A new face to the world of cooking, Antonio Tahhan has a genuine passion for food. Coupled with his tongue-in-cheek personality and infectious spirit, he shares his enthusiasm for food with all those around him. With a flair for Mediterranean cuisine, he takes traditional flavors and revamps them for the meticulous palate of the modern gourmand.

Born in Venezuela into a Middle Eastern home and growing up in Miami Beach, a hub of cultural diversity, Tony learned to fuse flavors from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. Distinguished by his avant-garde approach to food and his eagerness to work outside the standards, Tony’s culinary concoctions are one of a kind.

High school brought Tony even more time to experiment and refine his skills, eventually leading him to work at a local bakery and patisserie. Most of his time, however, was spent sneaking into the kitchen to watch the pastry chefs in action. At fifteen, with only a few techniques from his time at the patisserie under his belt, he surprised his mother with homemade chocolates for Mother’s Day. Before he knew it, word of Tony’s Exquisite Chocolates had spread and he was selling them for various occasions and catered events.

Hoping for a change in climate and scenery, Tony enrolled in Cornell University where he is currently working towards his undergraduate degree. Initially a Mathematics major, Tony’s desire to integrate and fuse his interests led him to also pick up majors in both Economics and Spanish Literature. Never one to forget his enthusiasm for food, Tony still throws dinner parties and volunteers to make his “Finger Lickin’ Good Banana Bread” for the dining halls.

These days you can also find Tony around Ithaca where he gives cooking classes at the Wegmans Culinary Center and hosts a variety of food demonstrations in the community.

(Photo Credit: Matt Hintsa)