Nicholas Stefanelli

Masseria and Officina

Washington, DC

Featured: Saturday, March 9th at the  Grand Tasting Reception

Nicholas Stefanelli is the chef/owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Masseria in Washington, DC. Enchanted by the old “masseria” farmsteads of his ancestral Puglia, he brought that Italian sensibility to life with irrepressible style while celebrating the big, harmonious flavors of his heritage. Opened 2015, Masseria embodies the austere glamor of Italy, its heartfelt, artisanal dishes and the industrial grit of its surrounding Union Market neighborhood. Masseria was one of only 12 DC restaurants to earn a Michelin star within the guide’s first year in the city, and was selected by noted Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema as one of the top 10 best restaurants of 2015. Masseria has been prominently featured in publications such as Bon Appétit, GQ, Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. As a graduate of L’Académie de Cuisine, Stefanelli worked in kitchens from Thomas Keller’s French Laundry to Bibiana—the haute Italian restaurant he opened with legendary restaurateur Ashok Bajaj. Under his tenure, Bibiana was named a “Best New Restaurant” by Esquire. In 2010, he won the “Rising Star” Award by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington [RAMW] and was a James Beard Foundation “Rising Star” nominee. Opening spring 2018, Stefanelli will unveil his latest concept: an expansive three-story complex within The Wharf development in DC. The project will feature a specialized Italian market food emporium, a trattoria and a rooftop bar with private event space.