Fabrizio Schenardi
Bio & BackgroundExecutive Chef
Fabrizio Schenardi, executive chef of Tampa Bay’s acclaimed Pelagia Trattoria, first honed his culinary and pastry skills while studying and training in Italy before fine tuning his technique at leading hotels, restaurants and resorts worldwide.
A native of Rivoli, Italy (located near to Torino), Schenardi incorporates flavors from his homeland into many of his most popular dishes. His family grows olives in the town of Imperia and those same olives, which are imported exclusively for Pelagia, are typically included in this award-winning chef’s signature dishes that have earned him accolades nationally and internationally.
Since opening Pelagia in 2004, Schenardi has consistently earned kudos for his flawless combination of flavors, excellence of execution and commitment to using only the highest quality and freshest ingredients available. Critics and celebrities alike universally applaud his modern Italian cuisine that features a “Fabrizio” twist. Diners enjoy Schenardi’s creativity daily at Pelagia, a one-of-a-kind restaurant that adjoins the Four Diamond-rated Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza.
For two decades, Schenardi has been dazzling guests while working in Switzerland, the Caribbean, the Hawaiian Islands and coast-to-coast, from New York and Washington D.C. to Southern California. Equally at ease in the kitchen as well as in the dining room where he is often found warmly welcoming and greeting guests, Schenardi brings a fresh talent and energy to his food while offering an engaging personality to his friends and fans.
Schenardi continues to expand his already vast culinary repertoire while at the helm of the large culinary operation he currently supervises. In addition to planning and perfecting menu items for Pelagia, Schenardi also oversees the luxury hotel’s year round roster of banquets and special events.
Throughout his career, Schenardi has been celebrated at culinary showcases, invitation-only fund raising events, private parties and banquets honoring professional athletes, entertainers and business moguls.
Schenardi was among a select group of chefs from Marriott and Renaissance hotels around the globe who received the 2005 Award of Culinary Excellence (ACE).
The outstanding chefs were evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Measurable improvement in overall dining
- Outstanding achievement in culinary excellence
- Creativity and innovation
- Training and development of others
- Leadership and personal development
Previously, Schenardi was the executive sous chef, supervising all food operations, at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa in Dana Point, CA. In 2002, he was honored as “Manager of the Year” for the St. Regis Resort. Prior to that, Schenardi served as the senior chef at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons in Los Angeles, a fine dining restaurant known for its innovative Italian-California cuisine.
In Maui, his work was recognized by Bon Appetit Magazine, which designated the Ferraro Restaurant at the Four Seasons Maui as the island’s “Best Restaurant.” Previous positions held throughout his career include the following:
- Executive Chef at the Hotel Europe, a boutique hotel in Rapallo, Italy
- Specialty Restaurant Chef at the Mayflower Hotel (Renaissance Hotel) in Washington, D.C.
- Executive Sous Chef at the Jamaica Grand Hotel (Renaissance Hotel) in Jamaica, where he managed 90 cooks, six outlets and 40,000 square feet of banquet space. During a Caribbean Professional Culinary Arts team cooking competition, Schenardi’s team was awarded second place.
- Sous Chef at the Nikko Hotel, Essex House, New York, N.Y.
- Chef de Partie Tournant at the REMI Restaurant, New York, N.Y.
- Chef de Partie, Commis de Cuisine and apprentice at the Italian and Swiss luxury hotel and restaurant, Fort Village Hotel, La Tour de Super Crans.
Schenardi’s educational background focused on classical training in Italian and French cuisine and pastry at the Istituto Alberghiero Ravizza in Torino, Italy. He is fluent in Italian, French and English. He and his wife, Soomin, and son, Lorenzo, live in Tampa.
Featured Recipe:
Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb - Serves: 4Ingredients:
- 2 Lamb Racks
- ½ lb Grilled pPolenta
- 6 oz Dried Figs
- 6 oz Merlot Reduction
- 8 oz Ground Pistachio
- 4 oz Bread Crumbs
- 1 oz Thyme
- 3 oz Butter
- 6 oz Green Beans (blanched)
