Chef
Luca Loffredo is the real macoy when it comes to professional
Italiano gourmet cooks. Originally from Napoli, Italy,
he's not only a pioneer in the culinary arts, but also
his family owned one of the first Publishing Companies
ever in Italy (The Loffredo Publishing Company). It
was here while working he "gained a passion for
the kitchen by reading". The local buzz on this
Chef is the opening Luca Ristorante and American Bar
in the heart of West Hollywood. He has recently recorded
a series of radio announcements for KCRW, and hopes
to make his name a legend in the Hollywood culinary
circles.
P.W:
Luca word is you cook up some mean dishes for the elite
of Hollywood. How did you get started in the culinary
business?
Luca:
I start preparing dishes for friends and family and
figured that I could make a career out of my passion
for cooking. But it's hard to see that happening so
far down the line when you are only 17.
.
P.W:
Can people earn a good living as a chef?
What kind of training do you need to land a great gig,
or is it more 'who you know' that matters?
Luca:
Yes, you can make a good living cooking, however you
need to compromise a lot. Everything matters when it
comes to making it happen. I’m a strong believer
of being in the right place at the right time with the
right people. Sometime you can cook the best meal ever,
but if the all around experience is not in tune, it
will be not noticed at all.
"Chef, choking the chicken.."
P.W:
Celebs are notorious for some of their peculiar requests,
especially when it comes to food. Have you had any odd
requests that stood out from the rest?
Luca:
Not really. I've had the opportunity of cooking for
many celebrities, especially when I was the chef at
Chianti, or more recently cooking for the Osborne family.
The odd request was the weekly lamb chop for the dog
when in the mid 90’s I was chef in SF at Prego.
P.W:
If someone were considering being a chef, what advice
would you offer them to get ahead and avoid the pitfalls
you may have encountered getting started?
Luca:
Be ready to fuse your private life with your work life,
cooking is very addicting. Also, cooking in a restaurant
is a great addiction for some but not for others. I've
missed it a lot and feel that I need to go back at the
stove ASAP.
"Lobsters
1 Chef 0"
P.W:
Where are you from originally? What city do you think
is the real food 'capital of the world'?
Luca:
I am originally from Napoli, Italy. I think that New
York and Paris are 2 great 'food capitals,' but you
can find in the smallest village in the middle of nowhere
your own capital for great food. I think Los Angeles
is becoming a great culinary city too, and adds in something
unique because food becomes the entertainment.
"Hooters,
it's all about the Buffallo Wings..."
P.W:
Is
LA
all it's cracked up to be or totally
overrated?
Luca:
It is not overrated - it's to be understood and discovered.
P.W:
When you aren't busy preparing meals, how do you spend
your free time? And for the ladies, are you single?
Luca:
Yes I am single. When I am off the stove, I spend most
of my time at home working on some crazy home projects
or taking long walks with my Cleo, my dog.
Chefs
- even have custom made trousers
P.W:
What's one place everyone should visit before they die?
Luca:
Napoli - as the say “ vedi Napoli
e poi muori”
P.W:.What
do you think you'll be up to in 5 years?
Luca:
So the question is will I still be cooking or onto a
different pursuit? I’m sure that in some way I’ll
be cooking and I hope to be performing my passion in
my own restaurant, or at least in a kitchen that reflects
my personality.
"Gotta love those Hooters!!!"
P.W:
Can
you imagine starring in an action film as
a knife wielding cooking madman on the verge of a nervous
breakdown, opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt of course?
Luca:
I can see myself doing some acting. I’m not sure
in what role, but definitely in the kitchen. Maybe surrounded
by veggies and other ingredients that are talking back
at me.
"Hey
I'd rather act in a scene with
Jennifer than a fucking sprout!"
P.W:
What do you think are LA's top 3 restaurants and why?
Luca:
'Vermont', fresh intimate and friendly,
just be prepared for Michael G.
'Louques':
I love the simplicity that translates into elegance,
and she is great.
'Cinespace':
A great concept with good food in a hot, frizzy atmosphere
among Hollywood's people. Great energy.
P.W:
What is the big difference between Europe and America
when it comes to dining culture? Are
Americans really a bunch of classless, cultureless,
warmongering pigs as some have described us?
Luca:
Not at all. Some Americans may be pigs, just as some
Europeans can be. The big difference is the history
and how traditions are kept alive.
"Another corporate pig!"
P.W:What
books are you currently reading? What is one everyone
should?
Luca:
I’m reading an Italian novel sent to me by my
father, also a book that I got as a gift for Christmas
“Alkalize or Die” by Theodore A. Baroody.
I think everyone should read any book by Elizabeth David,
she is my favorite.
P.W:
If
you could meet any figure from history, past or present,
who would it be and what would you ask them?
Luca:
Federico II of Svevia - one of the greatest Kings of
Napoli. I would like to spend some time with him cooking
and talking to him about history.
P.W:
Any projects coming up you'd like to plug? What services
do you currently offer that people should get a hold
of you to discuss?
Luca:
I am currently the executive chef for La Molisana, a
premium pasta company from Italy doing R & D. Also,
I am developing a small company “Hollywood-Chefs”
offering culinary services including catering, personal
chefing, demos and my unique cooking class that I called
“Improv-Cooking." You can reach me at Lucahef@attbi.com
or by simply calling me at 323-314-7436
P.W:
And lastly, what do you think of those munchie having,
red eyed geniuses over at Publicity Whore Magazine?
Luca:
Me know nothing - I was sleeping the whole time. You
guys are great. Ciao belli
KNOW
OF A PERSON
WE SHOULD INTERVIEW?
THEN TELL US!
interviews@publicitywhore.com
