Daniel Bellino Zwicke – Author – Italian Food & Wine Guy

 
DANIEL BELLINO

Daniel Zwicke is also known as (Daniel Bellino Zwicke) is a New York-based food and wine writer, best-selling author of Italian cookbooks, and a former restaurateur. He is known for his expertise in Italian cuisine and wine, with over 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry. 

Career and Background
Restaurateur: Zwicke was the creator, chef, wine director, and managing partner of Bar Cichetti, which he describes as “America’s First Venetian Wine Bar”. He also worked as a chef at other New York restaurants and as a Maitre’d at the celebrity hotspot Da Silvano, where he served a high-profile clientele of movie stars, rock stars, and fashion industry figures.
  • Author and Writer: He is a best-selling author specializing in Italian food and wine, travel guides, and food essays. He lives and writes in New York’s Greenwich Village.
  • Italian Wine Authority: He is considered one of America’s leading authorities on Italian wine.  
  • Notable Books
    Zwicke has authored several popular cookbooks and travel guides, including: 
    Sunday Sauce: Authentic Italian-American Recipes
    • Grandma Bellino’s Italian Cookbook: Recipes From My Sicilian Grandmother
    • Segreto Italiano: Secret Italian Recipes & Favorite Dishes
    • Positano The Amalfi Coast – Travel Guide / Cookbook
    • The Feast of The 7 Fish / Italian Fish & Seafood Cooking
    • Got Any Kahlua? (aka The BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK) 
    • His books are available for purchase on platforms like Amazon.com. You can learn more about him and his work on his website or follow his updates on Instagram and Facebook. 
    Before opening 
    Bar Cichetti

     in 1998, Daniel Zwicke built over two decades of experience in the New York City restaurant industry, beginning as a busboy and working his way up to chef at multiple establishments

    . 

    Early Career and Culinary Training
    Busboy: Zwicke started his career in high school at 

    The Cambridge Inn

    , where he was highly regarded as a “busboy”

    .

    • Education: He later attended New York Technical College for its hotel and restaurant management program.
    • Kitchen roles: After his time as a busboy, he moved into the kitchen, becoming a cook and later a sous chef. He worked at 
      John’s

       for nearly seven years in the 1980s while learning to become a chef.

    • Influential restaurants: Zwicke also cooked at notable New York City restaurants including:
      Transition to Front-of-House
      In the late 1990s, before launching Bar Cichetti, Zwicke transitioned from the kitchen to front-of-house management. 
      Da Silvano

      :After a partner split at Bar Cichetti, as Maitre’d-Manager at the famous Greenwich Village celebrity hot spot

      Da Silvano.
        • BARBETTA RISTORANTE – Daniel became the Wine Director of Barbetta Restaurant in New York. During his tenor at Barbetta, Daniel won the Wine Enthusiast Award of Ultimate Distinction.