Executive Chef Jason Donoho
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Jason, 27, is the executive chef of the Volpe Restaurant Group. Originally from Texas, Jason grew up living in the Caribbean and South America.
His culinary background started as a prep cook & dishwasher as a teenager in Puerto Rico.
At 17, Jason moved to California, spent time in San Francisco & Napa, California working with among others, Chef Elizabeth Falkner at Citizen Cake and Chef Mark Franz at Farallon. After these kitchens, Jason split time between Alaska & Austin working in high end concepts, Jeffrey's & the Four Seasons Hotel.
Jason's talents were quickly recognizable to Emmett & Lisa after joining the ASTI kitchen in 2007, and it was shortly there after that he was asked to assume control of FINO's menu.
In September of 2009, Jason became Executive Chef of ASTI Trattoria and FINO Restaurant Patio & Bar. Bringing equal enthusiasm and talent to ASTI's classic Italian fare.
His responsibilities now include menu creation, cost controls and back of the house management for two of Austin's highly respected restaurants. |
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Bar Manager Bill Norris
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For fifteen years, Bill Norris has poured drinks in venues from the Jersey Shore to London to New York and Austin.
While in New York, he helped open L-ray in the West Village wiht Chef Aaron Sanchez (Isla, Paladar and Mixx) and consulting chef Jimmy Bradley (The Red Cat, The Harrison).
At FINO, Bill focuses on a mix of classic cocktails and carefully crafted original recipes, relying on the best spirits, fresh juices and homemade mixers.
He is the Texas Regional Champion in the 2008 Cocktail World Cup, a member of the 2nd Place Team in the 2008 Cocktail World Cup Final in Queenstown, New Zealand and
the 2008 & 2009 Austin Chronicle Reader's Poll winner for "Best Mixologist".
Outside the bar, he is a freelance writer and photographer who has published work in national magazines and the author of Snapshots, a novel published in 2001. |
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Wine Director Josh Loving
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The only 'True' Texan of the bunch, Josh Loving was born in Houston & grew up in Corpus Christi. In 1999, Josh moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts, majoring in History and minoring in Business. In 2002, Josh turned down an opportunity to attend culinary school in Lyon, France deciding instead to finish his degree at UT. His interest in the food & cooking started at an early age and continues to grow. While in college, he worked in the kitchens of some of Austin's finest restaurants. Working with chefs & servers in a fine dining environment piqued his interest in wine & it's relationship with food.
After moving from the kitchen to the dining room, Josh's interest in wine & spirits grew more. He began studying wine through the subjects that interested him in college, history & geography. He became the wine director for FINO in 2006 & for ASTI in 2008. In 2008, Josh completed the Certified Sommelier course from the Court of Master Sommeliers. In 2009, he traveled to France & Italy to visit many of the estates & appellations of the wines he had come to love and purchase for his wine lists. |
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