Chef Gordon Finn of Ristorante Morini - Biography

Sometimes, between a garden and a watchful parent, a culinary career is born. Gordon Finn’s passion for food sprouted when he was a child, working in his parents’ vegetable garden in Albany, New York. His mother took notice, pushing Finn to pursue a culinary education.

Graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 2004, Finn spent the next two years working his way across Italy, his chosen culinary homeland. He attended the Slow Food school Scuola di Iial in Jesi and followed that up with stages at Gia Sotto L’Arco in Puglia, Acquamatta in Tuscany, and La Lucanda in Lombardy.

In 2006, Finn returned to the States and began working at Alto with Chef Scott Conant. He continued under Chef Michael White, helping earn Alto a three-star review from The New York Times and earning himself a promotion to chef de cuisine in 2008. Finn would go on to earn Alto its first and second Michelin stars before going on to help open international outfits like Al Molo in Hong Kong and Chop Shop in London for the Altamarea group. Now chef di cucina at Ristorante Morini, Finn continues to ply his technique an vigor, exploring the pantry, and garden, of Italian cuisine.