Born and raised in Rome, Executive Chef Andrea Congiusta began cooking at the age of eight with his grandmother as a way to express his creativity and connect with his culture and his family.
Andrea began studying at the Scuola Alberghiera at age 14, where he started learning the basic Italian cooking techniques and immersing himself every day in the Italian culinary world. At the same time, he started working at multiple Michelin starred restaurants, including Il Pagliaccio and La Terrazza restaurant at the Hotel Eden.
After graduation, Andrea was accepted to the Academia Niko Romito, the culinary school founded by the well renowned, three-star Michelin star chef, Niko Romito. Here, Andrea learned how to push the boundaries of Italian cooking while still staying true to its roots. Andrea had the opportunity to work at two of Niko Romito’s restaurants at Lo Spazio in Milan and then at his three-star Michelin restaurant, Il Reale CasaDonna, which is ranked 16th in the World 50 best restaurant list from San Pellegrino.
Following all of his success, Andrea was voted one of the top 10 best young chefs under the age of 30 by the Birra Moretti Gran Cru.
In 2022, Andrea met the Ropolo family in Italy and joined Washington Street Hospitality, the group behind Pasta Beach Boston, Pasta Beach Providence, and Pasta Beach Newport, as well as Mr. R. Fusion in Newport, RI. After various stops around the Northeast, Andrea has recently located to Charleston, SC, where he leads the kitchen at Legami and enjoys his day off from work, which is usually characterized by the things that he loves - music, food and friends.
My Kind of Morning
I wake up at 9:00 a.m. and make some breakfast, finish ordering food for the restaurant and plan the kitchen schedule for the week.
Gym Time Before Anything Else
I go to the gym at 10:00 a.m., do 30 minutes of cardio and then lift weights. I take a shower and then I’m ready to relax and play some music.
Groceries and Roam
On my day off I also get groceries, which is definitely something that I love to do. I like to take a walk sometimes and explore Charleston. I've been finding so many favorite spots to go back to.
Music Keeps Me Grounded
I love everything that includes creativity. I get singing lessons every week and I’ve been playing guitar since I was nine. A few years ago, I made the decision to get some voice lessons to help me feel fulfilled and relax. Usually, I play guitar at home by myself or with friends. The plan in the next few months is actually to perform in an open mic bar.
Lunch Without Rules
The second part of my day is usually characterized by eating at home or ordering some food. It’s just nice sometimes to not think about cooking! If I decide not to order in, I cook something I am craving, usually pasta. After lunch, I turn on the tv and watch an Italian soccer match (of course AC Roma) or a nice movie - horror and comedy are my favorites.
Clearing My Mind
After that I usually save some time for meditation. I put my air pods on and I start a guided session for about 20 minutes.
Time for Friends and Fun
The restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday so my coworkers and I have the same days off. At 4:00 p.m. we usually meet up to play basketball or to go play pool at some of our favorite spots.
Nights Full of Food and Music
Dinner is very random. We either eat in a nice restaurant that we want to try or we wait to eat some late night food. My friends and I also love to make music, so at night we stay up until late to make some tracks and have fun with that.
Ending with a Good Book
When I come back home, I dedicate the last part of my day to reading books. Lately I've been reading books on personal growth.
