Wayne, Westwood Chef Competing For 'Master Of Pasta' Title

WAYNE, NJ – A chef from northern New Jersey is gearing up to compete against seven others in a national pasta competition.

If Robbie Felice wins the contest at the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival, he’ll not only win the title of USA Master of Pasta, but will also represent America at the 9th annual Barilla Pasta World Championship next fall in Italy.

During the 2020 Pasta World Championship, 20 chefs from around the world will face off and compete for the “World Pasta Master” title. The international competition was created by Barilla as a way to “promote and share their passion” for pasta.

In a promotional video about the competition created by Barilla, Felice said he’s excited to compete because cooking “is something I’m super passionate about.”

"Pasta is literally my pride and joy. Food is art and I love making food look beautiful. It should look beautiful before you eat it. You should look down at it and want to take a picture," said Felice, a partner/chef at Viaggio Ristorante in Wayne and Osteria Crescendo in Westwood.

“I definitely feel like we have a good chance," he also said. “I’m super excited about our dish and everything we have planned for the competition.”

At the USA Qualifying Event, set for April 16 through 19, chefs will create dishes using Barilla Collezione pasta and be judged based on taste, as well as beauty and presentation.

In a Facebook post, Felice announced he’d be competing in the qualifying event, saying, “Going to need all your love and support for this one!”

After spending much of his childhood in one of the many restaurants his father owned, Felice graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and went on to work at Babbo in New York City and B&B Ristorante in Las Vegas, according to his biography.

He also worked at Michelin-Starred restaurants across the globe; including Sergio Herman’s Pure-C in The Netherlands and The Jane in Belgium.

In 2016, Felice and his father opened their first restaurant together – Viaggio Ristorante. The 26-year-old chef’s menu, featuring Italian fare with a modern touch using locally sourced ingredients, earned accolades from restaurant reviewers and diners alike.

Three years later, Felice launched his second restaurant, Osteria Crescendo, which specializes in “large scale, for the table,” entrees and Italian street food at the bar.

The new eatery joined Viaggio with a spot on NJ Month’s 30 Best Restaurants in the state, making Felice one of two chefs in New Jersey to make two appearances on the list.

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