Executive Chef

PEDRO CRUZ

Chef Pedro Cruz grew up cooking with his sister in Puebla, Mexico; playing with ingredients like fresh herbs and making fresh tortillas. At 12 years old Chef Pedro really thought more about becoming a professional chef. Several years later in 2002, Chef Pedro made is journey to New York City in pursuit of becoming a chef as well as higher education.

Chef Pedro’s first job in the kitchen was making brunch, something he remembers as being a real culture shock. Early on his career, Chef Pedro met restauranteur Michael White. Michael White became a mentor for Chef Pedro – challenging him and expanding his knowledge of all the different ways to be a chef in the kitchen.

Along the way in his cooking career, Chef Pedro ended up at Minetta Tavern in 2015, where he met Chef Jerome Dihui. Chef Jerome Dihui went on to become Executive Chef at Boucherie, and Chef Pedro joined Chef Jerome in the kitchen soon after. While at Boucherie, Chef Pedro also met Chef Dominick Pepe.

Chef Dominick and Pedro saw how well they could work together, which resulted in Chef Pedro taking over the kitchen at Olio e Piu in early 2019. Chef Pedro knows how important it is for him to be a leader in his new role, and is constantly changing and bettering himself to create a productive and creative work environment.

Besides his time in the kitchen, Chef Pedro has always held education to a high standard. In 2015 Chef Pedro attended Columbia University, getting his master’s degree in language. In Summer 2019, Pedro will go back to Columbia to continue his language studies. Chef Pedro lives in NYC with his two daughters and is always on the quest to expand his knowledge in and out of the kitchen. He is proud of his family, food, kitchen, and staff.