Many chefs today acquire their skills at a culinary institute, but not Vittorio Aconi. He, unlike most honed his skills through an apprenticeship that started out as a summer job. His parents were born and raised in Italy. Vittorio’s father comes from a town near Napoli called Monte Di Procida, and this is where the story begins.

Since his youth Vittorio has visited his father’s hometown every summer religiously. When the last day of school would arrive Vittorio was on the first flight out and headed back to his second home- Napoli. His father would always call ahead and arrange a summer job. Little did he know that this summer job would become his passion in life.

“Being that my father owned a restaurant here in America and still had many friends in the restaurant business back in Italy, it was quite easy for me to find work every summer and learn from some of the best. At the end of the summer I would keep my skills sharp by continuing what I learned in my father’s restaurant in America”, Vittorio explains. And that he did, Vittorio has worked along side his father his entire life and grew up in the restaurant business. “For me I wouldn’t know how to do anything else, this just comes natural. Being in the kitchen and in this type of working environment is my home”.

Now, after years of preparing Vittorio will be bringing authentic Italian cuisine to Ewing. “There is a difference between Italian and Italian-American cuisine. My menu will be primarily authentic Italian but also offer a trendy twist. I do not want to simply feed my customers, but also offer them a learning experience while dining. I want them to be able to eat dishes that many people in Italy are enjoying. Italy has many great chefs who are being creative and bringing new cuisine to Italy while still using great Italian ingredients as well as new foreign twists to their dishes. This is what I have learned and wish to accomplish at Villa Rosa. People should not have to travel to Italy to experience these great dishes, I will be bringing them here to Hamilton.” After college Vittorio took over the kitchen of his father’s well-established restaurant, Villa Rosa, which has been in business since 1984.

Vittorio made new additions to the menu every evening and a following began. “I offered dishes every evening that were off the beaten path and quite different from the chicken parmigana and Spaghetti and meatballs that the people were accustomed to, the people were hesitant at first, but once they became a little daring they started loving it.” Vittorio has a simple formula for his dishes- use fresh Italian ingredients and be creative. With that formula he has created a menu that is simple, elegant, original and can only be found at Villa Rosa!