Nicola Portinari

La Peca opened in 1986, with Nicola in the kitchen and his brother Pierluigi managing front-of-house. Their father's butchery background informs the restaurant's rigor around provenance. The cooking remains deeply tied to Vicentino territory — white asparagus, Berico Hills pork, local freshwater fish.

Nicola Portinari, born 1964 in Vicenza, grew up around his father's butcher shop in Lonigo, absorbing the quality standards of Veneto ingredients. A self-taught chef, he built La Peca alongside his brother Pierluigi into a two-star institution of modern Veneto cuisine that honors local produce through restrained, precise cooking.

Lonigo, Vicenza, Veneto, Italy — self-taught; grounded in Veneto butchery and local ingredient culture

Career

• Chef-Patron at La Peca (family), Lonigo, Vicenza (1986–present)

Mentored by Self-taught; inspired by Venetian domestic cooking traditions.