Chef Jim was born into a large family of talented cooks and farmers. This aspiring young chef often helped his Nonnas and family in the kitchen, immersing him in the ingredients, techniques, and traditions of the great cooks who came before him. 

His first kitchen job was in his parent’s supper club leading him to graduate from the CCA (California Culinary Academy) in San Francisco. Next Chef Jim worked for Chef Joyce Goldstein, chef/owner of Square One and two-time James Beard Award winner. At Square One he cooked for celebrities such as James Beard, Alice Waters, Jeremiah Tower, and Julia Child. 

Chef Jim returned to his hometown in Connecticut and opened The Wild Mushroom, where he sourced local produce, game, and seasonal mushrooms. Here he met his wife Christine and formed a partnership. He sold his restaurant and became Executive Chef at a local upscale restaurant, Giannetta’s Cucina Italiana to pursue his passion for Italian food.

The Regional Hawaiian chefs’ movement had caught his attention and soon he and his wife moved to the Big Island, where he could follow his dream of working with amazing ingredients, farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. Chef Jim quickly became the Executive Chef of the Fairmont Orchid where is was responsible for all Food and Beverage operations. During his time at the Fairmont, the hotel restaurant won numerous awards for food and beverage and gained notoriety for their farm-to-table initiatives. In his 3 rd year, the Fairmont won “Hotel of The Year” within the Fairmont Company. 

Chef Jim was then offered the Executive Chef position at Four Seasons Hualalai, (ranked one of The World's Best Resorts.)

Chef Jim immediately implemented his RSA (regional, seasonal and artisanal) approach to writing menus and sourcing food. He connected with over 130 farmers, fishermen, and ranchers who assisted the resort in becoming one of “The best farm-to-table resorts.” The resort was awarded the prestigious “AAA 5 Diamond Award” 2 years later. Chef Jim was invited to be a presenter at the annual Food and Beverage Conference to discuss the benefits and implementation of Farm-to-Table. He was later asked to be a guest chef in Denver at the annual Four Seasons Owner/General Manager Conference and asked once again to do his Farm-to-Table presentation. The company later mandated that all Four Seasons should be at least 25% Farm-to-Table throughout the company.

Chef Jim was also a culinary instructor for the West Hawaii Community College. He was a two-term President of the American Culinary Federation, Kona Kohala Chapter, Chefs de Cuisine. In addition, he was also a successful culinary competitor, notably winning the ACF Las Vegas Culinary Challenge, gold metal, and Best of Show in 2008 (competing with over sixty other notable chefs). Chef Jim has appeared on the food, numerous local TV appearances and also on The Today Show. He has also been featured in Food And Wine Magazine, Honolulu Magazine, Hawaii Luxury Magazine, Bon Appetite, and Martha Steward Radio, to name some.

After six amazing years at the Four Seasons, Chef and Christine decided it was time to open Pueo’s Osteria, an Italian-inspired restaurant featuring a commitment to the local farming community, and a strict allegiance to regional, seasonal and artisanal foods. Today, his steadfast philosophy is to create dining experiences that are culinary adventures for the soul. Chef Jim imports some of the finest products from Italy to meld with the freshest, locally sourced ingredients, "Building relationships with our amazing local farmers, fishermen, and ranchers have made this journey even more rewarding as a steward of the land and sustainability, buying local is our culture, its how we train our chefs to create locally sourced products and write menus accordingly. Chef says, “At Pueo’s Osteria, your culinary adventure will be grounded in Hawai’i, but the flavors will take you to the heart of Italy.”