If it was up to his parents, Alex Tubero would have never become a chef. When he was in high school, they convinced him to pursue something other than the cooking trade. So he went to Florida Atlantic University but was unenthusiastic about any of his classes and spent most of his time working in restaurants.
One Saturday night, he came across a book the chef was reading: Thomas Keller’s ‘The French Laundry.’ Tubero read the book the next day and decided to move to Napa Valley to attend the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). After graduating from CIA, he paid homage to the chef who inspired his culinary career by getting a job at Thomas Keller Ad Hoc. He went on to work at Eleven Madison Park and Union Square Café.
Executive chef
In August 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tubero became the executive chef of Amali, a Mediterranean restaurant in Manhattan. One of the professional accomplishments he is most proud of is being able to reopen the restaurant at a limited capacity and bring the unemployed staff beck to work.
The ambitious chef changes the menu at least twice each season. He gets inspired by culture, place and nostalgia:”Cooking is the easy part of being a chef. Sourcing ingredients and operations are the most important part of producing good culinary experience.”
Chef Tubero loves cooking Italian pasta and Mediterranean fish dishes at work. If he could go to any country to advance his culinary skills it would be Italy or Israel. Although, his favorite food is way simpler: a perfect omelet, which he describes as a definition of simplicity and luxury. Unlike many breakfast lovers, he would never put ketchup on his eggs as the popular condiment is the only thing he does not eat.
Usually dressed in regular clothes underneath an apron, he starts his days early by accepting deliveries and finishes late after placing fish orders. His calm demeanor and sense of humor carry throughout the kitchen and make for a friendly work environment, as long as there are no dirty side towels around or plastic wrap on food on the line. He spends his Sundays off sleeping in and eating out with his fiancée Natalie, who recently joined the company.
Culinary director
Last year, Tubero has taken over a bigger role from the company’s culinary director Dominic Rice. Now he oversees all culinary operations of Civetta Hospitality that owns other restaurants in New York City and Long Island, such as Calissa in the Hamptons.
The Florida native tries not to think too far ahead but if he had to dream he would see himself owning restaurants some day. He never cooks at home, though. “I’m a halal-cart-on-my-day-off kind of a guy.”