our chef

Executive Chef Giacomo Mistretta
Napa Valley Grille, Paramus

Giacomo [but some call him Jack] Mistretta traces his love of the kitchen back to his high school cooking classes. Even as a teenager he was a guy who knew what he wanted, and now he’s the one making waves as the Executive Chef and the man behind it all at Napa Valley Grille. Clearly, he’s not new on the restaurant scene. In fact, he started his career at a local catering house in Clifton, NJ. In 1991, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York – the “it” spot for chefs to climb the ranks and to make a name for themselves. From there, he went to Beaugard’s Restaurant in Dumont for 2 years and then he worked at the Four Season Hotel in New York City. Kitchens, fine dining and back again – could we be any luckier to have a guy with such finesse and prestige? With that great experience behind him, Chef Jack became the Sous Chef at the well-known institution, Esty Street Restaurant in Park Ridge back in 1995. After 4 years he was promoted to Executive Chef where he received rave reviews, including 2 ratings in the record for 3 ½ stars and an “excellent” from the New York Times. He also received favorable ratings in northern New Jersey magazines, Pascask Valley and Bergen Health & Life. He’s not one to boast, but be sure to keep your ears open for more news on Chef in the coming days and months. Maybe he’s the best kept secret yet?

When he’s not cooking up a storm or on the floor meeting and greeting friends and new guests, Jack volunteers for Table-to-Table, a community-based food rescue program. He’s a community guy, what can we say. That’s one thing that we like about our Chef Giacomo – a guy like this is someone you want making your dinner.
“I have created a menu that is ingredient-driven. We use the freshest ingredients available in recipes that keep the essence of the food in tact and innovative.”

Napa Valley Grille’s wine country cuisine is inviting because it combines Mediterranean and American preparations. Menu favorites, like the Crispy Long Island Duck with saga blue cheese polenta and spinach in a candied orange zest reduction sauce, blend fresh ingredients with unique and surprising accents. Chef Giacomo showcases his style with the small plates selection of wine country cuisine paired with California wine varietals.

He been married for 13 years to his wife Lisa and they have two children: Charlotte who is 9 years old and Gianni who is 5 years old.