Carlo Cracco & Michael Tusk

Teaches at La Scuola at Eataly Chicago

Carlo Cracco, born in Vicenza in 1965. After attending catering school, and becoming intern to Gualtiero Marchesi in Milan, Alain Ducasse in Monte Carlo, and Alain Senderens in Paris, he became the chef at Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence in 1991, a restaurant that received 3 Michelin stars three years later, in 1994. In 1994, Cracco returned to Marchesi at L'Albereta. 

Two years later, he opened his first restaurant: Le Clivie in Piobesi d'Alba, Cuneo, for which he received a Michelin star the following year. In 2001, Cracco’s culinary experience in Milan began as chef of  Cracco-Peck, which received 2 Michen stars. In 2007, he took over the whole restaurant. In 2013, he became in charge of the menu at Carlo & Camilla in Segheria in Milan, and he’s been a consultant for Trussardi alla Scala in Milan many times. 

What more can we say about Carlo Cracco, Masterchef from Vicenza, a world-traveler like all chefs – because experience, observation and knowledge are the real bricks of every great cooking structure. We can start by saying that he wears an “anti-guru” nice beard, that he is a positive man and that he loves challenges, especially those set on stoves. The way this guy crosses flavors is not just a game that makes use of products and blends them in order to play with contrasts. It’s a philosophy of synthesis. In the end it’s not diversity to be enhanced, but a brand new born taste. It is not just assembly, it’s research. It’s a real challenge because it’s not easy to manage a restaurant like this one in the center of Milan with this excellent level of magic. But Carlo can seduce any time with his charm and his ability not to take anything for granted. In years, it’s still this the element fascinating us the most: he’s ability to keep his personality and, at the same, the courage to invent himself, without succumbing to the temptation to tune himself on fashion or on the easiness of a repetitive style.
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Michael Tusk is the chef and owner of two of San Francisco’s most critically acclaimed restaurants, Quince and Cotogna. His approach to Italian and French regional cuisine is refined and modern, sourcing inspiration from the seasonal bounty of Northern California and his close relationships with local purveyors. A native of New Jersey, Tusk attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York, after graduating from Tulane University with a degree in Art History. 

After graduation, Tusk departed for Europe to gain experience in Michelin-starred restaurants throughout France and Italy. His experience in Italy’s Barbaresco region resonated most profoundly and was the catalyst for his sustained interest in Northern Italian regional cuisine. Tusk returned to the United States in 1988 and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area where he contributed to the success of some of the country’s most pioneering, influential restaurants including Stars, Oliveto, and Chez Panisse. 

In December 2003, Tusk and his wife Lindsay opened Quince and the restaurant quickly became one of San Francisco’s top fine-dining destinations. In November 2010, they opened Cotogna, a bustling, rustic Italian restaurant adjacent to Quince. Quince has been awarded four stars by the San Francisco Chronicle, two stars from The Michelin Guide, and is a distinguished member of Relais & Châteaux. Chef Tusk was named “Best Chef: Pacific” by the James Beard Foundation in 2011.