He's a star chef

A fortnight back, he cooked for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Last week, it was for the people of Dubai. Don Pintabona, celebrity chef, landed in Dubai for eight days to bring to the city the dishes ordered by Madonna, Tom and Katie, Nelson Mandela and Don's good friend Robert De Niro.

"It's going to be an exciting week; I can feel it. This is my first time in Dubai and I already love the atmosphere and spirit among my international team," said Don, when he landed here.

Taking over

Don is taking over the Manhattan Grill at the Grand Hyatt and says he hopes to introduce the people of Dubai to an all-new American experience.

Speaking to Don it became apparent that the A-listers' names he dropped into the conversation were not just chance meetings — he knew them, and knew them well.

He added: "Robert De Niro and I have worked together for more than 12 years so obviously we have more than a working relationship. Our kids are the same age and often share birthday celebrations and he is a great man. He is a man of few words with an enormous heart."

Roots

But the celebrity lifestyle has not resulted in the loss of his roots.

The son of an Italian-American grocer, Don Pintabona's childhood was spent at his father's market, shuffling sawdust and watching his grandmother prepare meals for 30 of the local masons.

Growing up, Don knew that there are no guests at an Italian table as everyone seated immediately becomes family.
He said: "My restaurant in New York, Dani, is all about my Italian roots and my heritage. That is very important to me as it's where it all began.

"In Italy, meals are never taken in silence. The food is there to nourish the talk, and the talk is often boisterous and expressive. To Italians, food is life and this is my life."

Earning a degree from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in 1982, Don spent the next 10 years moving between kitchens and mentors, including Charlie Palmer (New York), Georges Blanc (Vonnas, France) and Kiyomi Nishistani (Osaka, Japan). His international travels brought him to countless kitchens across the globe.

Don met Robert De Niro in 1990 when Don was assisting in the opening of Aureole, a restaurant in New York. The star quickly recruited Don to head the kitchen of his soon to be launched Tribeca Grill.

Awards galore

Throughout the years at Tribeca Grill and the bevy of celebrity clientele, Don received several accolades including the 1998 Ivy Award for Excellence, The DiRoNA award and Wine Spectator's Grand Award of Excellence in 2002. Don also found the time to write the Tribeca Grill Cook Book (Random House 2000).

He added: "The party last week was hosted by Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and was a huge success. There were countless famous faces milling around but I didn't spot Victoria and David Beckham — I think everyone expected them to be there."

Pivotal figure

Following the Tribeca Grill, Don began writing his second book — The Shared Table — spurred by his dramatic experience in leading "Operation Chefs With Spirit", a 9/11 campaign that fed over 600,000 hot meals to relief workers at the World Trade Center site.

He was then named "One of New York's pivotal figures during the relief efforts" by Newsweek.