Michele Forgione
A Canadian force on the culinary scene, Michele Forgione is a Montreal chef, restaurateur, entrepreneur and TV host. He is the Executive Chef/co-owner of four restaurants, Impasto, Pizzeria Gema, Chez Tousignant and Trattoria Vesta, which are in the heart of Montreal’s Little Italy and have been garnering critical acclaim since their respective openings. His hands-on approach to menu and recipe development is what makes these establishments stand-out as culinary destinations.
He is also the co-founder/co-owner and culinary director of an Italian retail food company Faita-Forgione Foods, that spans Canada. He has developed a whole range of Italian products sold in grocery stores across Canada, from pasta sauces to pizzas, sausages, olive oils, etc., all made from authentic, simple and good ingredients.
Chef Forgione comes from a long line of excellent home cooks, yet his formal training took place at two of Canada’s best culinary institutes. He continues to hone his skills both in and out of the kitchen while pursuing a food science certification from Harvard University. As a TV host and chef, Forgione has taken part in numerous television shows and documentaries including Wall of Chefs on Food Network and, more recently, Mangia Quebec. He executive produced and hosted a six-part documentary series that explored multiculturalism in Quebec through the lens of the province’s diverse culinary traditions. He also co-wrote a best-selling cookbook called Montrealissimo, which captured the food history of Italo-Montrealers.
Outside of work, Michele donates his time to various charities and foundations such as Alex’s Lemonade and the West Park foundation. He always strives to preserve the authenticity of Italian cuisine and his deeply rooted culinary heritage, never forgetting the generations before him.
