Our Team

Our team will be led by Nicholas Stefanelli, a talented young chef who was formerly the chef de cuisine at Fiamma in New York. Stefanelli, a graduate of L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, MD, is developing a delicious menu to showcase beautiful food with Italian flavors. His Italian culinary experience also includes working as chef de partie of Laboratorio del Galileo and serving as sous chef of Maestro, the former AAA Five Diamond, Mobil Four-Star Italian restaurant in McLean, Virginia.

Nicholas Stefanelli
Executive Chef of Bibiana

Maryland native Nicholas Stefanelli set his early sights on becoming a fashion designer intent on studying in Italy after graduating from high school in 1998. Instead, he fell in love with the foods of Italy while traveling extensively, appropriate given his Greek/Italian heritage, growing up with grandparents who raised their own produce and delighted in cooking and sharing experiences around the table.

To pursue his new dream, Stefanelli enrolled in L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, MD, graduating in 2001 to enter an externship at Galileo restaurant in Washington, D.C. After a few short months, he quickly rose to chef de partie at Galileo, and then went on to become the chef de partie of Laboratorio del Galileo, a exclusive dining room with a completely open kitchen tucked in the back of Galileo, where he crafted twelve-course tasting menus for the restaurant's guests.

Then in 2003, he accepted the position of chef de partie at Maestro, the AAA Five Diamond, Mobil Four-Star Italian restaurant in McLean, Virginia where he remained until 2007, moving up to the position of sous chef, responsible for assisting with menu research and development, plus the daily kitchen operations. Working under Maestro's James Beard award-winning chef Fabio Trabocchi, Stefanelli cultivated a talent for cooking and expanded his knowledge of the nuances of Italian cuisine. Trabocchi taught Stefanelli everything from understanding the regional culinary traditions of Italy, to sourcing rare ingredients; knowledge that continues to serve him well today. An able young chef, Trabocchi proclaimed Stefanelli as a rising star in the industry and encouraged him to stage at Thomas Keller's world renowned French Laundry in California, which he did in 2004.

After four years at Maestro, Stefanelli next followed his famous mentor to New York City in 2007, and he was promoted to chef de cuisine at Trabocchi's Fiamma restaurant. Fiamma earned a three-star rating from the New York Times during his tenure in the kitchen, and Stefanelli was able to establish his own cooking style in the process, blending the culinary heritage of Italy with his own modern sensibilities, crafting his own unique brand of gourmet artistry.

Stefanelli returned to Washington in early 2008 to cook and eventually lead the kitchen at Mio Restaurant downtown. Then in July 2009, Ashok Bajaj tapped him as the new executive chef to help develop the menu for Bibiana at 1100 New York Avenue, NW which is scheduled to open in early September of 2009.

Francesco Amodeo
General Manager & Wine Director

In August 2009, Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj tapped Francesco Amodeo to join the opening team at Bibiana Osteria Enoteca, as sommelier. Amodeo created the wine list and cocktail menu, bringing a passion for his native country of Italy to one of the finest, authentic Italian restaurants in the city.

Then in September, 2011, Bajaj promoted Amodeo to serve as general manager for Bibiana in addition to spearheading the beverage program for the award-winning restaurant. Under his leadership, Bibiana was named as one of the "100 Very Best" in Washingtonian's January 2012 issue receiving three stars, and in The Washington Post's Fall Dining Guide, October 2011, it earned three stars as one of Tom Sietsema's "40 restaurants where he would like to be a regular."

Born and raised in Amalfi Coast, Italy, Amodeo is also no stranger to Washington, DC. Prior to his appointment at Bibiana, Francesco worked at Café Milano and he also served as the wine director and restaurant manager at Hook Restaurant in Georgetown for two years.

Before moving to America, Francesco worked, as F&B Director, at several of the most renowned establishments in some of Italy's most picturesque resort towns. Amodeo has held posts at Furore Inn Resort, a five-star rated resort in Furore, Italy, Hotel Poseidon, a four-star resort and at Buca di Bacco in Positano, Italy. In 2004, Amodeo earned his certificate of Food and Beverage Management from the Centro di Formazione dello Studio JM, in Rimini, Italy following his Certificate of Master Sommelier for the A.I.S. of Napoli, Italy. He also received his Certificate of Qualified Barman for the A.I.B.E.S. in Salerno, Italy in 2003.

Jemil Gadea
Pastry Chef

Ashok Bajaj is pleased named Jemil Gadea as pastry chef of his award-winning Italian restaurant, Bibiana-Osteria Enoteca, located at 1100 New York Ave, NW, (Entrance on 12th and H) 20005. Gadea brings to the position a decade of distinguished experience working at some of the country’s most acclaimed resorts and restaurants.

Most recently Jemil was the assistant pastry chef at Picasso at the Bellagio Resort Hotel located in Las Vegas, Nevada. He started as a pastry cook at the restaurant in 2000, before quickly being promoted to assistant pastry chef in 2001.  During Jemil’s tenure at Picasso, the restaurant received an extraordinary total of 11 AAA Five Diamond Awards. The world-famous Bellagio also continues to be the only hotel in the U.S. with two AAA Five Diamond restaurants, Picasso and Le Cirque.

Prior to joining Picasso, Gadea worked alongside renowned French pastry chef Jean Louis Palladin at his Napa Restaurant in the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from 1998-2000. Jemil got his start in the industry working as a pastry cook for another famous chef, Wolfgang Puck at his Café located in Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida from 1997-1998. A native of Michigan, Jemil received a culinary arts degree from Grand Rapids Community College.