Chef Angelo Vangelopoulos began his restaurant career at a very young age working for his father, Thomas, a Greek immigrant who came to the United States in search of the American dream. Angelo continued working for his father through high school and decided to pursue a career in cooking. In 1990, Angelo graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. His first position was as a line cook at Washington, DC’s award-winning La Colline under the tutelage of a “Master Chef of France”. It was here that Angelo refined his skills in classical French cuisine and learned more about the workings of a fine dining establishment. Angelo next took a position as Sous Chef of Cilantro’s: A Southwest Restaurant and Marketplace, a local favorite in Del Mar, California where his cooking took on a southwestern flair. Angelo’s culinary travels brought him back home to Washington, DC as saucier of Galileo da Roberto Donna with James Beard Award winner Chef Roberto Donna. The refined cuisine of Piemonte, Italy was now the focus of his daily pursuit of perfection.. He continued his food education with trips to France, Italy, and Greece, learning about the culture of food and wine in Europe. In 1995, Angelo and his father went into business together and purchased The Ivy Inn Restaurant in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Restaurant uses the finest ingredients available from the central Virginia region and around the world. Angelo thoughtfully composes a daily menu of locally-inspired seasonal American cuisine, showcasing his classical training and cooking heritage. Angelo has developed wonderful relationships with many of central Virginia’s fine farmers and growers, and helps to promote the idea of sustainable farming. Now the father to a wonderful son, he is interested in and pursues educating children in fresh and healthy foods.
Produced and recorded in the studios of Charlottesville Radio Group, in conjunction with Chef Craig Hartman, Chew the Fat is the podcast that gives you totally raw interviews with leading chefs, restaurateurs, wine makers and other food artisans. These interviews are unscripted and outside the realm of publicists, conducted by accomplished Chef Craig Hartman. Hartman delivers these interviews with ease, sensitivity and a sense of insider savvy. The goal of these interviews is to expose the heart and soul of these sensitive, artistic and driven people. This podcast is for anyone who loves food and wine, especially those that want to know every aspect about who is behind the artisan food and wine.