News & Blog

Award-Winning Chef Becomes New Dining Services Director

By Jackie Mintz

The appointment of Enzo Fargione, an award-winning chef, as Dining Services Director represents a pronounced change from the past. Enzo has been the executive chef of several multi-starred restaurants and has also held general manager and director of food and hospitality positions in several upscale hotels and clubs. He began working at Broadmead on December 8.

Commenting on the appointment, CEO Jay Prince said, “Through his experience in fine dining and his commitment to innovation and education, Chef Fargione will bring a fresh perspective to our culinary operations and he is well prepared to shape the future of the senior living experience at our community. We believe that with his distinguished background in both the culinary and hospitality industries, he will help us achieve new heights in our dining services, not just in terms of the quality and variety of food but also in the overall dining experience for our residents.”

Born and raised in Turin, Italy, Enzo graduated from the Culinary Institute in that city and came to America in 1986. After a short stop at a San Diego restaurant, he came to Washington, D.C. to work as sous chef to Roberto Donna, the James Beard Award-winning chef of the storied restaurant Galileo.

In 2008, following a consulting assignment in upstate New York, Enzo became executive chef at another Washington restaurant, Teatro Goldoni, where he transformed its traditional Italian cuisine into a distinctive cucina moderna. His innovative culinary approach landed him on the pages of Esquire Magazine as “one of four chefs to watch in the USA.” Teatro Goldoni was named Best Italian Restaurant of the Year in D.C. on several occasions.

After introducing Italian-style tapas at a south Florida restaurant, Enzo returned once again to D.C., where he was involved with launching a new restaurant, Elisir, which garnered glow¬ing reviews in The Washingtonian (“an artist’s palette”) and elsewhere.

In the midst of all this, Enzo found the time to author a cookbook, Visual Eats, which contained vignettes of his culinary experiences and times spent with celebrity chef friends. Like his restaurants, the book received enthu¬siastic reviews. Enzo also appeared on numerous television and cooking pro¬grams, including the Food Network.

In 2015, Enzo branched out to the hospitality side of the food industry and took a position as general manager and director of food and beverage operations in various luxury hotels and clubs in Florida, Texas, Virginia, and D.C.

During his first 60 days at Broadmead, Enzo says he aims to develop detailed plans for the short term and beyond, but before doing that he intends to be “a sponge,” absorbing information about everyone and everything at Broadmead. He looks forward to working with Jerrell Fleming, Joseph Tubman, Melinda Purkey and the rest of the food services staff.

Enzo believes that his extensive ex¬perience with mentoring teams will stand him in good stead with his fellow Broadmead team members. He will con¬currently be seeking to earn residents’ trust and confidence as he listens intent¬ly to their interests and concerns.