Chef Stories

David Anderson: Genoa and Accanto

David Anderson, 32, is the Chef of Genoa and Accanto Restaurants, one Portland’s most acclaimed and influential restaurants.  David came to Portland from Ketchikan, Alaska in 2000 and worked his way up through some of this city’s finest kitchens –including Café Azul, Southpark, Lauro and Vindalho.  From the beginning, he has been recognized as one of Portland’s best young chefs, with Willamette Week honoring his work as Chef de Cuisine at Lauro Kitchen by naming it “Restaurant of the Year” in 2004. Moving on to Vindalho in 2005 he was featured in Gourmet Magazine, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. His commitment to the culinary arts also garnered accolades from the Oregonian’s Diner Issue in 2007, where he was called out as one of Portland’s “Rising Stars”. In 2008, David was crowned as the champion of “Iron Chef Portland”. David’s second decade in Portland promises to be just as exciting. In December of 2009, he led the reinvention of one of Portland’s most significant culinary icons, opening not one, but two, critically praised restaurants – the elegant prix fixe classic, Genoa, as well as Accanto, its more relaxed next door sibling, an Italian cafe serving guests 7days a week from morning until night.

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Anthony Cafiero: Tabla Mediterranean Bistro

A fine arts major and former fine furniture builder, Cafiero has found that the best way to satisfy his blooming creative energy is by dismissing expectations and building dynamic dishes in the kitchen.

Cafiero moved from upstate New York to the Portland, Oregon in 2000 to attend Reed College, where he studied Fine Arts.

During college, Anthony balanced jobs at restaurants like Veritable Quandary, In Good Taste Bistro & Catering and Paley’s Place, where he learned the nuts and bolts of creating exquisite cuisine in a commercial kitchen.

In 2004, Anthony began working at Nostrana, under the tutelage of James Beard nominated chef Cathy Whims – a respected figure of the Slow Food movement. There, he was completely immersed in rustic Italian cooking, and learned the importance of using local ingredients. Under Cathy’s wing, Anthony sharpened his skills and speed, learning to cook by instinct rather than
thought.

Then Cafiero embarked on a new challenge – joining the kitchen of nationally acclaimed restaurant Ten 01. Now under the guidance of Owner Adam Berger, a trained chef, Cafiero learned that conversation, energy and involvement in the
kitchen are equally important for bringing all the pieces together in a dish.

In 2008 Anthony transitioned to Tabla Mediterranean Bistro. Crafting regional dishes from Italy and the Mediterranean. His focus has recently been centered on the food of Northern Spain, especially Galicia and Catalunya. Anthony has
managed to raise Tabla back up to the top of Portland restaurants, creating flavor combinations and dishes that Portland diners talking and coming back for more.