Chef/Owner

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Maurizio de Rosa’s story begins in Naples, where his mother’s passion for hospitality and fine cuisine would inspire a career spanning over three decades. From his early days working alongside his brother in his hometown to becoming a dedicated chef and sommelier, Maurizio has always defined dining as an encompassing experience.

After earning a Finance degree from NYU and an MBA in Accounting from Baruch College, Maurizio combined business acumen with a love for gastronomy, launching his own ventures. In 1995, together with his mother Rita and brother Bruno, he opened De Rosa Restaurant, a labor of love that set the tone for his future—where quality, authenticity, and personal connection to guests came first.

His curiosity for wine led him to achieve Advanced Sommelier certification, mastering the art of pairing flavors and enhancing the dining experience. This passion took him across continents—managing wine portfolios for some of the largest U.S. distributors, introducing rare Italian wines and ingredients to new markets, and later overseeing export operations for Feudi di San Gregorio, a prestigious Italian winery.

But it was in the restaurant world that Maurizio made his boldest mark. He introduced Neapolitan pizza to Buenos Aires with San Paolo Pizzeria, which earned the title of Best Pizzeria in Latin America. Back in New York, he helped Sushi Nakazawa earn a Michelin star, curating avant-garde wine and sake pairings and redefining the Omakase experience. His partnership with Daisuke Nakazawa was a seminal moment in his culinary journey that led Maurizio to adopt a Japanese approach to sourcing the most pristine fish and emphasizing a minimal intervention in its final preparation. Fluent in four languages and deeply connected to global culinary traditions, he sees every service and food as an opportunity to tell a story—one plate, one glass, one guest at a time.

As Maurizio undertakes this new venture in Livingston, NJ he hopes to devote himself to Vette and its community with the same passion and commitment that defined his career so far.