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Melissa Perello
3870 17th St.
San Francisco, California
415-621-3870
Why Because although she's only 27, she knows exactly what makes a dish work. Her sheep's-milk ricotta gnocchi are sophisticated yet uncomplicated.
Born Hackensack, NJ, 1976.
Education The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY.
Experience Aqua, San Francisco.
On starting her career "While I was in high school in Houston, I got a job cooking in a country club kitchen to get experience. I worked 40 hours a week and didn't do much else."
Career turning point While dining at Aqua before beginning cooking school, Perello got invited back to the kitchen. She impressed the chefs so much that they offered her an externship.
Most humbling moment "A few years ago, when I was going through a grilling phase, I brought my hibachi in to work. All of a sudden there was a lot of smoke, and then thousands of firemen showed up. San Francisco firemen are really cute, and we got to check them out through the little window in the kitchen."
Pet peeve Disorganization. "I'm a Virgo, so I'm anal-retentive. I like my sauces in one spot, salt and pepper in another spot, spoons to be here, butter to be there. The first thing I do at work is rearrange everything; the line cooks roll their eyes."
Favorite kitchen tool A microwave oven. "It saves your life when someone's waiting for short ribs and you forgot to heat them up."
Won Best New Chef at: Charles Nob Hill; San Francisco (closed)
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