Executive chef José Vele
After six years at Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille in Morristown, where he manned the kitchen as executive chef, José Velez is pursuing his dream of running his own restaurant. In early August, Velez took over Ristorante Due Nicola and renamed it Toscania Trattoria.
The CIA-trained chef’s storied career began at the Marquis, Times Square’s largest hotel, and included spells as executive chef at the Seaview Resort & Spa in Absecon and NYC’s Rihga Royal Hotel (now The London NYC). Velez also helped train White House cooks and introduced culinary trends into the presidential kitchen, first during Bill Clinton’s tenure, then for George W. Bush.
Velez’s cuisine manifests multicultural influences from his travels. His culinary creations also reflect Velez’s unrelenting good taste, as seen in one of the signature dishes that will show up on the Toscania daily specials menu—his pan-seared diver scallops served with tomatoes provencal, sauteéd spinach, and gorgonzola polenta.
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