Ted Cipollone

Chef de Cuisine

Chive

Chef Ted Cipollone is driven by the pursuit of the new. He is constantly researching and experimenting with new ingredients and new preparation techniques; as a result his dishes are constantly evolving in a spirit of innovation and creativity. As the Chef de Cuisine at Chive, Chef Cipollone’s culinary philosophy is fully realized. Drawing from his personal background and his zeal for experimentation, Chef Cipollone has created a menu for Chive that is a breath of fresh air in the San Diego restaurant scene, delivering seasonal, fusion-based culinary surprises.

Chef Cipollone’s interest in cooking was sparked early in his childhood in Guam, where he and his family would partake in weekly feasts hosted by different villages on the island. He marveled at the variety of recipes he would encounter, how each family or village would reinterpret the same dish. His appreciation for fresh ingredients was instilled by his upbringing on the island, where fresh seafood, tropical fruit, and wild boar were in abundance. By age 16, Cipollone was working in a local restaurant. When a new chef from Oregon brought French culinary techniques to the restaurant, it opened Cipollone’s eyes to the world of haute cuisine. From that moment on, he knew that he wanted to be a chef.

Chef Cipollone’s training continued in New York at the French Culinary Institute. Moving to New York was a huge culture shock; after completing his education there and after some time working in restaurants, he was ready for a change. He was drawn to the Southwest, spending some time in Arizona before settling in San Diego near the comforting familiarity of the ocean. While he feels at home in San Diego, he does look back at his time in New York with a certain longing, missing the ease of transportation and close proximity in that city. The newness and innovation of that bustling culinary capital have infused his culinary philosophy, just as his early life in Guam has informed his use of ingredients and his Asian-influenced culinary style. He sees strong parallels between the culinary traditions that influence his practice: like the differences in village cooking techniques in Guam, Cipollone is drawn to the regional specificities of French cuisine. His menu at Chive is a reflection of himself, a product of cultural amalgamation and cross-cultural comparison.

He was initially drawn to Chive because of the strongly Asian-influenced menu. Since accepting the Chef de Cuisine position in April 2008, Cipollone has molded the menu to his philosophy while continuing the culinary vision of the restaurant. Drawing on Chive’s inventive spirit, Cipollone has intensified the sense of impermanence in the menu, creating a culinary climate of changeability and experimentation by implementing a seasonal menu that is frequently altered based on the whims of his inspiration.

Cipollone has a passion for fresh, seasonal ingredients and local produce, and finds that the current local-food vogue further facilitates his creative vision by providing greater acceptability and popularity of fresh, local ingredients. He’s pleased by preponderant use of local foods by restaurants, particularly how the economy has made it a more viable business strategy: “It’s forcing us to go back to the source, to our roots.” Finding the more exotic Asian ingredients for his dishes proves challenging for Cipollone, but it is a challenge he enjoys. It keeps him on his culinary toes, constantly improvising and revising.

Chef Cipollone’s constant revision of the Chive menu, as well as his zeal for innovation is motivated by perfectionism. He claims he is his biggest critic: although he’s changed the menu three times since he first came to the restaurant, he still isn’t completely happy with it, as sophisticated and creative as it is. He is driven by the idea that “nothing’s perfect,” and is always looking for ways to improve his dishes. His perfectionism is evident in the Chive menu: each dish is an exquisite piece of artistry and originality that stands alone as an isolated masterpiece while still playing off certain unifying flavors. There seems little room for improvement on Chef Cipollone’s refined and expertly-prepared dishes, but the prospect of reaching even greater heights of satisfaction is an exciting one.

Although his overall culinary philosophy is one of innovation and experimentation, Chef Cipollone hopes to create a consistent experience for diners that will keep them coming back. He wants to satisfy their expectations, while confounding their preconceptions. It is this balance of familiarity and surprise that is Chive’s greatest attraction: the expectation of being dazzled by the unexpected. Under Chef Cipollone’s guidance, Chive promises to become a destination for seasonal, inspired cuisine, one that will evolve and mature with yearly changes while still maintaining its sense of novelty. Above all, Chef Cipollone is someone to keep an eye on: I eagerly await his fall menu, which is his favorite season. It will assuredly be awe-inspiring.