I graduated from the Culinary Institute of American in 1994 and I’ve been at Hoffstot’s ever since. Upon graduating, my now wife, Megan, and I were driving around the Pittsburgh area dropping off my resume to every restaurant when we drove through Oakmont on our way home. I had never heard of Hoffstot’s but the building looked inviting so we decided to drop off my last resume with the hostess. As I walked out to my car a man CHASED me down, a man none other than Dan Monaco himself. We spoke a little in the parking lot and he told me to come in the very next day to interview with his head chef, John Miceli. I was employed by the end of the week and worked for 8 years under Miceli’s guidance until I became Executive Chef myself. Having been here more than a quarter of a century, this place and these people are more like family. Danny & Tommy Monaco always treated me as a son, pushing me beyond my doubts and reminding me when I didn’t give my best. Although they’re irreplaceable, I feel compelled in continuing what they started here in 1972; whether it be thanking each and every table personally during dinner service or the beautiful flowers that adorn the entryways, the standard you’ve come to know here at Hoffstot’s will always continue.
