about

Even as a child Manny Augello’s life revolved around the kitchen. With a 40-year award-winning veteran chef as a father and a thriving family restaurant as a training ground, Manny learned to cook the old fashioned way, from the bottom up. Starting with every day chores around the kitchen he began his training in Sicilian and Italian cuisine.

From Sicily to Louisiana, Manny Augello cooked his way across the Atlantic – born in one culinary Mecca and developing his skills in another. Under the mentorship of Chef Todd Barrios Manny discovered a deeper passion for his craft and began cooking his way through Larousse’s Gastronomique. With the confidence he developed through his own diligence, Manny landed his first kitchen management position at Antoon’s Riverside in Natchitoches. Shortly after college Manny moved to Lafayette to help in the opening of Jolie’s Louisiana Bistro by restaurateurs Steve and Suzie Santillo and holds a position there currently as executive sous chef and charcutier.

Growing up surrounded by self sufficient cooks and experienced foragers, Manny learned the importance of combining extensive knowledge with prestine ingredients. As a guest at Manny’s table you will find unpopular ingredients prepared in comforting ways. His devotion to simple, yet innovative  pairings with focused technique defines a style best described as international soul food.

Recalling the scent from the family’s cellars- where meat hung to cure over open casks of fermenting wine- drew him to his obsession with the cucina povera approach and his determination to revive forgotten classics. He believes that to cook well, one must acquire a deep and unpretentious understanding and commitment to food. Food shouldn’t be intimidating. Its function is to be comforting and inviting.  Simple in concept with attention placed on every detail.

Like all good chefs he seeks to nourish – but more than just the body, he seeks to feed the soul with what he hopes is a memorable meal. Every dish he creates tells a story, each ingredient a character- together reciting a monologue of their journey – the cook’s intimate voyage.

“The purpose behind our profession seems to disappear when the emphasis on skill and chef become greater than the ingredient- the magic disappears.”