Scott Conant is the American chef, restaurateur and television personality widely recognised as one of the defining American Italian-cuisine chef-television figures of the past two decades. Born 19 February 1971 in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA, into an Italian-American family, Conant grew up with Italian-American home cookery as a formative influence. He attended the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York, and trained at Il Toscanaccio under Cesare Casella in New York and at San Domenico in New York under Tony May, before becoming chef at City Eatery and subsequently founding L’Impero in 2002, which earned a New York Times three-star rating and a Michelin star.
Conant’s 2025-2026 work centres on his current restaurant portfolio anchored by Cellaio Steak at Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, New York, and Mora Italian in Phoenix, Arizona. Cellaio is an Italian steakhouse with seafood and house-made pasta focus, and Mora Italian (opened 2017) continues to operate in Phoenix with its signature Sundae Fundae dessert cart. He continues high-profile Food Network appearances including Chopped (regular judge since 2010) and Beat Bobby Flay through 2025-2026, and has been a sustained American chef-television figure across more than 15 years.
TL;DR
- American chef born 19 February 1971 in Waterbury, Connecticut (Italian-American family)
- Trained at Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park; Il Toscanaccio under Cesare Casella; San Domenico under Tony May
- Founded L’Impero in 2002 (NYT three stars; Michelin star)
- Current restaurants: Cellaio Steak Resorts World Catskills NY; Mora Italian Phoenix AZ
- Sustained Chopped judge on Food Network since 2010
- 2025-2026: Cellaio and Mora Italian continue; Food Network presence continues
Scott Conant key facts
| Born | 19 February 1971, Waterbury, Connecticut, USA |
| Heritage | Italian-American |
| Training | Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park; Il Toscanaccio under Cesare Casella; San Domenico under Tony May |
| Defining restaurant | L’Impero (opened 2002; NYT three stars; Michelin star) |
| Current restaurants | Cellaio Steak Resorts World Catskills NY; Mora Italian Phoenix AZ (since 2017) |
| Television | Chopped judge Food Network since 2010; Beat Bobby Flay; The Best Thing I Ever Ate |
| Cookbooks | New Italian Cooking; Bold Italian; The Scarpetta Cookbook; Peace, Love and Pasta |
Early life and training of Scott Conant
Conant was born on 19 February 1971 in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA, into an Italian-American family. He has spoken in multiple interviews about the influence of Italian-American home cookery during his childhood and the bridge between traditional Italian-American family cooking and the more rigorous regional Italian cookery that he subsequently studied. He attended the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York, for formal culinary training in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Through the 1990s Conant worked at Il Toscanaccio under Cesare Casella in New York, gaining direct exposure to authentic regional Italian technique under one of the leading Italian chefs in New York at the time. He subsequently joined San Domenico in New York under Tony May, one of the defining New York Italian fine-dining restaurants of the 1990s. The San Domenico period gave him classical Italian fine-dining technique at the very highest level and prepared him for his own restaurant openings.
In 2002 Conant founded L’Impero in Manhattan, his first independent fine-dining restaurant. L’Impero earned a New York Times three-star rating and a Michelin star, and became one of the defining New York Italian fine-dining restaurants of the early 2000s. Conant subsequently opened Alto and the Scarpetta restaurant group across multiple cities through the 2000s and 2010s, building one of the more substantial American Italian-cuisine chef-restaurateur operations of the period.
Scott Conant career timeline
- 19 February 1971: Born in Waterbury, Connecticut
- Late 1980s: Attends Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park
- Early 1990s: Works at Il Toscanaccio under Cesare Casella in New York
- Mid-to-late 1990s: Works at San Domenico under Tony May
- Late 1990s-early 2000s: Becomes chef at City Eatery New York
- 2002: Founds L’Impero in Manhattan (NYT three stars; Michelin star)
- 2005: Opens Alto in Manhattan
- 2007: Publishes New Italian Cooking cookbook
- 2008: Opens first Scarpetta restaurant in Meatpacking District
- 2010: Begins as Chopped judge on Food Network
- 2010: Publishes Bold Italian cookbook
- 2013: Publishes The Scarpetta Cookbook
- 2017: Opens Mora Italian in Phoenix, Arizona
- 2019: Opens Cellaio Steak at Resorts World Catskills, Monticello NY
- 2020-2022: Continued operations through Covid-19 pandemic
- 2021: Publishes Peace, Love and Pasta cookbook
- 2024: Continues Cellaio, Mora Italian, and Food Network appearances
- 2025: Cellaio and Mora Italian continue; Sundae Fundae continues at Mora
- 2026: Cellaio Steak and Mora Italian continue; Food Network presence continues
Scott Conant signature style: regional Italian cuisine in fine-dining and steakhouse formats
Conant’s central argument, developed across more than two decades of New York Italian fine-dining and the subsequent multi-city Scarpetta and Italian-steakhouse operations, is that regional Italian cookery deserves serious fine-dining and elevated-casual presentation across multiple American cities. The L’Impero menu through 2002 onwards established his approach with classical regional Italian technique applied to American produce, and the subsequent Alto, Scarpetta, Cellaio Steak and Mora Italian restaurants have continued the approach in different formats.
The second defining element is the multi-city operational range. From New York through Phoenix to the Catskills and earlier multiple Scarpetta locations, Conant has built one of the more substantial multi-city American Italian-cuisine chef-restaurateur operations. The Cellaio Steak Italian steakhouse format at Resorts World Catskills and the more casual Mora Italian in Phoenix together demonstrate the operational range from elevated steakhouse to casual neighbourhood Italian.
The third pillar is the sustained Food Network presence since 2010. As Chopped judge across more than 15 years and hundreds of episodes, and as guest judge on Beat Bobby Flay and other Food Network programmes, Conant has been one of the defining American chef-television Italian-cuisine figures of the era. Within the current American chef-television cohort he sits alongside peers including Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy and Geoffrey Zakarian in the Chopped panel cohort.
Notable Scott Conant work
Several Conant projects have become reference points in American Italian cookery. L’Impero in Manhattan (founded 2002) earned NYT three stars and a Michelin star. Alto in Manhattan (opened 2005) extended the New York operation. The Scarpetta restaurant group from 2008 onwards expanded across multiple US cities. Mora Italian in Phoenix (opened 2017) is his Phoenix neighbourhood Italian flagship. Cellaio Steak at Resorts World Catskills in Monticello NY (opened 2019) is his Italian steakhouse format. Cookbooks include New Italian Cooking (2007), Bold Italian (2010), The Scarpetta Cookbook (2013) and Peace, Love and Pasta (2021).
Scott Conant awards and recognition
- 2002: Founds L’Impero (NYT three stars; Michelin star)
- 2005: Opens Alto in Manhattan
- 2007: New Italian Cooking cookbook
- 2008: Opens first Scarpetta in Meatpacking District
- 2010: Begins as Chopped judge on Food Network
- 2010: Bold Italian cookbook
- 2013: The Scarpetta Cookbook
- 2017: Opens Mora Italian in Phoenix
- 2019: Opens Cellaio Steak at Resorts World Catskills
- 2021: Peace, Love and Pasta cookbook
- 2025: Cellaio and Mora Italian continue with Sundae Fundae
- 2026: Cellaio Steak and Mora Italian continue; Food Network appearances continue
Scott Conant impact on American Italian cuisine
Conant’s most concrete contribution is the L’Impero restaurant from 2002 with NYT three stars and Michelin star. The restaurant established him at the front rank of American Italian fine-dining of the early 2000s. The subsequent Alto, Scarpetta and current Cellaio Steak and Mora Italian operations together form one of the more substantial American Italian-cuisine chef-restaurateur portfolios of the past two decades.
The second contribution is the multi-city operational range across New York, Phoenix and the Catskills. Few American chefs have sustained Italian-cuisine restaurants across comparable geographic range, and the operational experience demonstrates the durability of the regional Italian approach across different American markets.
The third contribution is the sustained Food Network presence since 2010. Within the current American chef-television cohort Conant sits alongside peers including Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy and Geoffrey Zakarian as one of the defining American chef-television figures of the past 15 years.
Scott Conant FAQ
What is Cellaio Steak?
Cellaio Steak is Conant’s Italian steakhouse at Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, New York, opened in 2019. The restaurant focuses on fresh seafood, house-made pasta, and a seasonal raw bar in an Italian-steakhouse format. It continues operating through 2025-2026 and is the centrepiece of fine dining at Resorts World Catskills.
What is Mora Italian?
Mora Italian is Conant’s Phoenix, Arizona neighbourhood Italian restaurant, opened in 2017. The restaurant features regional Italian cookery and the signature Sundae Fundae dessert cart, which remains a popular feature into 2025-2026. The restaurant continues operating in Phoenix.
Did L’Impero have a Michelin star?
Yes. L’Impero, the New York Italian fine-dining restaurant Conant founded in 2002, earned a Michelin star and a New York Times three-star rating. The restaurant established him at the front rank of American Italian fine-dining of the early 2000s and anchored his subsequent multi-city Italian restaurant operations.
Is Conant on Chopped?
Yes. Conant has been a Chopped judge on Food Network since 2010, more than 15 years across hundreds of episodes. The role is his sustained Food Network presence alongside guest appearances on Beat Bobby Flay and other Food Network programmes through 2025-2026.
Where did Conant train?
At the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He subsequently worked at Il Toscanaccio under Cesare Casella and at San Domenico under Tony May, two of the defining New York Italian fine-dining restaurants of the period, before founding L’Impero in 2002.
What is next for Scott Conant
Cellaio Steak at Resorts World Catskills and Mora Italian in Phoenix continue through 2026, alongside Chopped judge role on Food Network. His public Instagram (@scottconant) is the best source for current updates.
