BUFFALO, N.Y. —
The last time we featured Chef Valentina Garcia Montano on Out 2 Eat, she was the executive chef at Elm Street Bakery. Now, you can find her in the kitchen at Cucina inside the Richardson Hotel on Forest Avenue in Buffalo.
"I'm super excited to be here," she said. "When I was trying to figure out what my next move was this opportunity came along and I was like my god it's so different but I love the challenge."
The recently re-opened and renovated hotel has been full of activity this summer travel season.
"It's obviously a huge space, we have a lot of things going on we have a beautiful bar and a stunning dining room," Chef Valentina said. "So they wanted to have an Italian restaurant, so I wanted to feel different than every other Italian restaurant in the city. Make it a little more elegant."
Valentina grew up in Argentina, but her mother is 100% Italian, so this food feels like home.
"In Argentina it's the same," she said. "Same Italian food as here. Well, with the local ingredients and the little twists maybe, other things, but Italian food is I think the second biggest food in Argentina."
Expect fresh pasta, pizzas, and other classic Italian dishes, including Valentina's signature octopus. Plus, signature desserts like tiramisu and seasonal fruit crostatta.
"In Argentina we call it pasta frola," Chef Valentina said. "It's a regular nice crostatta. The dough is made with only egg yolks,so it's very rich and soft and it's beautiful."
After three months of developing recipes and finalizing the menu, Chef Valentina is proud to have the doors open at Cucina.
"It's super rewarding when you see the full dining room and everybody's enjoying it and everybody's like the food was so good. That's why we do it," she said.
For more information, hours and reservations, visit The Richardson Hotel website.