On any given weekend in Toronto, chef Gianluca Ruggieri can be found hand-shaving Parmigiano over plates of truffle-sausage pasta — serving strangers who quickly become friends. When he left Rome in 2019, his plan was just six months in Toronto. Six years later, he’s an in-demand private chef, the driving force behind a popular supper club, and the face of an Instagram following nearing 180,000. And this is only the beginning.
“The best thing is the connection I get with people,” he says. “When I’m doing a supper club and people say, ‘My nonna used to cook this dish for me,’ or, ‘We went there last year and had the exact same thing’—that’s what makes me happy: building that connection with the person, and with the client.”
Born and raised in Rome, Ruggieri’s “number one passion” was always food, as he grew up surrounded by a family who liked to cook. But nobody inspired him quite like his father did.
“He would work 12-hour days, come home, open the fridge, and still create a two- or three-course meal that was different every night for us,” he says. “He truly had — and still has — a passion for food. Just by involving me in the kitchen and letting me help with prep, he passed that passion on to me.”
After starting out in psychology at university, Ruggieri quickly realized his heart belonged in the kitchen. He enrolled in an intensive culinary program at Rome’s Italian Chef Academy, where he trained under top chefs in five-star restaurants.
But as an ambitious chef seeking international experience, he chose to come to Toronto — his ‘second home,’ where his mother was born and raised, and where he spent time every year growing up.
“What I always say is that just like people in North America fantasize about the Italian or European lifestyle, for us growing up on the other side, we dream about the North American lifestyle,” he says. “It’s the big houses, the cars, the movies — everything’s cool, everything’s big, it’s amazing.”
When he first moved to Canada, he worked at King Taps downtown, where he learned about hospitality and the diverse clientele he’d be serving.
“For the first time in my life, I was connecting with different cultures, people, and backgrounds. That experience really opened my mind and made me appreciate people a lot more,” he says.
During the pandemic, Ruggieri began working as a chef at Cucinato Italian Culinary Studio and had the chance to work with a private chef which opened his eyes to new possibilities.
“I remember going to these events and seeing these beautiful houses, amazing places, and having the chance to cook while people ate my food right in front of me. Seeing their reactions—that’s what really struck me,” he says.
He went full-time as a private chef in August 2023, offering a menu of refined Italian dishes ranging from approachable truffle and fennel sausage pasta to elevated plates like tenderloin or black cod with Sicilian caponata.
Driven by a dream to become a celebrity chef with his own cooking show or cookbook, Ruggieri began building his social media platforms with one clear goal in mind.
“The biggest frustration I’ve had since I moved here was the way Italian food and Italian culture is butchered here. I look at restaurants, I see a menu that’s always the same stuff,” he says.
He started by reviewing tiramisus at various restaurants around the city, then launched a video series called “Flavours of Italy,” guiding his followers on a culinary tour from north to south by cooking one dish from each Italian region. He now has 179,000 followers on Instagram and 36,000 on TikTok (@theromanochef).
“It’s satisfying to see that what started as a way to teach people about Italian culture and authentic Italian food has grown into what I have today,” he says. “It’s pretty cool, and I’m not stopping.”
As his social media following grew, he realized hiring a private chef could be costly for many, so he started hosting a regular supper club that’s more accessible.
“I wanted to give people what they wanted — dishes from my ‘Flavours of Italy’ series — so they could enjoy them at a more affordable price,” he says. “It’s also a way to connect with the people who follow me and those who helped me get to where I am today. Growing my following and falling in love with content creation opened up more work opportunities.”
The events take place monthly at Rily’s Kitchen in the Junction, where family-style dishes are served at a communal table. Like his private dinners, Ruggieri’s goal is to leave guests with more than just a full stomach.
“I want people to wake up the morning after and say, ‘We did something really cool last night — and we learned about Italian food,’” he says. “I love teaching people what real Italian food is, one supper club after another, one dinner after another.”
