Christian received a finance and entrepreneurship degree from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He moved to Manhattan in 1998 and began working in commercial real estate at Insignia ESG. After five years his passion for food and drink and his entrepreneurial spirit quickly took over and he found himself at the French Culinary Institute Christian was hired to open Snack Taverna in the West Village. He then went to work for the Brothers Denton at Inoteca on the Lower East Side and finally moved over to run Mario Batali's Otto.
After spending some time in Belgium during a friend's wedding, Christian was intrigued by Belgian culture - in particular the trappist beer and sophisticated pub food. Christian opened the doors to Resto in the spring of 2007. Since then, Resto has been fortunate to receive a warm welcome from local residents and critics alike. Resto was named one of the Top 10 Best New Restaurants in the New York Times in 2007 and was awarded 2 stars in the New York Times that same year. New York Magazine awarded Resto 4 stars in addition to naming it one of the Best New Restaurants of 2007. Christian continues to pursue his passion for great seasonal & local food as well as his passion for Belgian beer.
Born in Columbia and raised in Staten Island, Bobby is a local chef at heart. After high school he enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. After graduation from CIA, Chef Bobby worked for Jean-George Vongerichten in New York followed and the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. Driven by a passion for local produce, Chef Bobby decided to spend time on the West Coast at L'Auberge Carmel, a Relais & Chateau manor house and restaurant in California. From there, Bobby joined the team at Resto as the opening sous-chef. Resto promoted Chef Hellen him to Executive Chef in 2008.
Even though Chef Hellen has worked alongside several talented chefs, his greatest influence in the kitchen is his grandmother. As a child growing up in a large Italian family on Staten Island, Chef Hellen watched his grandmother make her own sausages, pasta and cured meats. Chef Bobby's charcuterie program continues this tradition and is one of the cornerstones of Resto's identity.
