Executive Chef - Taggia

Claudio Urciuoli is the Executive Chef at Scottsdale's soon to be announced new restaurant, Taggia.  Located  adjacent to the Caleo Resort and Spa, Taggia will focus on Chef Urciuoli’s coastal Italian cuisine, from the sea to the mountains of the Ligurian coast; with dishes that reflect local ingredients blended with Mediterranean creativity.

Born in the Southern Italian region of Campania, Claudio Urciuoli learned at a young age how to appreciate the art of cooking from his grandmother. Claudio learned the essence of ‘slow food’ while growing up, and continued to follow the same philosophy of cooking when he sought professional experience at the IPSA cooking school in the city of Camogli, in the region of Liguria, Italy. Beginning his work in restaurants at 16 years old, Claudio continued to gain experience in hotels and resorts in Italy and Switzerland. At 23 he moved to the U.S, and has worked at the Four Seasons in Newport Beach, CA, Il Fornaio restaurants in California and Colorado, Osteria del Circo in Las Vegas, and La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles. Urciuoli believes that the freshness and suitability of the ingredients are more important than the skill of the cook. “The majority of cooking is the quality of the food and ingredients, and the rest is talent,” Urciuoli states, “The challenge is to find the right ingredients that reflect seasonality and blending them with the right methods, knowledge and respect for traditions.” Urciuoli’s goal is to achieve a cuisine that is simple, flavorful and understood by everyone.