Chef Jimmy Canora

Chef Jimmy Canora, Executive Consulting Chef

As part of the culinary team at Meze Grill, I was excited to bring my expertise to this lively new concept in fast-casual dining.  Unlike my experiences at legendary restaurants like Tribeca Grill or Delmonico’s, working with Meze Grill was unlike anything I’ve ever done before.  It gave me the opportunity to bring a new twist to traditional Eastern Mediterranean dining by infusing new flavors with old world traditions.

You’ll notice some of these new twists in such items as our Hummus Lime Vinaigrette and Whipped Feta signature salad dressings.  We’ve also taken two of our core ingredients, chickpeas and tomatoes, and made a great tasting soup out of them!

While we’ve made some unique creations of our own, our authentic finishing sauces represent a perfect example of how we’re uniting the best of the Eastern Mediterranean under one roof.  Our Tzatziki finishing sauce is the traditional Greek recipe and our Harissa has its roots in North Africa.  Yes, every Eastern Mediterranean country has a yogurt sauce and a spicy sauce, but we selected Tzatziki and Harissa to be part of the Meze Grill family because we believe they represent the best forms of these items in the region.

These are just a couple of examples of how we’re going the extra mile to create authentic foods with updated, modern flavors.  We do this by making everything fresh and homemade, using the best ingredients we can find to honor a culinary heritage filled with a rich, diverse history and our relentless pursuit of being the very best at what we do.

Other Notable Honors / Positions:

• “Chef de Cuisine” at Tribeca Grill, New York, NY
• 10-Year Member of Continental Airlines “Congress of Chefs”
• Featured on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef”
• 2009 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Winner – “Best in the World / USA” for co-authoring “Dining at Delmonico’s” cookbook
• Owner of  “NYC Culinary Events”, a company that specializes in catering to upscale events including the Masters and Ryder Cup golf tournaments, the U.S. Open, the Tribeca Film Festival and the Breeders Cup.