Chef Gianba

Gianbattista "Gianba" Vinzoni discovered his love of cooking as a child while spending time in the kitchen with his grandmother. Although he was born in Broni, a small town in the Lombardia region of Italy, his family has been living in Bonassola, in the Cinque Terre region, dating back to the 1400s. As a young man he loved watching his grandmother cooking. She regularly made fresh pasta, stomped grapes for homemade wine, picked olives for pressing olive oil, and raised her own chickens, rabbits, and pigs. After working hard all day she would then serve the most amazing family meals while enjoying time with friends and family. 

After a five year career as an Italian Navy Seal, Gianba began working in a kitchen. It wasn't easy, considering he started out with zero experience, but he worked his way through the ranks, and his cooking and experience expanded when he moved to Los Angeles in 1995. He learned that he was able to transfer his love for pressure and the sense of urgency that he experienced as a Navy Seal into working in some of the finest kitchens in Italy and Los Angeles.

Under the patience and experienced guidance of the many great chefs with whom he has worked, Gianba established himself as both an accomplished chef and manager. He served as Head Chef at the Soho House in West Hollywood, Executive Sous Chef at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, and Executive Chef at Fig and Olive. While at the Beverly Hilton he was the Executive Sous Chef for large events such as the Golden Globes for three years in a row. 

In 2019, Gianba fulfilled his lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant, bringing the authentic flavors of Italy's Cinque Terre region to the Pacific Palisades community with Cinque Terre West. Following the devastating Pacific Palisades fire, Gianba and his wife, Marlo Vinzoni, relocated to Austin, Texas, in 2025 to continue their culinary journey and introduce Cinque Terre West to a new community.

Today, they continue sharing the traditions, recipes, and hospitality that have defined Gianba's family for generations while expanding the Cinque Terre West experience to Texas.