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.

Christian Pendleton
General Manager

As General Manager of Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca, Pendleton brings five plus years of restaurant management at several well-known and acclaimed establishments. In the Washington area, Pendleton has served as service director and manager of the popular Washington hotspot IndeBleu, where he assisted with the opening and contributed to the development of the cutting edge dining room, late night bar and lounge. Pendleton also opened and managed the Georgetown restaurant Hook in 2007. In 2006, Pendleton moved to New York to take the post of Maitre D' at the prestigious Per Se. Most recently Pendleton was at the historical and charming Highland Manor in Orlando, Florida where he helped open the 27,000 sq ft., 600 seat property.

Douglas Hernandez
Pastry Chef

In August 2009, Douglas Hernandez was tapped as the pastry chef for restaurateur Ashok Bajaj’s new Italian hot spot, Bibiana-Osteria Enoteca, where his artful creations are a pleasing balance of the classic Italian dessert with a modern twist. Douglas brings to his position an impressive record of culinary experience most recently serving as the pastry chef at Michel Richard's popular Central from 2007-2009. Following graduation from the Culinary Institute of America, Douglas went to work as a chef de tournad at Osteria Del Circo in New York where he trained under Alessandro Giuntoli. Douglas also spent time with Jacque Torres at Le Cirque and later at his chocolate factory in Brooklyn, N.Y. Guests can anticipate seasonal ingredients and experiencing his well honed knowledge of the art of chocolate for their dining finale.

Francesco Amodeo
Wine Director