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Valerio Arena, Maitre D’, A Voce Columbus

Convivial, professional and with an infectious personality, Maitre d’ Valerio Arena is a man of many talents. As the “master of all ceremonies”, A Voce’s high standards and relaxed ambience are largely down to his coordination of the team of waiters and front of house staff in ensuring they provide flawless service. In 2014, Valerio was nominated as best Maitre d’ in New York by New York’s most established concierges. He won the award at the 2015 Concierge Choice Awards, after being nominated for a second straight year.

Hailing from a small village in Sicily, Valerio’s career began at the age of 19, as a bartender in one of Turin’s renowned gentleman’s clubs. As a boy Valerio spent his summers in Sicily and realised his vocation was in the hospitality industry, where his love of food and meeting people were intertwined, and he dreamed of moving to New York City. After working his way up to Head Bartender, Valerio left Turin for London and worked at notable Italian restaurant Montpelliano and Michelin-starred restaurant Galvin at Windows in Mayfair, where he was Head Barman. During his tenure Valerio won a cocktail competition with Rémy Martin and inspired by the tropical ingredients he had used, decided to move to the Caribbean to establish key relationships. From St Bart’s, Valerio made his final move to the East Coast, first working in the Hamptons before joining the team at A Voce Columbus.

It was in his role as Maître d’ that Valerio knew that this was the position he was best suited to, in working the room and ensuring the wellbeing of his guests throughout their dining experience. Valerio’s expertise has been garnered from his various experiences in restaurants around the world, but after three years at A Voce Columbus the restaurant would not be the same without him. He still visits St Bart’s, often bumping to familiar faces from London and New York. After five years in New York City Valerio feels right at home: he loves the diversity of cultures and how each and every neighbourhood has a different vibe.

When not eating and drinking at restaurants across the city Valerio can be found walking in the parks or working out, trying to offset his hearty appetite, he believes life is all about balance. His all-time favourite dish is a classic pasta carbonara, made by mamma, as well as Sicilian arancini or swordfish which is a speciality from his home town Messina. Valerio calls the Upper East Side home, frequenting neighbourhood locals including T Bar or Sant Ambroeus for breakfast, The Mark for dinner, Boom Boom Room at the top of The Standard Meat Packing for nights out.

Olivier Flosse, Wine Director, MARC U.S.

As the Wine Director for MARC US, Olivier Flosse oversees A Voce’s award-winning wine cellar. He brings both passion and expertise to the restaurants’ beloved and highly regarded wine program. Olivier educates A Voce’s team about the wine selections, enabling his team to guide guests toward a choice that will pair beautifully for memorable meal. Olivier most enjoys his time spent in A Voce’s dining room, interacting with guests to learn more about their palates in order to enrich their wine experience.

Born and raised in Marseille, Olivier started his training at a young age, earning the coveted DUAD, Diploma-Universitaire d’Aptitude a la Degustation, Bordeaux, the most prestigious wine diploma in Europe. Olivier’s first position upon arriving in New York in 1999 was assistant to the talented Jean-Luc Le Du at Daniel Restaurant. Prior to joining MARC, Olivier was the wine director and sommelier at Cafe Boulud in New York City.