Chef Maximilian DiMare

Born and raised in Boston, Chef Max grew up watching his ‘Nana Carmella’ and Father Domenic do amazing things in their Sicilian kitchens. His restaurant career began at 14 years old working at a fish market on Winthrop Beach, just a short drive from Downtown Boston, and working with the Family at their reputable Italian Deli’s.

In the spring of 1998, Chef Max moved west, hoping to hone his skills in the San Francisco Bay Area. Three years later, at just 23 years old Maximilian landed his first role as Chef De Cuisine, opening a new American brasserie at the Claremont Resort in Berkeley, California.

In 2003 Chef Max joined forces with friends Rich & Rebekah Wood at their small European-inspired Bistro ‘Frascati’ on Russian Hill, in San Francisco. With this team, Chef Max went on to open ‘Wood Tavern’ in Oakland in 2007 and a wine bar/small plates restaurant called ‘Southie’ one door south of the Tavern.

Each of these Bay Area ventures was more successful than the last and it was during this time Chef Max crystallized his place in the California culinary scene with his signature combination of traditional French and Italian style, always using the freshest, local ingredients.

Chef has a consistent pattern of stellar reviews from local and national press and received a Rising Star Chef award in 2010, a ‘top ten’ best Bay Area restaurant of 2007, and three stars at Wood Tavern from the notorious San Francisco Chronicle food critic, Michael Bauer.

In early 2012 Chef Max left the Wood family to travel, learn, and consult. Since then he has been involved with openings and rebrands with many restaurants and hotel groups including Fairmont, Select Hospitality, and The Moana Restaurant Group.

Chef Maximilian keeps it very local and sustainable when shopping for his kitchen. He says you have to start with amazing ingredients and then go from there. You treat your ingredients with a lot of respect, practice good technique and restraint, and create some amazing dishes just like his Nana Carmella did in her kitchen in Boston.