Meet Luigi Fineo

We were lucky to catch up with Luigi Fineo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Luigi , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from a combination of discipline, experience, and heart. In the kitchen, I have learned that patience and persistence are essential—dough must be nurtured, sauces perfected, and every mistake is a lesson, not a failure. These lessons translate directly to life: challenges require adaptability, focus, and the willingness to try again.
Beyond technique, resilience comes from connection—family, friends, colleagues—and the joy of creating something meaningful. Passion, persistence, and purpose are the ingredients that sustain me, even when the heat is high.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am Chef Luigi Fineo, and my work revolves around celebrating the heart of Italian cuisine. I am passionate about creating dishes that honor tradition while allowing room for creativity and innovation. For me, cooking is not just about food—it is about connection, storytelling, and creating moments that people remember.
What I find most exciting about my work is the ability to transform simple ingredients into experiences that bring joy, warmth, and togetherness. Every dish I prepare carries a story, a memory, and a piece of my heritage, and sharing that with others is incredibly fulfilling.
Professionally, I focus not only on crafting exceptional meals but also on mentorship and education. I enjoy guiding young chefs, sharing techniques, and fostering a culture of curiosity and excellence in the kitchen.
Currently, I am particularly excited about several new initiatives. These include a series of immersive culinary pop-ups that bring authentic Italian experiences to new communities, as well as a line of artisanal sauces and specialty products designed so people can enjoy my recipes at home.
Ultimately, my work is about passion, precision, and purpose: honoring the past, embracing innovation, and connecting with people through the universal language of food.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, there are three qualities that truly shaped my path:
1. Passion
Without genuine passion, you cannot give your best. Passion makes you wake up early, taste your sauce one more time, and chase excellence even when you are tired.
Advice: Find what excites your heart and chase it relentlessly. Surround yourself with inspiration every day—books, mentors, smells, music—anything that keeps the spark alive.
2. Discipline and Craftsmanship
Love alone is not enough. You must respect the process, master the fundamentals, and practice until your hands remember more than your mind. Consistency and patience are your secret ingredients.
Advice: Build strong habits. Practice the basics daily. Do the work no one sees—prepping, chopping, tasting. This is where mastery grows.
3. Curiosity and Humility
Always remain curious and humble. No matter how much you know, there is always something new to learn, a new flavor, a new technique, a new story to taste.
Advice: Explore widely, listen deeply, and never stop learning. Admit what you don’t know. Ask, experiment, fail, and taste again.
Think of these three like ingredients in a perfect risotto: each is good on its own, but together they create something unforgettable.
For anyone starting out: approach your life and your craft like a fine meal—slowly, thoughtfully, and with joy.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

The number one challenge I am facing right now is balancing tradition with innovation. You see, in the kitchen, you have the recipes of your family, the techniques passed down through generations—these are sacred. But at the same time, the world is always changing, flavors evolve, people crave something new. How do you honor the past while creating something fresh and alive? That is the challenge.
To overcome it, I do three things:
1. Study and Respect the Classics – I make sure I know every traditional recipe, every technique, every ingredient intimately. You cannot innovate without a deep respect for where you come from.
2. Experiment with Intent – I test new ideas carefully, taste constantly, and listen to the feedback of trusted colleagues. Every experiment must serve a purpose, not just novelty.
3. Reflect and Adjust – I take time to step back, taste the bigger picture, and decide what truly fits my vision. Sometimes failure teaches more than success.
In life, as in the kitchen, the balance between tradition and innovation is never perfect—but with curiosity, patience, and a love for the craft, it is always moving in the right direction.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://luigifineo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aldente_pastashop/?hl=en
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/al-dente-los-angeles-12