was reviewed favorably and received accolades by the Chicago Tribune, Thrillist, and Michigan Avenue, to name a few. The year 2014 saw the debut of both Mercato by Fabio Viviani, a quick-service Italian concept with branches in Chicago and San Diego, and Fabio Viviani Wine Collection featuring wines from his two wineries in California. In 2015, Viviani continued to make a name for himself in Chicago by opening Bar Siena and Prime & Provisions. The following year, Viviani expanded beyond Chicago to open Osteria by Fabio Viviani at the LAX Delta Terminal and several other Mercato by Fabio locations in Tempe, Phoenix, Cleveland, and Benton Harbor. He plans to open a Detroit branch in March 2017, hot on the heels of his February 2017 opening of Portico by Fabio Viviani at the del Lago Resort and Casinoin Tyre, New York. Moreover, in late 2016, he purchased a lobster fishing company in Maine to launch a home seafood delivery service called Lobster by Fabio.
Off-screen, Viviani is a regular headliner at global food events and festivals. He also has his own lines of cookware and culinary gadgets, and has been a proud spokesman for international brands such as Arnold Premium Breads, Johnsonville Sausage, Legends of Europe, Bertolli Olive Oil, Smart Step Home Kitchen Mats, Picnic Time Giftware, and Bialetti Cookware.
Among Viviani’s other passions, he has a knack for business and entrepreneurship. A prolific tech investor and business speaker, not only has he delivered over 300 keynotes in the past 7 years, but he has also featured at several Fortune 500 companies’ corporate functions to share expertise in branding, social media, and marketing. In 2016, Viviani launched his Know-How Leadership Academy, an online educational platform with guides and courses for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Most recently, he merged his mind for innovation with his passion for food when he collaborated with Chicago-based Sapphire Apps to release Food Porn Emoji by Chef Fabio Viviani, the first HD food emoji keyboard on the app market.
Television
Perhaps best known for his television debut on Bravo's reality series Top Chef earning the “Fan Favorite” title—his on-screen appearances have propelled him to become one of the fastest growing household names in the country. Viviani returned to the show in 2010 to compete on Top Chef: All Stars. In 2012, he was one of four Top Chef alumni whose lives were followed on the Bravo reality show Life After Top Chef, which lasted for one season. He was also the host of Chow Ciao, a web series on Yahoo!, for which he won a Webby Award for "Best Web Personality/Host" in 2012.
He is a recurring guest on national television shows such as Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, The Chew, Hallmark Channel's Home and Family, and countless Food Network Shows such as Cutthroat Kitchen: All-Star Tournament, which he won.
In February 2017, he also released his own online cooking show, “Fabio’s Kitchen,” a 52-episode series hosted on YouTube.
Books
Viviani's has authored three successful cookbooks: Cafe Firenze Cookbook,New York Times Best Seller Fabio's Italian Kitchen and Fabio's American Home Kitchen and is planning to release his fourth cookbook, Fabio's 30-minute Italian, in May 2017.
Restaurants
- Cafe Firenze - Moorpark, California
- Siena Tavern - Chicago, Illinois
- Bar Siena- Chicago, Illinois
- Prime & Provisions- Chicago, Illinois