In a place as vast and gastronomical as New York City, an instant sense of family and comfort is like finding a diamond in the rough. Chef Pietro Mosconi’s two family’s restaurants, Monte’s Trattoria and Villa Mosconi are exactly that. He is the “Nonno” that we all need when we go out to eat, still emerging from his New York City kitchens greeting guests with his famous hugs, a warm “buona sera” and an eye-twinkling smile.

After four years in the making, his daughter, Joanne Mosconi, has published a new book, The Chef of Greenwich Village, with all of the chef’s secrets and most prized recipes, a is a true love letter to the Chef from his daughter.