Amy DiBiase

Executive Chef, Roseville

Amy DiBiase hails from a small town southwest of Portland, Maine. She grew up as the oldest child of a restaurant manager mother and an Italian father and from the age of nine took on the task of preparing the nightly family meals. Her early culinary influences came from her family with the maternal side specializing in desserts and the paternal side in all things Italian. Sunday lunch after church was a weekly feast for the DiBiase clan. Before she even knew the word chef she knew she wanted to be one; it was in her genes.

After high school Amy headed off to Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island where she obtained degrees in both Culinary Arts and Food Service Management. In her final two years of university she took the position of sous chef at Mediterraneo Caffe, an Italian bistro frequented by visiting celebrities. Upon graduating Amy moved to Denver to be the opening sous chef of a casual restaurant called Appaloosa Grill.

Maybe it was the snow or maybe it was the surf but California was calling her. Having learned about a talented chef in San Diego named Douglas Organ she set out to work with him at his award-winning restaurant-the original incarnation of Laurel Restaurant & Bar. But timing is everything. Shortly before Amy's arrival in San Diego, Douglas moved to Boston to pursue other restaurant ventures and then unfortunately 9/11 hit. In spite of these set backs she secured a position at Laurel, and fortunately for her the general manager happened to be none other than George Riffle.

Her time at Laurel proved to be greatly beneficial to Amy as she found culinary mentors there in spite of Douglas' departure. Executive Chef Jason Shaeffer, who after departing Laurel headed to Manhattan to open Thomas Keller's Per Se only to come back to San Diego to open 1500 Ocean at the Hotel del Coronado, gave Amy boundless creative freedom as his sous chef. After Jason's departure Amy stepped up into Laurel's top position. She stayed the course through a change of ownership and after 4½ years took the position of Chef de Cuisine at Baleen at the Paradise Point Resort on Mission Bay where she spent 1½ years.

Knowing that he was going to open Roseville, George kept close tabs on Amy over the years. "As for George...he has known me since I first walked into Laurel seven years ago...he has helped me in every culinary accomplishment in San Diego. Whether it be giving a 25-year-old the chance to be head chef at Laurel, to introducing me to Paradise Point and now giving me a chance to be head chef at Roseville."

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Learn more about Amy DiBiase at rosevillesd.com/