Chef Alfred Portale Executive Chef of Portale

Chef Alfred Portale is a three-time James Beard Award Winning chef, restaurateur and cookbook author known as a pioneer in the New American cuisine movement.  

After graduating at the top of his class at the Culinary Institute in 1981, Portale apprenticed in France with the Great Chefs Guerard, Troisgros, and Maximin, where he refined and mastered classical French techniques. In 1985, Portale took the reins as Executive Chef at the young Greenwich Village restaurant Gotham Bar and Grill where he developed a seasonal menu with an American sensibility: relaxed elegance, prime product and bold flavors. Portale's dedication to sourcing quality ingredients from small farms and specialty purveyors placed him among those chefs who are identified as the leaders of the movement known as New American Cuisine. Within six months Gotham received its first 3-Star New York Times review and Portale's reputation was established. Today, he has earned a total of five three-star reviews from The New York Times; three James Beard Awards and a longstanding Michelin star.